Professional, Personal and Private – Getting your brand’s privacy settings right

Branding gets personal inside and out

When companies have been “brought up” to be high performing and distinctly professional in their approach, there is a real risk for them going forward if they do not loosen up their “settings” to be more personal. Not only does the new generation of employees – brought up as digital natives – desire to live and work in a more personal and open environment, but customers seek a whole new experience in their engagement with a brand. Whether it is on the telephone, in a brick & mortar store or on a Facebook fan page, this experience relies on a personal touch that is best imparted by individuals in the company who are, themselves, personally engaged.

How urgent is it that management make adjustments?

With the arrival of social media marketing into the mainstream of marketing departments, the overt “first mover advantage” is moving fast into the past. Management is now more or less aware of the opportunity and brands are, for the most part, stumbling into a “digital” strategy. The challenges of evolving into a blended (i.e. off- and online) marketing and communication strategy go far beyond the selection of the right agency, SEO, SEM and Facebook fan pages. They can involve very significant reviews of the processes, organization, talent requirements and cultural values of the company. This white paper, entitled “Professional, Personal and Private – Getting your brand’s privacy settings right,” explores the opportunity for companies to evaluate their brand values and revisit how marketing can create a more enticing, engaging and powerful experience for the customer that is relatively consistent with the employee’s internal experience. The key is finding the delicate balance between driving innovation, profits and optimal stockholder gains, all the while creating meaningful and personalized experiences for the customer. The employee – and the HR department – will emphatically play a strategic role in finding that balance and executing the plan. Are companies making the necessary adjustments? Are they sizing up the urgency and scope of the need to change? What are your thoughts?

Please feel free to download and/or share this paper, which is hosted on Slideshare. You may place your comments either on this blog post or in the commentary box on Slideshare. Thanks! I look forward to hearing back from you and continuing the dialogue online or offline (as you wish).