The continued growth of the South West economy will rely on the way we sell ourselves individually and collectively. Central to this is branding. I’ve often wondered why when organisations think about rebranding the emphasis seems to be more on the views of their clients rather than their staff.
Clients’ experiences and views are crucial to help shape a brand but do they really know an organisation better than its employees? From my perspective, a strong brand comes from within, it’s the heart and soul of an organisation – it’s about the culture. And what is the culture? Yes it’s the systems, processes, the hierarchy and the way things are done around here but ultimately I believe it’s about the people.
A successful brand has to be authentic, not only for the clients but also employees. Often overlooked is that it is the people which deliver the client experience and brand to the client. If the brand doesn’t ring true to its people then it’s definitely not going to ring true to its clients. It’s not easy to create a strong brand proposition but starting the process from within just makes more sense.
Getting employees involved from the outset also helps with the buy-in as they feel part of the process. Even more so if you reflect back at them the language they use to describe their organisation. It does have to be a genuine consultation, not just lip service, to become true, real and authentic. Then it is a case of bringing your brand to life through the client experience and marketing.
In the professional services sector, branding presents a huge opportunity to create a point of difference and stand out in a sea of vanilla. Clients expect their accountant, lawyer and other advisors to know their stuff but in general I think the sector makes it hard for clients to make a choice. Why should they pick you?
At Stephens Scown we made a virtue out of our location in the South West and how our staff embrace living and working here, with our Love Where You Live Campaign. The campaign, which was completely unexpected for a law firm, was full of advice and tips from our people on the best businesses, things to do and experience in Devon and Cornwall. It said a lot about the firm and the people who work here.
I think that there is a feeling that the sector has to be ‘professional’ but this is often at the expense of having a personality. You can have both if you have an authentic brand which can then help to attract clients as well as new recruits. But it all has to start from the inside before you promote it externally.
Mandy Reynolds is director of marketing at Stephens Scown LLP, one of the partners in the Back the South West campaign. The firm recently won Campaign magazine’s Marketing New Thinking Awards in the employee engagement category for its Love Where You Live campaign.
This article first appeared in the Western Morning News February 2018.