How to Create Your Marketing Plan in 10 Easy Steps. Step #8: Internal Branding

We are now on Step #8, and our 10 simple steps for creating your marketing plan are almost complete.  Thus far, we have covered Step #1: Create a Unique Selling Proposition, #2: Don’t Put the Cart Before the Horse which addresses the logical sequence of events in the planning process, #3: Establish Your Sweet Spot which revolves around defining your target audience, #4: Articulate Your Brand,  #5: Competitive Reconnaissance, #6: Consumer Access and Step #7: Pricing.

Internal Branding is probably the most overlooked element when marketing a brand, but it can also be one of the most critical ingredients.  You can create the most relevant positioning but if you and your employees do not confirm everything your brand stands for, deliver your message, and create a consistent experience every time and at every touch point with your end-user- then you cannot build loyalty.

Just think about brands that you personally like to interact with and chances are, you have had a very positive experience with that company’s employees—Apple, Starbucks Southwest Airline and some of the higher-end hotels.  (In fact, Ritz Carlton and Four Seasons have been held up as such experts in internal branding that they now offer classes to all kinds of businesses in how to deliver an extraordinary customer experience.)  It is easy to see how an Apple or Southwest Airlines employee really lives the brand. 

Zappos is another company that is often cited for its superior customer experiences and its culture centers on this vision.  The customer interaction with Zappos employees is very personal, and they do not follow a script.  As brand ambassadors delivering the upmost in service, Zappos employees even recommend 3 competitive product websites if they do not have a product that the customer wants. 

The most important piece of any company’s reputation or brand positioning is its people.  Your brand is the personality of the people who work there and you and your employees, as brand ambassadors, can confirm its credibility.