Leadership as a key element in the effective alignment between external and internal branding in organisations

Abstract

This paper perceives leadership as the ‘key element’ in organisation’s brand to the outside world, which also influence how employees eventually perceive the external brand that has been portrayed by the organization. External company brands deal with certain attributes of the organisation, such as innovation, consumer concern, trustworthiness, a drive for quality and concern for the environment. The paper contends that employees are indeed a company’s ‘brand ambassadors. internal branding involves taking care of the ambassadors of the corporate brand, namely the employees. If employees of an organization are not exposed to the company’s branding (an ongoing process that functionally aligns, motivates and empower employees at all levels to consistently provide a satisfying customer experience), the external brand could be jeopardized. Internal branding, on the other hand, relates to how employees perceive and experience their company’s brand. The question is, why should there be a link between what employees feel or perceive about their company’s brand and what the company says to their customers or prospective customers about their brand? Theorists have indicated that the vision of an integrated company, brand and corporate culture represents a guide for behaviour in an organization. This serves as a measure of consistency between ‘what is said’ and ‘what is done’. However, in recent times, employees seem to be increasingly estranged from their company’s brand, which has resulted to low morale and high attrition rate. Key words: Alignment, external branding, internal branding, leadership