How branding works, everyone understands. But to what extent? Because, when people talk about branding, it's actually always only about 50% of the whole story: the external branding, that which shows you to the outside world. That is - of course - the most powerful part of your branding, only this does not tell the whole story. Because, external branding is nothing without internal branding. Read about the importance of internal branding and the connection between internal and external branding in this blog.

That good branding is a key element in developing a powerful brand will probably no longer be a secret to you. All right, branding, then. A pretty sexy part of your brand strategy. This is simultaneously an advantage and a disadvantage. The advantage is obvious: it is one of the coolest things to do. At the same time, it can also be seen as a disadvantage, because branding is not as simple as it might seem. If only because of the connection between internal and external branding. That coherence has to be there in order to achieve an impactful branding strategy and to communicate it as such. In our brand strategy Q&A was already briefly about branding, but in this blog we would like to explore this topic in more depth.

Internal branding? What is that, then?

When you talk about branding, you may immediately think external. What does your brand exude? How do you put this out there? What will you associate yourself with? And how do you want your brand to resonate with your target audience? With good branding you can communicate your mission and vision, core values and brand identity convey. Ultimately, of course, with an eye toward the Big Goal: more sales. But wait a minute: what you are thinking about now is external branding. Very definitely a strong determinant of your overall branding, but external branding cannot exist without internal branding. Good external branding, that is.

Image: Your corporate culture and especially its effect can be seen in many areas. If you have the mission, vision and your values in place and you manage your team accordingly this generally works as a mood-enhancing catalyst on your employees.

Before you can start talking about external branding, take a step back and start looking at your internal branding. Internal branding is about getting the company culture, values and mission in focus with employees. It is the foundation upon which everyone in the company works. To throw in a fancy term: it makes the difference between employees and brand ambassadors. Of course, we don't want to sugarcoat it. It is a utopia to think that all your employees are the biggest fans of your company or brand, but as an organization you would be wise to at least make efforts to make this happen. Enter internal branding.

Internal branding basically boils down to practise what you preach. You can sell your brand beautifully to the outside world, but how will you deliver on promises if people don't experience internally what you bring to the outside world?

This is followed by external branding

In case it is not yet clear: external branding concerns the (re)presentation of the brand to the outside world. It is how customers perceive your brand through marketing, visual identity, customer service, and the overall brand experience. Successful external branding reflects and reinforces the values and mission defined internally. So: ideally, external branding flows from internal branding

Why the connection between internal and external branding is so important

The true power of a brand is manifested when internal and external branding are perfectly connected. When employees are fully aligned with the brand's mission and values, they convey them in every interaction with customers and stakeholders. This creates an authentic brand experience and builds customer trust. A harmonious relationship between internal and external branding is crucial to building a strong, recognizable and sustainable brand.

Ultimately, your target audience will judge you on your external branding. So why is the connection between internal and external branding so important? Quite simple: if you do not have your internal affairs in order, the external expressions will never be optimal either. When employees are not clear about who you are and what you want to be and what you want to present to the outside world, your branding will never be 100%. You must believe in your own branding, your own branding must live in the DNA of the organization. But also: what if your target group discovers that your brand does not at all match the image that you put forward yourself?

Authenticity is key

Consumers are increasingly able to detect insincerity and value brands that communicate authentically. The key to true authenticity lies in the match between what a brand says (external branding) and what it actually does and values (internal branding). It's that simple.

A good example to illustrate this is a current topic: greenwashing. There is almost no energy company nowadays that does not portray itself as green. This is a potentially wonderful example of external branding. After all, what consumer would not want to purchase his/her energy from an energy company that is committed to having the lowest possible impact on the environment and climate? Right. Only, the story has to be right. Kassa did an investigation into a number of large suppliers and it shows that there is still a lot of difference between the pioneers, the followers and the polluters.

Image: Greenwashing is pretending to be greener (more sustainable) or more socially responsible than a company or organization actually is. Source: Pure Energy.

Many energy companies were actually going green. Others, however, were at the greenwash. So as an energy company - don't ask us, we didn't come up with this - you could just produce polluting energy and then buy this off, so to speak, by buying green certificates. Well ... external branding still fairly on point, because this was allowed, but what happened to the brand perception of these suppliers when customers found out that this energy was not green at all? Exactly. Conclusion: the internal branding was definitely not on point, because how things were actually done did not match the too rosy image in the external expressions.

How can you improve consistency in your internal and external branding?

So how do you ensure (even) better consistency between your internal and external branding? The best way, of course, is to contacting Fitbrand. Brand strategy is our nine to five (and more, because we are always passionate about this). We can help you establish a brand strategy that stands like a house. However, we are not afraid to give you a few tips. Consider, among other things, the following:

• Clear communication of mission and values: Ensure that every employee understands and embraces the brand's mission and values.
• Employee engagement and empowerment: Encourage employees to become active brand ambassadors by involving them in brand decisions.
• Consistent brand experience: Ensure a unified brand experience across all channels and touch points.
• Feedback loops: Implement mechanisms to collect feedback from both employees and customers and integrate it into brand strategy.

The latter in particular is something that can really make a difference, and which is often lacking in practice. Setting up a good branding strategy is one thing, but building in a solid routine to assure yourself that there is a continuous focus on maintaining coherence between internal and external branding.... that is where many brands miss a good opportunity.