As organizations are beginning to realize that for long-term growth, you need long-term customers (advocates) and to have customer advocates, who sell your brand for you and loyally spend more and more dollars for your products and services, you must have people in your organization that are engaged, brand advocates. But how do you do that?
I heard Jill Dean, CEO and co-founder of Brand Biology, speak at a conference recently about the process they follow to transform organizations they call the Brand Biology formula:
Total Reality + ActNatural + Emotional Impact = Brand Driven Behavioral Change
Total Reality – Confronting the issues of real life
In order to change anyone’s behavior, it is essential to understand, and show respect for, the reality of their working world and the attitudes and opinions they have formed within it. Following rigorous research, and using fully rehearsed teams of behavioral change specialists you can bring your organization’s opportunities and challenges to life, replicating the interactions your managers and staff have with colleagues and customers.
ActNatural – Harnessing the power of personality
Understanding what makes others – and ourselves – tick. Observational techniques are employed to reveal insights into “personality drivers” to understand and respect different personalities with differing needs, including our own. Then use that knowledge to naturally adapt styles, responses and behavior in order to get results, whatever the situation.
As well as embedding key competencies, it highlights both the personal strengths of each individual and the crucial differences between people. It increases capability, awareness and self-confidence to enable people at all levels of the organization to respond naturally to the differing needs of others, both internally and externally, in delivering your brand ambition.
Emotional Impact – Driving behavioral change
It’s an inconvenient truth that logic informs, but cannot alone change behavior… add Emotional Impact into the mix to reach the sub-conscious mind and make sure that the full effect of what’s seen, heard and learnt is taken to heart and change happens. Whilst logic is crucial to understanding, it recognizes that emotion connects directly with the subconscious to drive behavior.
Realization, surprise, amazement, relief, anger and even horror are often expressed by participants. It’s only when a mirror is held up to the working environments and situations people recognize and relate to, that they see themselves and others in a new light.
Making real cultural changes in your organization is not easy. It takes dedication, discipline and time. Many organizations talk about making these changes but it takes a focused long-term investment for these benefits. Only the truly great organizations do this.