Your agency’s brand and culture should be married. Not estranged, not for show, but married. They should love each other, support each other and grow together. When your brand and your culture are apart, it’s like going to a dinner party with the couple who is fighting. Not a good look.
So how do you marry your brand to your culture? Where do you start?
The first step is admitting. Your team is your brand ambassadors. They are your guerrilla marketing team. If they are wearing your shirt with a bad attitude the great news is that impacts your brand image. So how do we harness your team, your brand and your culture?
Your culture is something that you are directly and 100% in charge of (you may not always be in control of it) but you have to craft it.
The best place to start are your beliefs. Now I don’t mean personally. What do you believe in for your team and your customers? More times than not your company’s culture mirrors your personal swagger. For example if you are fast moving, salesy and adventurous your business will be to. If you are softer spoken, your agency may follow that as well.
Once you nail down your culture you need to work with a professional who can dress it up for the ball. Your brand and culture shouldn’t stay behind your four walls. No, it should be oozing everywhere. Your brand needs to be engaging, exciting and tell your story in a compelling way that connects you to your prospects.
For example, if your brand is family orientated, then why aren’t there pictures of your team’s family on the walls of the office? On your website? In your social media? When you start to marry your culture to your brand, great things start happening!
