How to build your brand from the inside

A brand is more than a logo or a colour palette. A brand is more than a catchy tagline or a piece of well-crafted boilerplate. 

A brand is how your customers feel when they interact with you. And what creates that feeling? 

Your people.

At Broom & Moon, we believe brands are built from the inside out. That it’s the people doing the work that are the brand.

Not surprising, really, given our very name was inspired by a story about the links between an org’s mission and the people on the ground.

For us, building a strong brand starts with everyone on the team knowing — and buying into — the story of who you are as an org. 

When we help organisations tell that story to their employees, we like to focus on answering five questions: why, where, what, how and who.

Let’s take a look at each one in turn — and what they mean for your employees.

Why are we here? (Or, in your employees’ words, “what gets me out of bed in the morning?”)

Your why is your purpose or mission. It’s the reason your organisation deserves to exist. Your contribution to making the world a better place. 

Creating a clearly articulated why is about giving your employees a reason to turn up every day, ready, willing and able to give their best to you and your customers. 

If you haven’t yet articulated your org’s why, check out our ten tips for crafting a powerful purpose statement. If you have, take a look at our suggestions on how to make your purpose more than words on a memo.

Where are we going? (Or, in your employees’ words, “what does our destination look like”?) 

Your where is your vision for your business, the end goal you’re working towards. 

It points your people to the destination so they can all pull together in the right direction. 

And the clue to an effective vision statement is in the name: it should be visual. It should paint a picture in the mind’s eye. 

A powerful vision statement doesn’t simply tell people what you do. It presents some future state that is different from — and better than — today. 

Non-profits are great source of inspiration for vision statements, because they want to solve a problem, rather than pursue growth for growth’s sake.

For example, which of these paints a clearer and more inspiring picture of a world changed:

“Be, and be recognised as, the best consumer products and services company in the world” (Proctor & Gamble)

Or:

“To create a world where no child goes to bed hungry" (Feed the Children)

That’s not to say profit-making companies can’t paint a picture of a world changed — as can be seen from the examples in our previous post on vision statements. 

What are we doing? (Or, in your employees’ words, “what’s the thing I need to do today?”)

It’s one thing to have a vision and a purpose. But you also need a strategy for making them both happen: a fuller account of what you are going to do. The practical steps you’ll take to realise your vision and fulfil your purpose. 

Your purpose and vision might be single, pithy statements. Your strategy will be longer and more in-depth. It will have several “strands” or “pillars” — chapter headings, if you like — that chunk the strategy into meaningful areas of action.

And it will most likely be articulated in several different decks. For example, for the CEO’s strategy roadshow, you may want a punchy, visual version with an accompanying script. 

But you’ll also want a longer “leave-behind” version for people to digest in their own time — new joiners, for example.

You might also want to create ”talking point” materials that help leaders throughout the organisation facilitate conversations with their teams about how they can contribute to the strategy.

For tips on how to write your strategy, check out our post on how to communicate your strategy so employees understand it.

How do we behave? (Or, in your employees’ words, “how does the work get done around here?”)

Your how is your culture, as expressed in your shared values and their associated behaviours. 

Note the use of the word “shared” there. At Broom & Moon, we strongly believe that articulating your values and behaviours is most effective when you allow them to bubble up from below, rather than imposing them from top down.

So when a client tells us they’re thinking about values and behaviours, we always recommend an org-wide conversation. Doing this work leads to values that are a far truer representation of the company’s culture than tired old tropes like Trust, Integrity and Respect.

Our other tip? Stick to a maximum of three. Any more than that and people won’t remember them all. In fact, as we suggested in a previous post, a single corporate value might just be enough.

Check out, too, this brilliant example of the power of carefully chosen values.

Who is our customer? (Or, in your employees’ words, “how do I show up for those we serve?”)

Your first who is your customer. So this is about understanding your customer value proposition. In other words, how you’re promising to make life better for those you sell to and serve.

A powerful customer value proposition will be shaped by a deep understanding of what matters most to your target buyer. But not only that — it will also be expressed using customers’ words rather than internal language.

For an example of where we helped a client speak their customers’ language, check out our Sapia case study.

Who are we? (Or, in your employees’ words, “what’s in it for me?”)

Your second who is your employee value proposition (EVP). This is about celebrating what’s unique about your organisation. It’s the reason people should want to join and stay on your team. 

As with so many of the other aspects of your brand, your EVP statement will feel most true when it comes from listening to your employees and speaking their language. 

Want help uncovering, articulating and embedding any of these aspects of your brand? Get in touch.