How To Get Started Building An Internal Brand

So you understand what internal branding is and why you need it — but how do you start building it? In this blog, we take a look at how you can create an internal branding strategy that truly resonates with your employees.

Why internal branding is crucial for your business

The importance of external branding — advertisements, your slogan, your logo — is pretty self-explanatory. Good external branding can create a connection between you and your customers and can help keep you top-of-mind. But internal branding is just as important. This is what helps inform your company culture and solidify your identity, making it easier for your employees as well as your customers to connect with you.

When your employees have a foundational understanding of what your brand is all about, it can help boost morale and increase productivity. This can transform your employees into ambassadors.

Where to start with your internal branding strategy

Creating an internal brand goes far beyond sending company-wide emails and newsletters and holding the odd Friday afternoon drinks session in the work kitchen. To truly build a positive internal brand, you need to really delve deep into your company’s core values, mission and goals.

How to build your own unique internal branding strategy in 4 steps

Determine your company values and define your mission

The first thing you need to do when developing an internal branding strategy is define your company values and mission. Without a clear direction or a detailed understanding of your core values, you cannot create an internal branding strategy.

This is all about your sense of purpose. As a company, what do you stand for? What do you hope to achieve? What is your five, ten, twenty-year plan?

Create an identity for your internal branding

Next, you need to give your internal branding its own identity. When you look back at your company’s core values and mission, you develop a way to exemplify this in your internal branding strategy.

It’s also important to make sure that your internal brand matches up with your external brand, though the two should be separate from one another. Having an internal and external brand that align is crucial, as having two completely opposing brandings can be confusing and, in some cases, create a sense of disillusionment for your employees.

Involve your employees and be transparent

Involving your employees is extremely important when it comes to creating your internal branding strategy. After all, these are the people you’re trying to connect with! Creating an internal branding strategy without the input of the people it’s aimed at means that you run the risk of developing something that just doesn’t mesh with your team.

Instead, involve your employees in the process. Start by getting their feedback on the company and their perceptions on what the business is all about and where they fit into the grand scheme of things. You can do this in a number of ways — but the most important thing is that you get your employees involved.

Actively communicate your internal brand strategy

Alright, now that you’ve defined your values and your mission, aligned your internal and external brands and gotten your employees’ to help shape things, it’s time to communicate your internal brand strategy. And we’re not talking about sending out a company-wide email. An internal branding strategy deserves its own launch. And once you’ve completed the launch, you need to continue reinforcing the internal brand to ensure that it remains a strong focus for your employees in their day-to-day. It’s key that you weave your internal branding strategy throughout every interaction in the workplace from now on, whether it’s big or small. This might sound like a tall order, but if your internal branding strategy truly reflects your company and its values, then it should be easy to do.

Ready to get started on creating a one-of-a-kind internal branding strategy?

Are you excited to get to work on your internal branding strategy but aren’t quite sure where to begin? It can seem a little daunting at first, but trust us — the hard work you put in now will pay off. At Jam&Co, we can help you create a totally unique internal branding strategy that can create a deeper connection between you and your employees. The most successful companies in the world are ones that have a strong connection between their external and internal brands. Are you ready to become one of them?