Employees can be important brand assets, here’s how

By Rowena Fernandes, ‘Challenging Stereotypes.’

During this COVID-19 times, while we have all faced disruption in our lives. One thought that kept ricocheting in my head was — why are companies overlooking the fact that their employee can be the BRAND Assets?

This thought was actually instilled by Professor Nader Tavassoli of London Business School wherein he re-conceptualised brands from being mere organisation’s visual identity (logo) and image (customers’ brand associations) to an experience along “moments-that-matter” along the customer journey and therefore, delivered by people across the entire organisation.

However, it was heartening to see a few of the Indian companies like Wipro, TATA and Asian Paints who rose beyond and above the call of their duty during this COVID-19 times, to ensure that their employees are taken care of thus building brand reputation and goodwill.

Hence mentioned below is my rationale on ‘Employees as BRAND Assets’:

1. Creates Unique Employer’s Value Proposition: In the emerging new world post the Covid-19 pandemic, employer branding is set to become one of the most critical investments in a company’s arsenal. Today, potential candidates unabashedly ask the HR if the company removed employees during COVID-19, to decide if they would like to join the company or not. Now, what do you think would be Asian Paint’s potential to attract talents giving the stance they took in May 2020 to hike salaries to boost staff morale? The goodwill and positive publicity that Asian Paints earned reinforces the adage “Adversity builds Character”

2. Converts Employees as Brand Ambassadors: According to the Edelman Trust Barometer: “Employees rank higher in public trust than a firm’s PR department or CEO. 41% of us believe that employees are the most credible source of information regarding their business.” As the daily communicators of your brand, employees need to be engaged and committed to creating the brand from the inside out. This means they need to be inspired, prepared and given the right tools to deliver on your external brand promise. The best example is Jamshedpur or Tatanagar founded by Mr. Jamsetji Tata in the 1900s. Not just the TATA employees but also their kids and grand-kids till date have an unwavering allegiance and reverence to TATA for all that the company did to build their community.

3. Builds credibility to your Brand Story: According to Nielsen’s Global Trust in Advertising report, 92% of consumers are more inclined to trust brand information if it comes from ‘earned media’ such as from an employee or peer, than advertising formats like celebrity endorsements or a company advert. For example Licious and Amazon have captured this in their packaging boxes thus building credibility & value to their brand.

4. Brings Purpose to Employee’s day-to-day interactions: Meaningful brands are also important to employees. “People don’t get up in the morning fired up by the thought of making profits for their company. They are, however, motivated by making a difference for customers or feeling that they are contributing to something meaningful.” For example: What made the health workers across the globe risk their lives for stranger during COVID-19? Was it mere salary or the deep-down purpose to ‘Save Lives’?

To summarise just as Nike “just does it”, Apple “thinks differently”, your company needs to create a culture that motivates and inspires your employees aka your Brand Assets to strengthen your Brand to infinity & beyond!

And when in doubt, remember the words of Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group who aptly stated “ I take care of my people and my people take care of my business.”

Meet the team!

Author
Rowena Fernandes

Editor
Mridula Saravanan

We at CaratLane are solving some of the most intriguing challenges to make our mark in the relatively uncharted omnichannel jewellery industry. If you are interested in tackling such obstacles, feel free to drop your updated resume/CV to careers@caratlane.com!