Corporate brands often run into trouble, or into a strong new competitor, or simply run out of steam.  Companies then put significant effort into rebranding or developing a new corporate brand positioning, sometimes with a new corporate brand name, often with a new visual identity.  Too often, once these efforts are complete, they move immediately into telling the world what the brand (now) means.  The Marketing Directors update the website, Facebook, change all the business cards, and often launch an advertising campaign that “introduces” the new and refocused corporate brand.

Unfortunately, too little effort is put into orienting and educating the organization’s own people to the new brand positioning, the basis for the change, and how it can only be credible with their help. Many companies are under the false impression that if they communicate and promote the brand externally, perceptions of the company will change and that this alone will allow them to capitalize on the opportunities that the rebranding project was initially geared to address. 

However, at most companies, employees are the most critical brand touchpoint.  So if the people working for the company don’t understand, believe in, or know how to express the values of the new brand at critical customer touchpoints, there is bound to be a disconnect between the external communication promises that are being made and the experiences that customers will have with the company.  Few companies will ever be able to profit from their rebranding efforts if this disconnect is not addressed.

Ideally, a baseline survey of employees would take place prior to the brand re-launch (and even include some employees in the effort) with a follow up every four to six months as “brand training” is being cascaded throughout the organization. Subsequent internal tracking will help the organization gauge whether the brand is truly being embraced and “lived” by employees, setting up a much greater likelihood that the external communications will be reinforced by the direct experiences customers have with the company.

Externally focused, quantitatively-based market research can ultimately help companies assess whether rebranding efforts have resulted in the desired brand associations, as well as whether there has been an uptick in brand consideration and preference. But these changes don’t take place overnight and, without employee buy in, they likely never will.