Thoughtful branding can infuse a space with more meaning, warmly welcome guests, and spark employee engagement, pride and productivity. Yet many organizations still seem to consider the job done once they’ve slapped the latest logo on the lobby wall.
“Retailers have long known the role that great branding can play in igniting shoppers’ interest—and loyalty,” says Aaron Spiess, Executive Vice President of Big Red Rooster, JLL’s brand experience team. “It helps people understand what makes the organization behind it special. Now, forward-looking organizations are applying the same principles to their offices, recognizing that it’s not just potential customers who can be inspired by effective branding of a physical environment—thoughtfully designed workplaces can excite and engage employees too.”
Workplaces that work for employees
Although many organizations have brand guidelines for phrases and images, even the best-defined brands are often not fully understood by employees. According to a recent Gallup poll, only 41 percent of employees actually know what differentiates their company’s brand. And 24 percent either disagreed outright or were equivocal about this statement: “I know what my company stands for and what makes our brand(s) different from our competitors.”
“Too many employees are disconnected from the brands they represent,” says Speiss. “A physical location that enables teams to experience their brand first-hand as part of their day-to-day work can turn this around.”
It’s not just about impressing the outside world with better brand ambassadors, either. When employees are immersed in an environment that’s clearly, and favorably, unique to their company, they feel a deeper sense of pride in being part of the team. Yet it’s not the norm – a recent JLL survey found that 60 percent of people want more engagement from their workplace.
Branding the workplace can also be especially valuable for recruitment among notoriously job-hopping Millennials, who want more than just a great office—they want a workplace that’s unique and meaningful.