5 Ways to Roll Out Your Brand Strategy Company Wide
You crafted your brand strategy. The big thinking is done. Now, it’s time to share your hard work with everyone on the team. Let’s do this!
Summary: Now that you have a brand strategy, it’s time to share it with everyone in your company. Here are five proven ways to kick off your brand strategy that engage, motivate, and reward your team.
Host an event.
Sure, you can have a meeting.
OR, you can make a lasting impression by hosting an inspirational, team-building get together that engages everyone in your Vision.
Choose an interactive format that is memorable and hands on. Here are a few examples:
A half-day or full-day, activity-filled workshop presented by the entire leadership team.
A 2-3 day retreat at HQ (or another exciting locale) that connects into company-wide annual planning or a new product launch.
A multi-session 4-week mini-course that kicks off with a keynote speaker and follows with weekly education and inspiration on the brand strategy.
Make the most of your efforts:
No matter the format chosen, use the agenda and content as the foundation to build a new hire training program that everyone participates in during the first 30-days of onboarding.
Plan it like a party.
Build momentum and excitement before they arrive with an internal marketing campaign.
Send out high-quality invitations. Make them as personal as possible.
Create a teaser campaign—a series of emails that create hype and curiosity up to two weeks before people arrive.
Deliver a personal video message from the Founder or CEO straight to their inbox using Loom or Canva.
Pick a theme song, and build a playlist around it. Share it in advance and play it throughout the event.
Send a curious item that will only make sense once participants arrive. Get people talking!
Make the most of your efforts:
Stick with the slogans and language you use in the internal marketing campaign—these are rallying cries that you can use going forward for internal work. For example, the theme of the workshop can be the theme for the year and be the start of an annual rhythm of organizing around a thematic principle.
Design the result.
Ask, “What action do I want people to take immediately?” Build creative activities into the agenda to motivate that response.
Launch a recognition program—give awards that acknowledge company values and roll out a method to nominate people for recognition. Carry this program forward monthly, quarterly or annually.
Have each team member write a personal elevator pitch about their work and company using the Brand Plan as a guide. Encourage them to use it in client interactions and while networking.
Organize to-do lists. Ask people to organize their current projects according to the Pillars. Show them the connection to their work right away.
Don’t just tell them, show them!
Two words: Visual aids. We all learn in different ways. Having a document to reference goes a long way in connecting the dots when we’re learning new ideas. Plus, intangible ideas like Vision and Values become “real” when we have a physical item that represents them.
Here are a few examples:
Create a brand book. Yes! A physical book that outlines the brand strategy in full color. Produce enough copies to gift one to each launch participant, plus every new hire, new partner or VIP client going forward.
Design a 10-20 page eBook that outlines the brand strategy in a concise, easy to share format. This document serves double duty—share it with new hires, present it to new partners, and offer it as a download on the website.
Create a visually stunning slide show to support the presentations and enhance learning. Use this template as the new internal slide show template going forward.
Give them a gift to memorialize your Brand Promise—make it a really useful item to maximize the power. For example, a custom journal, planner or binder with your brand promise emblazoned on the cover.
Walk the talk.
Use the launch of your brand strategy to set the example. Bring your Vision to life through the special touches and operations of the event. Show team members what it means to exemplify the brand—in everything they do.
Have a welcoming committee—greet every team member in a way that demonstrates your values.
Decorate the tables, the room, the entry way. Display awards that will be gifted. Find ways to create excitement though the look and feel of the room.
Serve delicious and nutritious food that shows you care for people’s health.
Dress up or dress down—which ever is right for your brand—and tell people what to expect of the dress code before they arrive.
Surprise people with the unexpected. Think: Smoothie or coffee bar, a 15-minute yoga session at lunch, a photo booth…
Make it worth your effort:
Use the gathering to show the team exactly what it means to be “on brand”.
