Marketing and Culture – How DO They Relate?

What exactly is the relationship between a company’s external marketing and its internal corporate culture?  Some would say it is like the chicken and the egg – aka nobody is ever quite sure which comes first or which causes the other.  Others may even argue (gosh I hope not) there is no relationship at all. 

Old school marketing purists would say that marketing drives – or at least layers a thick coat of public veneer onto a company’s corporate culture that is believable and sellable to the end user as a differentiator.  But as those of us on the inside know all too well, what is purported to the public as a company’s prime differentiator often has nothing to do with the internal realities the employees live on a daily basis. Yet, in today’s increasingly transparent one-to-one marketing world where a single angst-ridden customer can make or break your next quarter with one well-positioned You Tube video, and where disgruntled employees are free to vent company dirty laundry to the world unfettered, organizations are fast realizing it is high time to ensure their external messaging and internal realities are in sync.

Alex Frankel wrote a book Punching In, The Unauthorized Adventures of a Front-Line Employee, about which I recently listened to a podcast on the AMA web site.

To write this book Frankel went undercover for a couple of years as a “front line” employee at a number of well-known retail brands while clandestinely writing the book on his experience.  As such, he lived the relationship between corporate culture and external branding from the perspective of UPS, Apple, Starbucks, the Gap and a few others – including the Container Store who chose not to hire him because he (admittedly) didn’t have much passion for what they sell and through their arduous interview process it seemed they could sense it. 

As an employee of each of these companies, Frankel attended training programs, wore outfits proudly and watched how each company’s vision was put forth to employees in how they were expected to act, think and represent the brand on the front lines. His experiences on culture and brand solidified for him the belief that in the best and most successfully branded companies, public messaging and internal messaging were closely intertwined – and more importantly, fed off one another.   

Translation – you can hang a sign saying “customer service is our top priority” but if it’s not, it won’t take long for your customers to smell a rat and run the other way.   Conversely, if you promote a service mentality as your differentiator and not just “tell” your employees as much, but truly empower them to take that message to heart and act always with that thought in mind – you will be amazed at the passion, creativity and effort they put toward making that service brand true. 

So what is the takeaway for today’s savvy marketers?
Your people are living, walking, and talking representatives of your brand everywhere they go.  BuildHire  people who want to drink the Kool-Aid and fire those who refuse or think they are too good for it.   Train people on the vision and get them to engage in its message and internalize what it means to them with every action they take.  Then give them the freedom to make that vision their own and to have a little fun with it.   your brand based on a consistent vision and driving passion that comes directly from the top that says who you are, why you are different and what are your goals as an organization. 

Lastly, only after you’ve branded your company on the inside, can you successfully take these differentiators to market on the outside and have them stick.  Sure, now its time to ramp up those mass market advertising campaigns, media parties and new media strategies.  Write your ads and pitch your stories about your company surrounding this amazing differentiator, and don’t neglect to contemplate how you will use the new media to put forth your message as well. 

Brainstorm about new ways you can engage your customers and your front line staff in meaningful conversations that further your sales and your brand every chance you get. Whether its through blogs, social networking sites, the creation of a customer service portal or any other number of innovations, take time to think through them and try some new ideas on for size.  Test the waters and don’t be afraid of failing as long as you remain true to your brand. Through this, you will build not only customer conversations and evangelists but find new markets and long-term success.