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Activating the R
 Brand
executive brief | 
 
 
11414 west park place, suite 202
milwaukee, wisconsin 53224
414.410.0500 fax 414.410.0520
milwaukee | new york
www.versantsolutions.com



R
R 
  dEfinEd
An 
 brand is the sum of all the
characteristics and distinguishable features
that prospective candidates and current
employees perceive about an organization¶s
employment experience. The employment
experience serves as the foundation of the

 brand and includes tangibles such
as salary, rewards and benefits, but also
extends to intangibles such as an organ-
ization¶s culture, values, management style
and opportunities for 
 learning,
development and recognition.
Just as a well-managed consumer brand
aims to differentiate a product¶s identity, tell
a product¶s story and reflect a product¶s
, a well-managed 
 brand aims
to differentiate an employer¶s identity, tell an
employer¶s story and reflect an employer¶s
 proposition to employees.
Once identified, an 
 brand can be
leveraged as a tool in marketing the
employment experience to current and
potential employees. Through strategic and
ongoing 
 brand management, an
organization can accelerate the attraction of
best-fit candidates, increase the retention of
high-performing employees and drive

 engagement toward business
objectives.
A highly-leveraged 
 brand can
transform an organization into a place where
top talent wants to work ± an 
 of
choice. When successfully implemented,
employees believe in and embody the brand,
carrying it through the entire employment
experience. In contrast, an organization with
a poorly managed or undefined 

brand could find itself investing in employees
not aligned with key business objectives and
hiring candidates that do not fit the
organization¶s culture.
BrAnd ActivAtion procEss
VersantWorks leverages a proven process to
activate an 
 brand. The process
consists of four distinct steps that result in
the gradual alignment of an organization with
the desired state of its 
 brand.
1. Discovery
2. Road Map
3. Activate
4. Measure
These four steps ensure an organization¶s

 brand is comprehensive, relevant
and positioned to drive results. Each step in
the brand activation process forms the
foundation for the next, and the continuous
nature of the process ensures the 

brand remains connected to the employment
experience over time.
2
Activating the R
 Brand
four-step process for activating the brand
‡ Market Analysis
‡ Customer Analysis
‡ Communications
Analysis
‡ Associate Analysis
‡ Apply Brand
to Communications
‡ Communicate Brand
to Target Audiences
‡ Check Progress
Against Goals
‡ Examine Impact
of Industry & Market
‡ Adjust Strategy &
Tactics as needed

Road Map
‡ Strategy &
Tactics
Activate
Measure
‡ Impact
‡ Targeted
Communications
Discovery
‡ Objective
Analysis
‡ Brand Positioning
Statement
‡ Brand Promise & Voice
‡ Logo & Tagline
‡ Brand Guidelines
‡ Brand Launch
& Marketing
Communication Plans



3
Activating the R
 Brand
step one: discovery
The Discovery step is an independent assess-
ment of an organization's current work envi-
ronment in terms of values, culture and

 satisfaction. During Discovery, key
themes are identified, as well as gaps in per-
ception between an organization¶s leader-
ship and employees. The multilayered
research effort often includes focus groups,
interviews and online surveys. Existing data
such as current 
 demographic
information, retention data, 
 satisfac-
tion surveys and exit interviews, is also used.
Discovery information is compiled, analyzed
and then presented to the organization's

 brand stakeholder/leadership
team. The resulting knowledge and insight
about the employment experience serve as
the foundation for developing an 

brand identity during Road Map.
step two: road map
During Road Map, the identity of the

