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When it comes to thinking about your internal branding strategy — what your brand stands for and what your overall vision is — it’s easy to take a traditional marketing approach and focus from the inside out. Marketing to your customer base is definitely an important cornerstone of any good brand, but the most cogent and effective brands worldwide also focus on another key stakeholder demographic: their own employees. 

By creating an internal strategy that makes your employees feel connected to your company brand, you can create a stronger brand identity overall. Your employees understand not just the external factors of your branding like your logo and company colours, but can also understand what qualities define the DNA of your brand at its core. Armed with that knowledge, every employee has the potential to become a strong brand representative — able to communicate what you stand for as a business and further your success.

What is an internal branding strategy?

Let’s start with the basics. Simply put, an internal branding strategy encompasses all the features of your brand that aren’t outward-facing. While external branding is everything that your customers see — your logo and advertising campaigns, your company colours, typefaces and style guide, an internal branding strategy goes deeper into your brand’s vision, helping your employees understand not just the what of your branding, but the why. Why your external marketing choices have been chosen, what they communicate about your mission statement and values, and why sticking to the brand guidelines matters.

In practice, an effective internal branding strategy is sophisticated both in its message and its delivery. It should concisely explain your external marketing and how it relates to the company mission and values, connecting your employees’ everyday activities with the overall long term goals of the business. When it comes to getting this message across, a lot of companies fall short. As with your external marketing, your internal branding strategy is only as good as the tools you use to communicate it. Yep, that means going beyond company newsletters and the HR department. 

How a clear internal branding strategy can help grow your business

You might be tempted to assume that your employees will automatically have a connection to the brand they work for. In reality, though, this isn’t necessarily the case. Many businesses don’t bother developing a cohesive and well-communicated internal branding strategy. While they might keep employees across the direction and overall strategy, they don’t see the need to persuade internal stakeholders that their brand is powerful.

When businesses take the time to invest in resources and properly develop their internal branding strategy with the same vigour as their external marketing efforts, the results can help empower your employees to reach new levels of growth and success. The best strategies capitalise on opportune moments to communicate a message. Because internal branding strategies change the way your employees approach their work, your processes and workflows within the business will start to mirror the ‘big idea’ or overall vision that your external marketing communicates, creating a more authentic experience for internal stakeholders and customers alike. 

How do I get started building an internal branding strategy?

At this point, you may be convinced of the power of a good internal branding strategy, but unsure about where to start creating one for your own business. Luckily, Jam & Co has you covered. To get started crafting an internal branding strategy for your own company, check out our guide to building an internal branding strategy. And if you’re still looking for help in developing internal branding that will push your business to new heights and change the way your employees think about their roles, get in touch with us to learn more about how Jam & Co’s bespoke services.