Brandcasting - building brands from the inside out

"Pulse TV calls on employees to create their own news, and gives them the technology to do so," says Stanley Edwards, partner in Platypus Productions. "It is lifestyle programming that will engage the employee in the process of brand building, recognising that they are key to that process."

Continues Edwards, "What is the point of investing in brand communications and corporate slogans that make consumer promises which the workforce has no interest in keeping? When everyone in the operation speaks and acts with the same voice and commitment, then the power of synergies comes to the fore."

Engaging with your employees

Institutional culture parameters are shifting away from communication directed at the workforce to a two-way paradigm based on dialogue and mutual respect. A key success factor is that the communication needs to be regular rather than a once-off event. Pulse TV consists of a series of programmes that meet a specific company's communication requirements.

Director Ian Chuter, also a partner at Platypus Productions, and Edwards, envision programmes like "The Brand Code," a synopsis of the brand ethos; an "Open House" where senior management is engaged with gripes and concerns; and a "Marketing Mix," slot, among others.

Explains Edwards, "When your employees are engaged with your brand, your brand builds itself - from the inside out. Companies will spend millions on a television ad campaign to attract consumers only for consumers to find that the staff they interact with don't live up to the advertising messages. The best, most award-winning TV ads in the world cannot correct poor customer service and interaction."

According to Edwards, "being able to robotically churn out identical unit after unit is becoming a redundant skill. Instead, successful companies are staffed by employees intellectually connected and emotionally committed to the evolution of the brand their company represents."