The Brand as a Change Driver

What role can a brand play in a company‘s change management? As a strategic management tool, a brand provides valuable fundamentals for the successful initiation and implementation of change processes. To achieve this objective several factors must be taken into account.

During recent years, the concept of change has become a constant in economic development. And, of course, change was also a central slogan in the last-but-one US presidential campaign. The contextual dimension of the word is extremely broad and triggers a wide scope of associations that need to be defined. With a view to a company‘s economic realities the reasons that make a change process necessary are diverse.

They could be the result of a strategic reorientation, a classic reorganization or a takeover. Changes are either driven by companies themselves or the result of adjustments in the market, possibly technological or legal; alternatively the outcome of changing customer or competitor behavior.

In order to manage the brand it is essential to analyze the current situation and formulate the potential consequences. Is a strategic restructuring of the brand portfolio involved, or does a repositioning or revitalization of the brand need to be considered? Possibly, however, the focus should be on a change in corporate culture or employee attitudes and behavior.

Statistically, the number of change initiatives that have a successful outcome is sobering small: a study by the Turnaround Management Society (2010) states that about 70 percent are doomed to failure. The study „Change Management“ (osb international 2012) says that approximately 70 percent of the managers seemore changes in their companies than in the past.

The majority of the employees, however, are not overly cooperative in supporting such change processes. So the question is: which parameters can be derived for the practical implementation of change processes?

The following ten recommendations take into account different types of change processes – starting with strategic repositioning through to a change of culture. Central to them all is the intention to utilize the brand as an effective steering tool:

1. Invest in your brand at an early stage:

Constant brand management repays itself. It always helps to be prepared and have a clear understanding of the target groups, the competition. Proactive evaluation of scenarios and their impact on brand management helps avoid surprises.

2. Get the decision makers on board:

Make a case for the need to act. Formulate brand strategy challenges based on the overall strategy, the market and the competitive environment, as well as stakeholder behavior, especially that of the client.

3. Build up a team of „brand champions“:

Create flag-bearers for the brand outside of the formal hierarchy and the official meeting marathons. Cooperation between the members of interdisciplinary teams is crucial. Identify possible accomplices in the Communications and the HR department as well as the line management. Win the CEO’s approval.

4. Focus on a core message:

Strong brands are built on a strong idea. A simple and authentic message can provide a framework for all change management activities. Remember that here, less is more: content and focus are more important than a well-intentioned, but excessively large number of topics.

5. Tell a story:

In order to motivate employees for a change process, emotional identification is crucial. Use the power of images. Here again: keep it simple and convey pride. Create a link with traditions and successes that are authentic.

6. Make leadership a topic:

The role of the managers is crucial and they require the necessary tools in order to work with the brand on a daily basis and orient the employees. Define core messages for the different internal target groups.

7. Network employee experiences:

Create a consistent and ongoing employee experience at all contact points, from recruitment, to onboarding over to performance management and advancement up to alumni management. This makes the brand impact within the company more than just an internal campaign.

8. Plan quick and visible successes:

Prioritize measures to be taken and milestones. Important here are the visible results of small steps, rather than waiting for that one big coup that takes overly long to realize. Celebrate these quick wins with the employees who were involved.

9. Think in a series of phases:

A change process is not a one-time, brief display of fireworks, it‘s a long-term process. Expand the action plans in phases, update and improve the results continuously. Allow yourself enough time and plan for a 3-5 year exercise.

10. Institutionalize the brand:

Nothing is more dangerous that resting on the laurels of the first visible successes. This is only the beginning of a long-term anchoring of the brand in the organization, starting with Communications through to HR and up to Product Development. Ensure you define the relevant processes and responsibilities.

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