We spend a lot of time talking about brands.
Customer brands, employer brands, and the messages we put out into the world.
I see a missing piece in most conversations.
A hidden force that shapes how brands are perceived.
The force is the personal brands of your employees and the reputations of your teams.
Customer Brand vs. Employer Brand
At first glance, customer and employer brands look like two separate conversations:
- Your customer brand answers, “Why should I choose your product or service?”
- Your employer brand answers, “Why should I work for you?”
They have different audiences and value propositions. With communications led by different teams. However, they both rely on trust. And trust is built through people, not messaging. This is where personal brands and team brands come in.
The Hidden Brand Amplifiers
Personal Brands: Personal brands are the reputation of individual employees. What are they known for within the company, within their network, and within their industry? Their everyday actions and conversations shape your customer and employer brand. The moments when employees show up on LinkedIn with thoughtful posts, speak at conferences, mentor others, or share what it’s really like to work at your company. They’re not just building their own reputation. They’re reinforcing or challenging the organization’s brands.
Team Brands: Every team has a reputation. Some are known for innovation. Others for dysfunction.
A high-performing, highly visible team can become a beacon that attracts talent, gains executive support, and elevates the brand in the eyes of customers and partners. These micro-brands inside your company often do more to shape external perception than your official branding efforts.
Why It Matters
If you want people to trust your brand, give them proof. And the proof lives in your people.
Your customer brand is your promise. Your employer brand is your culture. Your employee and team brands are your proof.
That’s the story people believe. That’s the story they share.
If you’re serious about brand building both externally and internally, start with the humans behind the message.
Your Turn
What is the brand message your company is sending to its customers? Potential employees?
Do personal and team reputations align to these messages? Where is the gap?
What steps could be taken to start to narrow the gap?