The Power of Culture

5 tips for fostering harmony between your brand & culture

Imagine this: a market-leading business, admired by customers, lauded by industry experts, loved by shareholders. Sounds perfect doesn’t it? Yet the truth is employees in the same business feel cheated, unheard and angry. So much so, that they decide to go public to air their grievances. It's a nightmare situation.

This happened at BrewDog Brauerei and more recently, at the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), highlighting the potential for business catastrophe.

Brand versus Culture

Brand represents how customers perceive a business, usually managed by the marketing team. In contrast, culture concerns employee behaviour and its impact on the customer experience, often overseen by HR.

However brand and culture, are inseparable. Thriving businesses cultivate a culture where employees embody brand values, understanding their interdependence. 

Beyond the Surface

A brand goes beyond logos, colours, and straplines. It embodies a business's values, personality, and positioning in the market, shaping customer emotions and experiences.

Customers expect businesses to deliver on brand promises, not just in the products and services they sell but also in the way they treat their people. 

Shaping Employee Behaviour

Culture influences employee behaviour, engagement and collaboration behind the scenes. A positive culture attracts and retains top talent and seeks alignment with the company's brand vision. 

The BrewDog and CBI cases reveal that misalignment between culture and brand can harm a business's reputation. Conversely, those fostering a culture where employees embrace the brand, create a powerful synergy, enhancing trust and loyalty.

Fostering Harmony

To avoid crises like BrewDog's, maintain a harmonious culture-brand relationship with 5 these steps.

  • Clearly articulate brand values to ensure employees understand and embody them. Tip: make them simple, short, and ownable! Use a good copywriter.

  • Promote HR-marketing collaboration, aligning recruitment and behaviours with brand values. Ensure your brand is clearly articulated in your onboarding process.

  • Foster a supportive feedback culture. An employee survey isn’t enough. Normalise feedback dialogue- both positive and negative.

  • Maintain open communication, keeping employees updated on brand initiatives.

  • Develop employees' skills and behaviour to align with brand objectives.

In conclusion, the link between culture and brand isn't theoretical; it's a crucial reality. Businesses recognising and nurturing this connection thrive, whilst those that don’t are vulnerable. Dismiss the connection at your peril

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