 brand is developed. Key elements
include the development of an 

brand promise and 
 brand voice.
An 
 brand promise is a statement
to employees that describes the rational and
emotional benefit employment will bring to
employees¶ lives. To be valuable, it should:
‡ Be viewed as a constant ideal by all
stakeholders
‡ Communicate the essence of the
employment experience while revealing
the principles of the organization's
leadership
‡ Capture employees' imagination and
inspire them to deliver on the organization's
promise to its customers
An 
 brand voice is a set of verbal
descriptors that provides the tonality, attitude
and  targets for all stakeholders. To
be valuable, it should:
‡ Provide criteria to measure the relevance
of internal communications
‡ Encourage a consistent style of
communication with employees
‡ Help to understand the essence of the
organization
‡ Provide a context in which virtually any
desirable attribute or service can be
discussed
All areas affecting the employment experi-
ence are then examined to determine where
the organization is not in complete align-
ment with the 
 brand. From this, a
Road Map that documents recommended
strategies and tactics is created to guide the
alignment of the organization and its employ-
er brand, which may include:
‡ Changes to align internal programs,
policies and procedures with the 

brand
‡ Executive learning to align management
 with the 
 brand
‡ Recommendations to align internal
communications with the 
 brand
and retain high-performing employees
‡ Recommended to align recruitment
marketing with the 
 brand and
attract best-fit candidates
The Road Map is presented to the organiza-
tion's 
 brand stakeholder/leader-
ship team. To get the process underway,
VersantWorks then facilitates a management
implementation planning session 
on
the Road Map recommendations.
step three: Activate
The goals of the Activate step are to create
an understanding of the 
 brand
promise across target audiences and foster
acceptance of the 
 brand identity
as an active, guiding force throughout the
organization. The Activate step involves an
integrated communications approach that is
unique and determined by each organiza-
tion's target audiences. Tactics may include:
‡ Templates, video, print, Web and other
materials for use at all-
 and/or
staff meetings to assist managers in
introducing the 
 brand
‡ Development of a communication calendar
for continually reinforcing the 

brand, using different media and messaging
to keep the 
 brand vibrant and an
active part of the culture




‡ Leadership learning workshops focusing

on the techniques and behaviors needed
to manage workgroups in alignment with
the 
 brand promise
‡ Consultation and recommendations on
internally marketing HR programs in
alignment with the 
 brand
‡ Career Web site enhancements
‡ Orientation materials for new hires,
integrated with messaging from the
recruitment process, to assure seamless
onboarding
‡ Internal signage and other visual reminders
to further reinforce the 
 brand
step four: measure
The Measure step involves additional
research to re-assess 
 perceptions
and evaluate the success of 


  efforts in achieving retention,
engagement and recruitment goals set by
the organization. Armed with this information,
adjustments to communication strategies
and tactics are identified to ensure continued

 brand alignment.
stAying rElEvAnt ovEr timE
Just like consumer 
 , the process of

 
  is never finished. The
business environment is constantly changing,
and with it the relationship between
organizations and their employees will
continue to change. That's not to say
businesses should adopt entirely new

 brands every few years, but rather
that the 
 brand activation process
should be used over time to remain relevant
as the employment experience and talent
market evolves.
VersantWorks recommends that organiza-
tions incorporate the following best practices
to stay relevant and be successful in their

 
  efforts:
1. Develop a clear, appropriate and
deliverable 
 brand and market it
to employees and candidates as a brand
2. Adopt demographic and generational
marketing, learning and teaching
practices
3. Lead by   a learning organization
4. Align key talent management and HR
programs focused on recruitment,
engagement and retention with your

 brand
5. Seek independent and continual feedback
from outside sources
ABout vErsAntWorks
versantWorks is a specialty practice within
Versant, a full-service marketing firm. We
leverage our creative, interactive, media and
consulting expertise to provide employers
with focused communication solutions that:
‡ Capture the mission, values and spirit of
the employment experience
‡ Align employees with the organization¶s
strategy and vision
‡ Attract best-fit talent
‡ Increase 
 retention and workforce
engagement
Within VersantWorks, we¶ve categorized our
capabilities into two areas: talent manage-
ment and organizational change. Our talent
management solutions cover recruitment
marketing, 
 communications, work-
force engagement and 
 
 .
Our organizational change solutions cover
change communications and merger &
acquisition communications.
4
Activating the R
 Brand



11414 west park place, suite 202
milwaukee, wisconsin 53224
414.410.0500 fax 414.410.0520
milwaukee | new york
www.versantsolutions.com