Telling Your Story: Does Your Advertising Effectively Convey Your Company’s Culture?

We’re going to ask two very simple questions: Who are you and are you letting people know it? While these questions may seem easy to answer, the reality is that many companies suffer from an identity crisis that makes it impossible for them to effectively convey their corporate culture and personality. Even more difficult to grasp is the concept that your internal company culture and how you treat your employees can have a direct residual advertising value of which you can be taking advantage.

It’s important to realize that when you’re embarking on any advertising or marketing endeavor, you’re not just selling your product or service, you’re selling the philosophy, personality and value system behind them. In a survey from Forbes, more than 50 percent of executives say corporate culture influences productivity, creativity, profitability, firm value, and growth. Advertising represents a prime opportunity for you to directly connect with current and prospective customers to show them, not just what you can do for them, but also what you value and how you take care of your team.

Brand Loyalty and Your Company’s Culture

Who do you WANT to be? Again, this question may seem simple enough, particularly for established companies; however, so many organizations miss out on an opportunity to sell themselves in addition to the products and services they offer. Brand loyalty is one of the most powerful economic forces and it can give you a significant leg up on other companies in your industry. Even when a company misses the mark (whether it’s a product that falls flat, a PR mishap or something else) brand loyalty can help minimize the long-term impact. Recent statistics indicate that 56% of customers said they feel more loyal to brands who “gets them.” What are you doing to connect?

Words and Pictures: Developing Your Company’s Culture

What’s your story? Are you a hard-driven, all-business juggernaut who’s all business and results and bent on world domination? Are you a family-owned business with hundreds of years of history and an unwavering commitment to quality? Are you a company encouraging good corporate citizenship and being responsible stewards of the environment? Are you a neighborhood staple that makes the best pretzels ever? Developing a corporate culture begins with chronicling and refining your story and figuring out how to build a narrative that is equally effective in the board room, break room and the editing room.

Once you’ve developed your story, it’s time to get to work building engaging and effective messaging. This includes creative endeavors like choosing the right copy and colors for your print ads to choosing the right media placement strategy to ensure your company is making the most efficient and economical choices. It’s important to remember that consistency is key…nobody likes a person who changes their story everyday and EVERYONE likes someone they can rely on. Spend the time fleshing out your story and stick with a concept that’s right for you. This investment in time and creative resources will pay off in the end.

Company Culture and Recruitment Advertising

Effectively conveying your company’s culture not only helps you connect with new customers, it also helps you attract the best and most like-minded professionals for your organization. Whether you’re taking over the world or making its best pretzels, you need staff whose experience, values and skills align with your mission. The best way to streamline the recruitment process and build an enduring pipeline of qualified candidates is to put yourself out there first and let the workforce know exactly who you are. If done effectively, your corporate culture and the unique opportunities your organization offers will reach out and grab candidates until they have no choice but to submit their resumes.