Here in Asia (sweeping generalisation coming up), business owners see staff as a cost not an investment. There are a number of reasons for this - culture, lack of quality talent, different interpretation of loyalty and more. Business owners are loath to invest in training of staff only to see those staff move to a competitor for an extra $10 a month.
However, when we have worked with companies and helped them develop brand values that offer value to staff and ensure the sincerity you mention, and convinced the CEO to change his traditional autocratic approach as an Asian boss and adopt a more collaborative approach, we have seen marked changes in staff retention, morale, sales and ultimately profitability.
One of the cultural issues that impacts the development of the Internal Brand is the belief that it is rude and insulting, especially from a young person, to ask questions of strangers. Yet collecting data like this is critical to ensuring effective qualification of leads and ensuring prospects requirements for value are understood and met.
Another cultural issue is initiative and having the confidence to use it. We're still a long way from the employee at Zappos but we'll get there eventually.
A really good read but I have a couple of comments
1) This wasn't a rebranding, it was a identity change or reengineering of a logo but it was not a rebrand
2) Gap made the fundamental mistake of many brands build during the mass economy and that is that they think they are responsible for building their brand. They are not, consumers make or break brands.
3) Gap has recovered well from the initial barrage of abuse.
4) Profitability is the key success factor of any brand. Gap's share price wobbled but is back to where it was before this happened. Further proof, that a logo or tagline is not a brand. For a modern definition of a brand, please go here http://brandconsultantasia.wordpress.com/2009/05/03/definition-of-a-brand/
My answers
This is a very interesting read.
Here in Asia (sweeping generalisation coming up), business owners see staff as a cost not an investment. There are a number of reasons for this - culture, lack of quality talent, different interpretation of loyalty and more. Business owners are loath to invest in training of staff only to see those staff move to a competitor for an extra $10 a month.
However, when we have worked with companies and helped them develop brand values that offer value to staff and ensure the sincerity you mention, and convinced the CEO to change his traditional autocratic approach as an Asian boss and adopt a more collaborative approach, we have seen marked changes in staff retention, morale, sales and ultimately profitability.
One of the cultural issues that impacts the development of the Internal Brand is the belief that it is rude and insulting, especially from a young person, to ask questions of strangers. Yet collecting data like this is critical to ensuring effective qualification of leads and ensuring prospects requirements for value are understood and met.
Another cultural issue is initiative and having the confidence to use it. We're still a long way from the employee at Zappos but we'll get there eventually.
A really good read but I have a couple of comments
1) This wasn't a rebranding, it was a identity change or reengineering of a logo but it was not a rebrand
2) Gap made the fundamental mistake of many brands build during the mass economy and that is that they think they are responsible for building their brand. They are not, consumers make or break brands.
3) Gap has recovered well from the initial barrage of abuse.
4) Profitability is the key success factor of any brand. Gap's share price wobbled but is back to where it was before this happened. Further proof, that a logo or tagline is not a brand. For a modern definition of a brand, please go here http://brandconsultantasia.wordpress.com/2009/05/03/definition-of-a-brand/