There was an interesting article in Adweek recently where they surveyed the
nations’ top marketers in what was perceived to be quite a surprise. Compared
to past surveys, CEO’s have taken a renewed interest in the role of marketing to
help lead them through these extraordinary times.

• 68% of survey respondants said the role of marketing has been elevated in the past 3 months
• 8% said marketing has taken a step back

One of the more astounding results of the survey is that only a third of the
participating CMOs said they were responsible for internal communications,
which is critical to ensure all employees are informed and able to consistently
understand and connect to the brand they represent. To quote Stan Slap, “If you
can’t sell it inside, you can’t sell it outside.”

So a key takeaway for any marketer according to the article’s author, Nadine
Dietz: “If you don’t own internal communications or aren’t part of the DNA
discussion of your internal organization, get proactive with your CEO and HR
counterparts. You own your brand, period. A brand is more than sales of a
product or service. It is a representation of a personality, a position, a movement
toward a consumer benefit that all employees must subscribe to and believe in.”

This cannot be done by marketing alone - but marketing certainly needs to lead
the efforts to guide those who represent the brand. If all the employees in your
company don't know or believe in the brand and what it stands for, the brand
does not hold true. And in that case, you will not have a sustainable brand.

If this sounds like a situation your own company or one you consult with may be
facing, please contact me to learn more about the strengths, value and marketing
perspective that I can provide. I have a long history of brand building experience
and C-suite interactions and can quickly ramp up to speed to get all marketing efforts working as one - both internnaly and externally.