“Internal Brand Connect” - Professor M.S.Rao

When you look at company like Infosys it has built strong internal brand internally based on values. As its tagline says, ‘powered by intellect and driven by values’ Infosys worked hard to create such prestigious brand for many years and it has lived to it so far. Similarly when you look at companies such as Southwest Airlines and FedEx they have successfully built their brands internally that helped them brand themselves externally well and reap returns accordingly. In this context, we will discuss about Internal Brand Connect.


What is Internal Brand Connect?

Employees represent the image of the organization. If employees are well groomed through right organizational culture and climate, they will reflect the same outside the organization thus enhancing the image of the organization. Rajan Dutta, President, HR, Lupin, says, "Internal branding is about developing an image so compelling that people want to work for you and those who do, carry themselves with pride and honour. Due to increase in competition for talent and demand-supply challenge, all employers are forced to look internally and help employees relate to the organization and its brand. Internal branding refers to institutionalizing the company's brand among its employees."


Importance

Internal Brand Connect helps the employees connect with other employees effectively. It paves the way for quick passing of information and enabling quick decision making. We often talk of branding the organization externally. However, internal brand connect helps in branding internally. As external branding helps connect with outside people internal brand connect helps connect people within the organization thus they can feel proud of their organization. It ultimately results into organizational effectiveness and excellence. It helps employees understand the organizational vision and mission. It enhances employee engagement and productivity thus enhancing the bottom lines.

Companies cannot build external brand by ingnoring internal culture. If you want to grow outside you must grow inside first. If you want to grow global you must grow local first. Similarly when you want to build your brand externally you need to build your brand internally first.


Tips for Internal Brand Connect

Organizational culture depends on the organizational climate and the employees’ connectivity with others. Efforts must be made to make sure that all employees consistently speak with one voice with clients and customers as it sends strong message. Here are the tips to connect employees internally.

• Build healthy organizational climate
• Provide efficient internal communication.
• Conduct meetings, functions and parties regularly to connect all employees
• Make the expectations of customers and clients to employees clear periodically as it helps them project and present right culture to outside people.
• Align employees’ attitudes and behavior as per the vision and mission of the organization from time to time so that they stay glued to the track.
• Above all, harness their energies constantly as per the organizational vision and mission.

Companies must first build their brand image internally so that they can build their brands outside successfully. When employees take pride in their company that is automatically reflected outside thus elevating the image of the organization outside successfully. It is also rightly said that if you want to win outside you must first learn to win at your home. Similarly, internal brand connect helps in a big way for organizational productivity and performance.



Professor M.S.Rao
Founder and Chief Consultant,
MSR Leadership Consultants, India
Blog: http://profmsr.blogspot.com
Where Knowledge is Wealth
Email: profmsr7@gmail.com



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