Disclaimer: Great marketers know that you will never be able to appeal to everyone. So, some of you might find yourself reading this article and thinking “I disagree with this”. I would love to hear your thoughts and opinions, just remember that there’s a human being reading your messages so please be respectful! Happy Reading!
Introduction
In the constantly evolving landscape of modern business, internal marketing is beginning to stand out as a crucial driver of sustained success in employee retention. It nurtures a company from within, fostering employee morale and satisfaction, the foundational elements of a thriving organization. Internal marketing brings together employees and the organizations strategic goals.
By remembering to prioritize employees, companies can create a workforce that is not only dedicated but also aligned to the brand’s mission. Within this, the golden marketing rule still applies: Know Your Audience. Effective marketing hinges on understanding the target audience, in this case, make sure you’re thinking of what your employees actually want, not what you think they want. How can you do that? Ask the question that all great marketing researchers ask : What do you want? It really is that simple!
In this article we are going to dive into why it’s important to focus some of your effort on internal marketing, some campaigns and ideas you can focus on, as well as some lessons you might learn.
Importance of a Strong Brand Identity on Employee Retention
Establishing a strong brand identity hinges on savvy and creative marketing strategies. The key to these strategies is finding a way to perfectly merge your brand's essence in visuals and messaging with your understanding of your target audience. It’s more than just placing logos and key words on display, it’s about creating a brand people want to be a part of. I don’t think any company will ever 100% master this. Not because they don’t want to, but rather because people are forever changing, so their wants and needs will constantly be changing. So really your goal here is to work as hard as you can to build that unwavering brand identity and don’t stop. The success you will see from that never ending drive will transfer over to your employee retention rate. Well, it won’t be the only reason but it will definitely help.
Case Studies
In the world of corporate giants, you have the likes of Google, Apple, and Johnson & Johnson. It’s almost a status symbol to be able to say you work at one of these companies which is quite interesting considering all three have found themselves in the media for some fairly hard to swallow reasons.
Do you remember when Google laid off a surprising chunk of their workforce in a fairly abrupt and unceremonious way? Do you remember all the people who voices their opinions about the tech giant? Well if you go to just about any university in Canada or the United States, and ask them their thoughts on the possibility of working at Google, you’ll find that the workplace prestige is alive and well.
Apple found themselves in some hot water when they lost the case against them for purposely sabotaging older generation iPhones. For days, and even weeks, after that verdict, we saw people saying they would never buy from Apple again. Well, in 2023 Apple boasts having 80,000 employees across the United States (1).
Johnson & Johnson, now splitting into two with most of its Retail products falling under the new name Kenvue, spent years in the media for their products possible ties to cancer… in children. Their LinkedIn account promotes having a team of 134,000 people across more than 60 countries.
I’m not suggesting you should go ahead and do something horrible just to test your employee retention ability. If that’s what you took from this…yikes. I’m saying that people have this ability to forget, almost ignore, how you’ve wronged other people, but they won’t forget when you wrong them. If you don’t give your employees a brand they should be proud of, they won’t be proud to work there.
Internal Marketing Campaigns
Internal marketing is a tool for highlighting the perks and advantages of the workplace to your employees. Over time, being in the same environment can sometimes make people forget all the positives they are getting. By dedicating resources to effective internal marketing, you remind your employees of the attributes that made them want to come work at your company in the first place.
Campaign Ideas
If you’ve never done this before, it’s been a while, or you just need a little push, here are some ideas of internal marketing campaigns you can use.
Promote the companies missions and values. It’s one thing to say you’re dedicated to your consumers and employees, it’s another thing to be able to prove it. Through a video, series of images, or written testimonials, look for ways to show real life examples of your companies mission and values at work. Bring back that feeling of proudness.
Show how your employees are helping you achieve the short and long term business goals. Whether it be graphs on a powerpoint, a detailed email, or a CEO’s employee appreciation video, people want to know they matter. Show employees how important they are to the development of your company.
Remind them of all the perks of the job. Do you offer health and dental benefits? Do you offer a pension plan? Can employees sharpen their skills through online courses? How about any group classes like spinning or paint at lunch? Anything your company offers as an extra to the job, remind them of it. Some people might not know, some might be avid users of the programs, and others might have forgotten. Either way, you’ll be reminding them of all the different ways you should them how much you value their work.
Be Careful, Some People Might Not Like What You Show Them
I t's important to be cautious about your choices here. If you start promoting things as perks that most of the group doesn't really see as benefits, you could end up ruffling some feathers. Let's take the example of the post-covid era – people are divided on whether working from the office is a good thing or a downside to the job. While many companies are going remote or following a hybrid model, some are trying to push in-office work as a perk. But interestingly, while going to the office is a great way to add some socializing into your day and fosters team work, more and more people are opting for a home office.
There's a hidden advantage to highlighting these 'wrong' perks. It helps you see who's on board with your company's vision and who isn't. If someone isn't on the same page, it doesn't mean they're a bad employee. It just means they see the company differently than you do. This insight is kind of like make-shift market research responses. It’s different than you assumed it would be but it helps you navigate future endeavours.
Conclusion
Marketing can be a key tool in elevating employee moral and satisfaction; the foundation for a successful company. Showing appreciation to your employees will help align them to your brand, missions, goals, and values.
We talked about how a strong brand goes a long way in employee retention, different ideas for marketing to your employees, and what you might find out by investing in internal marketing. Marketing gives you the chance to have some fun and be creative when talking about your company. Take that opportunity and use it to promote the value of your employees.