Page 15 - ENGAGE -- Issue #10 -- Fall 2017

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INTERNAL MARKETING TACTICS
Jill Thomas lets us in on a few of the fun, engaging ways Innisfree Hotels helps its team members learn about the company’s corporate purpose and their fellow employees.
1. Blog Posts – Our Back in Topeka blog posts talk about the early days of the company and share blunt, funny stories with lessons to learn—like the time we didn’t rent a room to Elvis!
2. A Day in the Life – On our intranet every week, one of our team members posts an update about their day with a picture. We see them waking up in the morning, walking their dogs, and taking their kids to school, and then we experience
their day at work. It’s a great way for people in di erent departments to gain understanding and empathy.
3. Employee Pro les – Our in-house storyteller pro les team members and publishes their stories. We also create videos of our team members talking about their jobs and why they love working at Innisfree, and we give shout-outs to people for jobs well done.
4. Employee Involvement in Social Media E orts – We pro le our team members and their good works on our public-facing corporate social platforms. We also encourage them to follow us, submit content, and engage. The key is to focus on having fun and being transparent. There is no end to the fun you can have if you give it the attention it is due.
When you factor in that today’s employees have growing social networks on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, it’s hard to argue the idea that more than ever before, the best ambassadors for your company are the people in your company. Employees, after all, are face-to-face with suppliers, customers, and the buying public. But in order to get the most out of this undervalued asset, internal marketing needs to play a role.
“The key to effective internal communications is authentic honesty and transparency,” says Jill Thomas, Chief Marketing Officer at Innisfree Hotels, a company that has made marketing on an internal level a top priority. “You want your team members to communicate with you this way, and you should show them the same respect. The same goes for consumers, of course. I think the more honest and authentic you are, the less likely it is that an internal communication initiative
will backfire.”
David Weekley Homes has won a number of awards for being a best place to work. The home-building company believes strongly that its internal culture is a large reason why it has been able to withstand the ups and downs of the housing industry over the last four decades while maintaining a positive business reputation. Much of that centers around letting employees know that the company has a sincere interest in their well-being and the communities they live in.
“We believe that we rank highly as a company for all generations because we offer competitive benefits and amazing perks that appeal to a variety of age groups,” says Lyda Akin, the company’s
Vice President of Marketing. “In addition, we know that team members of all ages like our unique workplace culture that allows them to give back
to our communities through the volunteer and philanthropic efforts of our CARE program.”
The company is heavily involved in nonprofits, such as Habitat for Humanity, Ronald McDonald House, the National MS Society, and Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, which are committed to education, family values, and youth development. They even give employees time off during the workday to volunteer with charities that are important to them.
“Our team members are bringing back a sense of community to our neighborhoods and cities by devoting their collective resources and talents to many worthy causes,” Akin says. “We definitely see them as brand ambassadors. When they are happy and feel they are valued, not only do they provide
a wonderful home-building experience for our customers, but they also are more likely to discuss their happy workplace with family and friends.”
Like employee benefits and a willingness to contribute to the community, transparent internal communications has been an important part of creating the company’s rewarding workplace culture for the last 40 years. That includes everything from measuring important milestones to discussing details about a project with a manager. “Keeping team members informed about all aspects of company operations provides a solid foundation,” Akin says. “We do this by providing an open line of communication that allows us to focus on achieving success and reaching our current and future goals.”
TELLING STORIES
Creating a desirable culture through experiences
like the ones mentioned above is a great first step, but how can you share them with the members of your workforce who might not be aware? Thomas says to start by applying to your internal storytelling the same best practices
that you use to communicate externally. “It’s no secret that the most important thing in
any marketing initiative is an understanding
of your audience,” she says. “It’s about gaining an empathetic understanding of the problem you are trying to solve; observing, interviewing, and engaging with your users; identifying
their pain points, feelings, and fears; reframing assumptions; and defining the challenge. In fact, I think it is a bit easier, because your audience is easier to identify.”
Since you should understand the audience who is your workforce, the next step is determining how to communicate with them. Thomas points out that, like consumers, Innisfree’s employees are inundated with information. They are also multigenerational, meaning they access technology in different ways. So while internal marketing, just like