How Company Culture Affects Your Brand Image
Written by Courtney Raguso, Social Media Content Creator
Why is having a good culture at work important for your brand image?
The collective set of beliefs, attitudes, and values shared by all employees in an organization constitute company culture and is a big part of the foundation of your brand. Culture in a company only creates value when it aligns with your brand’s values and is put to practice. If your values don’t line up, then your brand’s image will be compromised. Most businesses struggle with their company culture and many don’t even realize it’s a problem. According to research, only 23% of U.S employees feel that they can apply their company’s values to their work. Although most corporate leaders believe improving company culture would increase their company’s business value and performance, it seems to be poorly enforced. Even more research shows that nearly 50% of employees say that improving culture seems to be unimportant and secondary. Your company culture is where your brand starts. When you neglect your employees and don’t provide a positive and consistent experience for them, it will be hard to develop a well synced team and deliver customer value. The best way to start is to understand your values and how you want your business to run. When hiring, it’s important to hire like-minded people who want to work for you for the value it gives them aside from just a paycheck. In fact, a recent LinkedIn survey found that 65% of employees prefer to do something they actually enjoy in a positive environment and forego higher pay. The data also revealed that 50% of employees preferred to work for companies where they can be themselves and have a positive impact on society. Think about it, who wants to work for most of their life and NOT enjoy what they’re doing? Not us! By injecting purpose into your culture and bringing those values to life, your brand will be in a position to deliver that promise to its customers. Your culture represents your brand values, so practice what you preach. When employees share the same understanding of the culture your brand embodies, the performance of their output will be far more efficient. It’s even more special when you form bonds because when your team starts to feel like family, they will work even harder not because they’re told to, but because they want to.
“When you have a good internal environment and a team that works well together, and they’re tight-knit, that synergy is then translated and transferred into their work.” – Mario Mirabella, CEO, MSM DesignZ Inc.
Satisfied employees are the result of a strong culture and will be the determining factor in whether your business succeeds or not. When you set clear expectations, develop awareness, and provide them with the proper resources and training, they will be in a position to succeed. Many people are working remotely right now because of the pandemic, and operating in multiple locations can be a challenge. That’s why it’s important for every employee to be on the same page and understand their roles and the overall company culture. Having a set system for clear and dependable communication is also helpful for keeping everyone on track. Customers will know if your culture is not developed in several ways. Good internal culture provides organization and without organization starting from the bottom, your brand message will be unclear and not delivered. Employees also have direct contact with your customers, so if they hate their job and don’t mesh with the company culture it will be noticed. If you enforce a positive culture and give your business a purpose people can relate to, your employees will reflect that to the public. For example, you’ve probably experienced horrible customer service before, which left you with a bad impression on the brand. We can’t blame you! Your employees are directly communicating with your customers and clients, so treat them well, and they will happily promote your brand.
“Your employees are your main brand ambassadors. When you have a great company culture, they will be happy and honored to talk about the company positively. This can permeate to social media, networking events and even translate to how they interact with colleagues and clients. It’s a win-win situation.” – Clayra Morales, Director of Digital Media, MSM DesignZ Inc.
Your employees are the most important asset to your business. As a business owner, it’s up to you to communicate to your managers and employees what you expect of them and the culture and values you want to embody and manifest. If you don’t start there, you can’t expect to get the results you are looking for. However, it doesn’t stop there. Great talent will create positive interactions with customers, however it might not find as many new leads as you want if your online performance is poor. Many businesses struggle to show a more personal side online because they’re so caught up in selling their product, but focusing only on that will turn people off. Consumers, especially with millennials representing the largest group, expect more from brands and want to see a culture. Social media and your website offer a platform for your brand to share its values and company culture, and in a way, you are still promoting your brand. It’s just without the hard sell, which is sometimes better. Whether you’re sharing your day-to-day office life or are showing your support for a cause, sharing moments like these will humanize your brand and give purpose behind it. Create clear social media guidelines for your team to follow, but make sure to have fun with it. Users can sense when you’re trying too hard. Aside from what your brand decides to show online, you need to realize the power of sharing. In the digital world we live in, it’s safe to say that conversations can pick up pretty quickly about a brand, and there’s no hiding. They can be positive or negative, and a lot of it can be out of your control. That’s why you need to focus on the things you can control which is your company culture. If your company is perceived to have a good culture, people will share good things about it and show their support. This then gives your brand the opportunity to reach new customers and build a positive reputation.
“Company culture greatly affects how the world views your brand, not only through word of mouth but on social media and online reviews. When the customer service and work they output is at a high level, clients are in-turn more inclined to speak highly of your brand and share it with everyone they know. ” – Caroline Martin, Director of Operations, MSM DesignZ Inc.
Remember, to customers, your brand represents one organization, one culture, one promise — and it’s tough to sustain that impression with a splintered culture. Your employees are the real people behind your brand, and they are your foundation. Happy and motivated employees will create authenticity for your brand because they are truly committed. When you provide a great working environment and practice your brand values internally, it will show externally in your brand image. This will benefit in the long run because it focuses on relationship building and customers need to feel a connection in order to want to support and invest in your brand. As an agency, since we’re in a small business environment, our team gets more freedom and flexibility which gets translated to the client since we’re not so structured all the time. Instead of using a “one size fits all” approach, we’re able to work with our clients differently and give them more personal attention. There are no set rules for what your culture should be, that’s for you to decide as a business owner. However, when it comes to your online presence and communicating your culture to the world, we can help set things right.
At MSM DesignZ, we put in the time and energy needed for success, so you can ensure you are using every dollar for maximum return. With over 20 years in the business, we have worked with a variety of diverse clients. When we take on a client, we put in 110% and treat every brand as if it’s our own. We become a champion of their stories, uncovering a brand identity instead of fabricating one. We’re here to help grow your brand and communicate your brand’s true purpose! We will always continue to place our clients’ needs at the heart of our operations. From web development to social media management, we’ll work directly with you to build a personalized strategy to not only retain but also gain business. We are assisting in all areas for our clients. Visit our contact page at https://www.msmdesignz.com/contact/, and we’ll work with you to devise a custom plan that will keep your brand alive and well. We look forward to working with you!
Sources:
https://www.gallup.com/workplace/288713/consistent-cultures-deliver-customer-value.aspx
https://hbr.org/2020/04/build-a-culture-that-aligns-with-peoples-values
https://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/how-to-guide-employees-to-post-more-on-social-media/