Build a stronger brand, start with your employees

I still don’t think C-level execs or consultation firms get it…a brand starts from within a company, and I think that with social media this becomes even more true.

Consumers no longer depend solely on advertising and company Web sites for information. If anything, most consumers are skeptical of these sources. People seek the truth…for the most part. (Of course there are still elements of wanting to be cool and not entirely realizing when we’re being influenced by really slick marketing…but this is rare.)

If I want to know about a product, I google. I scan. I look for consumer reports, ratings by people who’ve bought and used the products (yeah, I know there are companies who use unethical stealth marketing, and plant good reviews….but if you do enough research, read enough blogs, talk to friends…you’ll be better informed). 

I also look for what employees are saying about the company whose products I’m interested in buying. What do they think of the company? Are they well treated? Would they buy the company’s products…if not…why would I?

BusinessWeek ran this article: Feeling trashed on the Web? It’s a good read about the role social media plays in shaping a company’s brand…but I still think they’re missing a huge point: brand begins with the people who make up the company…the employees.

Execs should start to recognize what employees can offer in terms of free marketing, attracting potential talent, customers, and in general, brand equity…just by being encouraged to share their opinions.

Ask your employees what they think of early revs of your new marketing campaigns. Let them blog about what it’s like to be an employee of your company…host these blogs on the company’s own Web page. Start an industry wiki that employees and others can contribute to and reference. Be transparent…and let this start with how you communicate with employees and extend it to how you empower your employees to communicate freely with others…on behalf of the company.

If you don’t trust your employees….you didn’t do a good job in hiring them. Let go. Trust your decisions and trust that most employees want their company to succeed!

Oh…and one other little thing…BusinessWeek…what was with writing vIDEO in that article when referring to videos? Was it a: we’re trying to subliminally market IDEO ? (If so…bad ideo!) If not…whaddup?