The Hindu Business Line : Employees too can represent a brand

Another Independence Day has come and gone. More speeches, more bombast and little connect to the realities of our life. A nation suspended half way between joy and despair like the mythical Trishanku. We were changing television channels one day and my son suddenly became very serious when we saw adocumentary from the 1940s which had graphic footage of the milling crowds that followed Gandhiji, Nehru, Vallabhbhai Patel, Moulana Azad and other iconic leaders who led our Independence struggle.

Their passion and selflessness as they were lathi charged and beaten up was evident in the footage. My son told me that his textbooks had never brought alive the charisma of these leaders and also that he had never realised that so much had been sacrificed by so many to achieve our independence.

Cut to the sumptuous environs of a five-star hotel and a debate about the usefulness of celebrity brand ambassadors in building brands. The occasion was billed as a major initiative to examine the impact of a celebrity brand ambassador on the brand salience of a well-established company with a track record of achievement over 75 years. The cast of characters included select members of the board, CEOs of the different units, a reputed brand consultant and senior organisational panjandrums.

The proceedings began with mutual back-patting and expressions of joy at the power of the brand. Many speeches outlining the great brand legacy were made and interesting comparisons to India’s glorious 5,000-year culture were made. References were also made to the impact made by the current celebrity ambassador in burnishing the brand. A few participants felt that the celebrity in question was slipping in his appeal and that the company needed to be careful to not hitch its wagon to a fading star and that a new celebrity ambassador was called for. A minority among those present pointed out that all brands, while internalising the gains of the past, need to renew themselves to stay contemporary.

The focus shifted away from the celebrity and little tendrils of doubt and concern began to waft by as some of those present started a debate on the brand’s ability to hold its own in a new India where radical changes are afoot. The discussion veered towards how best to renew the brand and make it relevant in an uncertain future. Thankfully, there was convergence between the ‘legacists’ and the ‘futurists’ on this mission.

The post-prandial session went off in a blaze of discovered common purpose and bonhomie as externally focused brand building strategies, big name brand ambassadors and so on were discussed and an agreement reached on action plans, on how to flesh them out and over what time lines. Interestingly, the odd fact that stood out was the near total omission of any serious discussion on how best to address the future using that most potent weapon — the people resources of the company; its own internal brand ambassadors. At the end of the day, while outwardly focused brand building activities are crucial to reach external audiences, it is only a part of a much larger canvas that must necessarily include a well planned and executed mission to disseminate the brand’s values among employees.

The brand values will then need to be internalised by the people who make up the system and, if done right, this can have a huge positive impact. First, it will reinforce the value systems of the company that form the super glue that aligns people’s goals to the company’s own goals. This will, in turn, create its own virtuous cycle that will yield enormous dividends by way of increased passion, productivity, commitment and loyalty. And second, it will ensure that when the company’s employees, at all levels, interact with the external world, they will carry a message that will be in tune with the brand building initiatives of the company. There is nothing like employee endorsement to carry the day. I recall an old saying that a good restaurant is one where the owner and employees are seen eating their own food!

My son was right when he said that it was the many iconic leaders and much more importantly, the millions of unknown and unsung Indians who carried the flag in their hearts who got us our freedom. They also exemplified the values that characterised our nation. This legacy needs to be carried forward in a vastly changed milieu by my son’s generation. In a similar vein, a company’s brand needs to be underpinned by its value systems and who best to do this than its own employees. If done right, not only will they wear the company-logo-emblazoned T-shirt with pride, but will also carry its value systems in their hearts.

Celebrities and leaders can reinforce a brand to an extent, but the heavy lifting has to be done by committed employees of the company who are its most potent brand ambassadors. Then, the company can face the future with confidence.

(The writer is advisor to the Manipal Education & Medical Group, 3i Infotech and Blue River Capital. He can be reached at mcshekaran@gmail.com)

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