Brand Bits Wednesday. (I found this a little shocking to tell you the truth.) – SCN Encourager

I was just surprised to see this Brand Bit get tossed in from left field!

Now as you may know, I’ve been dripping out a series of Brand Bits this week. (Or maybe you didn’t know… which groups you with 99.9999% of every other adult on the planet!) 

Anyway, to recap the prior two Brand Bits: 

Monday’s Encourager made the case for us to be dumb and unpopular.

Tuesday’s Encourager presented a definition of BRANDING, firmly anchoring it in the behaviors and attitudes of an organization – which are experienced in the real-life and real-time by others and then reflected in how people talk about a the organization behind its back.

I pointed out how many marketing and branding experts describe our organizational behaviors and attitudes as our cultural DNA.

So, now that we’re all caught up –

Here’s today’s Brand Bit.

It reveals how many experts believe we should attack altering our cultural DNA if we feel the need for an upgrade or re-brand.

This advice applies to both branding and rebranding situations, mind you, in that the experts basically see them as one in the same, since our behaviors (and the experiences we create) largely become what our parents and school choosers will choose to say about us when we’re not in the room (which is the brand we own, like it or not).

 

Now, here comes the shocker.

These same experts believe the most important department in the fight to improve an organization’s cultural DNA is… drumroll please... the HR Department.

Ouch. This stings.

I had already cast my vote for the communications department.

So, believe me, I’ll do my best to hide what the experts are touting and keep it just “between us gals” so to speak, but unfortunately we’ve got to accept this reality.

The ones who will exert the most influence on the perception of your brand will come from the quality, personality, and character of the individuals your HR department hires into your organization.

If your HR department doesn’t secure people with the right DNA match for your organization’s “desired” cultural DNA, you can forget about boosting your brand’s image in any significant way.

It’s people who make the difference when it comes to branding… and always will.

Now remember, you didn’t hear this from me and I’m not about to repeat this ever again.

 

The less said about it the better.

We school communicators have to hang together.

HR people should promote their own new found importance without our help, if you ask me.

So, in Thursday’s Brand Bit, I’m going to downplay this hidden gem of information while I proceed to shed a bit more information about it.

Hope you understand.

I’ve got to stay true to the ol’ school communicator’s mantra related to handling disconcerting news.

If you can’t spin it, sit on it.

And that’s what I’m gonna do.

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