Installment 3 - Continuing with the 7 IN's of Internal Branding

#2 - INclude: Make Them Part Of Creating The Vision

When Angie Mock spun off Flagstone Hospitality Management – with 3,000 employees and 50 locations – the first thing she did was to don a maid’s uniform and join her housekeepers in scrubbing toilets and making beds. She moved on to the front desk and kitchens until she understood, first hand, how each employee did their job. Then she surveyed the employees to find out what kind of a company THEY wanted to work for. From these experiences and input, she was able to structure a company where employee inclusion helped shape the Core Values of the Brand they would deliver to their guests going forward. She launched the INternalBranding program in a big way, and reinforced a newly defined vision and culture that had been shaped through employee inclusion.

#3 - INvolve: INvolved Employees Vest In Their Company

Levi Strauss is a company with strong Core Values that are embraced by its employees, and has a long history of social responsibility as well. It goes to great efforts to ensure that people in the organization understand how to relate to each other across departmental boundaries. It demonstrates to employees how each of their roles contributes to Levi’s overall success – and implicit in the message – their own success. And they carry that further to the outside world by demonstrating how their Core Values benefit the communities in which the employees work through their involvement in social causes and initiatives. Involving employees in bettering lives – whether theirs inside and for others outside of the work environment – creates a “vested” mentality and drives loyalty, outstanding performance and reputation. In a post 9/11 world, consumers willingly gravitate towards companies and employees that demonstrate they get involved.

Sir Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin empire, has always been a quintessential entrepreneur, daredevil, risk taker, a living example of his brands’ core values and culture, and the ultimate INternalMarketer. Why? Because at virtually every turn of the corner, you will observe Sir Richard involving his employees – regardless of the strategic business unit – in promoting that culture as a point of differentiation. Virgin employees are the walking and breathing ambassadors of the Virgin culture, whether hosting passengers at 35,000 feet on a Virgin aircraft, sponsoring round-the-world solo aircraft journeys or hot air balloon voyages, or selling CDs at the Virgin Megastore. In each of them is a reflection of Sir Richard’s lust for life, and passion for doing things right and doing the right thing. Who could imagine such a successful empire built around the concept of a Virgin. That is, outside of the Vatican.