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What is “Behavioral Branding” (On-brand behavior)?


 

Major catalyst to corporate success is BRAND spirit. Especially in the
servicing industry, an employee’s brand-like approach contributes highly to the brand’s spirit and thus enhances corporate image.  
 
Is the product’s essence primarily generated at the interface between
employees and clients? The staff’s “customer relationship marketing”
approach (as a main channel) adds considerably to propagating the brand’s value. Studies carried out in the servicing industry (banking, tourism, public relations etc.) confirm the employee’s significant impact on the brand’s success.  
 
Brand empowerment – thanks to the employee’s brand commitment – may prevail greatly over the obvious brand communications (design, advertising, public relations, sponsoring etc.), particularly when the service providing share of a commodity is high.   
 
Thus, “Behavioral Branding” in the servicing industry is a core factor to
successful brand management. The brand values proposed by the brand
management are often not understood, not accepted – and sometimes
rejected by staff members.
 
Three factors may obstruct the brand’s spirit:
 
- Employee’s behavior as regards branding does not conform to the
  brand management’s intentions.
- Home-grown dissuasion, obstruction, misinformation.
- Endeavours that are not in tune with integrative brand management.  
 
(also refer to: www.imh.unisg.ch/org/imh/bb.nsf)
 
 
Behavioral Branding – a component of Corporate Communications
 
Behavioral Branding ensures the staff’s customer relationship
approach to be in tune with the brand’s commitment and values.
 
Behavioral Branding, i. e. the employee’s approach is in tune with the
brand’s core values, enriches the brand’s spirit perpetuated by
integrated corporate communications.   
 
Consequently, Behavioral Branding makes sure that all staff members – as the brand’s ambassadors – represent the brand in tune with brand
management’s intentions, and last but not least with corporate identity.
 
Behavioral Branding – being a main managerial task – advances the
employee’s brand identification. Consequently, the staff’s authentic, “branded” behaviour is apparent with the various stakeholder groups – above all the clients.  
 
Corporate training’s main objective is: Each member of staff will act as the brand’s ambassador.
 
Behavioral Branding encompasses all the employee’s endeavours
contributing to the brand’s development and enrichment.
 
 
Integration of Behavioral Branding
 
Authentic brand behavior by each member of staff – in accordance with the brand’s commitment and values – is the core idea of Behavioral Branding.
 
Introducing Behavioral Branding follows three steps:
 
1. Inform each member of staff of the brand’s commitment and values.
 
Prerequisite is brand-related in-house communications as well
as corporate training.
 
2. Encourage each member of staff to authentically live the brand’s
    commitment and values.
 
“Incarnation” of the brand’s commitment and values is needed in
order to convincingly live the brand’s spirit.
 
3. Train each member of staff to understand the brand’s commitment 

    and values.
 
Corporate training must promote brand involvement so that
employees understand the brand’s commitment and values.
    
 
To persuade staff for Behavioral Branding
 
A brand’s reinforcement requires well-designed, integrated endeavours.
Proficient branding engages each member of staff to be well aware of the brand’s commitment and values.
 
- Internal communications (one of integrated corporate

   communications’ components) as well as corporate training advance 

   Behavioral Branding.
- Top-down-information policy does not exploit full staff potential in order to represent the brand. Full involvement of each staff member is vital.  
 

Procedure as follows will ensure the staff’s full involvement: Behavioral Branding 
 
Phase 1: Information
 
Each member of staff should be fully informed of the brand’s commitment and values. Consequently, everyone – including the management – is to be invited for (a) chat session(s) (or for a web-based, interactive e-conference). The participants communicate their ideas – no matter what their rank in hierarchy is on equal terms – as regards the brand’s commitment and values.
 
Phase 2: Motivation/Inspiration
 
Each member of staff gets inspired as regards promoting the brand.
Consequently, an idea contest may be summoned to collect opinions as well as suggestions with regard to the brand’s commitment and values. Such an event will certainly propel the staff’s identification with the brand.  
 
Phase 3: Live the Brand
 
Staff members will be encouraged to brainstorm on/to work out strategies how to live the brand’s attribute in full when referring to the brand’s stakeholder groups.
 
 
Promoting a brand among the workforce is a continuing project. Such a task focuses on spreading brand awareness. Behavioral Branding reinforces the brand’s spirit and at the same time enhances the company’s serviceability, which is evident according to the positive correlation between the staff’s commitment and corporate earnings.
 
 
Recruiting and Behavioral Branding     
 
Brand management is targeted at a broad range of stakeholders. This
obviously includes applicants too. Consequently, aspects of the company’s brand architecture should be an issue when interviewing applicants. And the core question is to be put forward: Do the applicant’s personal values and goals go in tune with the brand’s commitment and values? A positive correlation between the brand’s and the applicant’s values will certainly favour an authentic Behavioral Branding.
In addition, an assessment can clarify the candidate’s brand identification as well as her/his inclination to participate in fulfilling the brand’s commitment and thus contributing to the company’s objectives.
 
Conclusions
 
- Above all in the servicing industry, Behavioral Branding – as a key
tool of corporate communications – enriches a brand’s spirit and
contributes highly to build up corporate identity in public.
 
- Staff members who are well informed of the company’s brand
management and are trained adequately will ensure a client approach
in tune with the brand’s spirit.


- Prerequisite for continuing revitalization of the brand are sufficient
information transfer to the staff as regards brand management and
adequate corporate training.