Your employer brand – standing for something or standing alone?

Posted on by employerbrandingadvantage
And so we say goodbye for another year to one of the country’s great and enduring branding symbols.
Since 1915 and John McRae’s poem, ‘In Flanders Field’, the poppy has become synonymous with support for and empathy with fallen soldiers from World War I and, increasingly, those combatants from more recent military encounters.
As a symbol, the poppy has grown exponentially in profile and presence – the work of Paul Cummins two years ago, filling the moat of the Tower of London with close on a million ceramic poppies created an iconic and utterly unforgettable image.
Woe betide any media figure today appearing on screen between late October and early November without a poppy – indeed, one had to be photo-shopped onto the then prime minister, David Cameron, just last year when he appeared without one. (This clearly does not have universal support – with newsreader Jon Snow terming such criticism ‘poppy fascism’).
There is, too, an on-going furore between the football governing body – FIFA – and both England and Scotland, whose teams played a World Cup qualifier with poppy-emblazoned armbands earlier in the month. FIFA, not an organisation entirely above criticism, explicitly forbids shirts from carrying any politically motivated symbols. Both countries are unlikely to escape without some form of censure.
And the last time England played a competitive game on November 11th? Back in 1987 and the issue of wearing a poppy simply didn’t occur. It was entirely a non-issue for the England team (and country) of that era. The poppy brand and symbolisation a fraction of what it is and what it represents today.
The levels of emotional attachment we have now to the poppy bear no resemblance to those of just a generation or two ago.
There are echoes of such brand polarisation within rugby.
Before every match involving New Zealand’s largely all-conquering All Blacks, the players enact the haka. Today this is an intimidating, pulsating, visceral, blood curdling war cry issued to the opposition, featuring, amongst others, throat slitting gestures. (This seems somewhat academic given just how daunting the simple prospect of playing against the All Blacks is). It is not, nor is it meant to be, for the faint hearted.
However, this was not always the case. If you have any interest whatsoever in the game, you will be aware of ‘the try’. A length of the field score by the Barbarians against the All Blacks in 1973. It is truly a thing of beauty. Hairs on the back of your neck beauty.
Whilst viewing it recently on Youtube, I decided to watch the extended highlights. This included the start of the game and the haka as it was more than 40 years ago.
This was anything but the haka that we know today. Instead, 15 New Zealanders, more than a little self-consciously and without much in the way of co-ordination or interest, and with absolutely nothing in the way of menace and intimidation, delivered something more closely related to a Morris dance than an invitation to battle.
However, just like the poppy, the brand and iconography of the haka has grown culturally and emotionally.
Both are front and centre and are not to be treated with anything other than respect. It is hard to ignore either.
Perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised. In an increasingly uncertain (VUCA if you like) world, with media choice and options fragmenting constantly, absolute brand certainty is important. Consumers and candidates alike crave something tangible and something certain. They want to know what a brand stands for and they are less comfortable with ambiguity and opaqueness.
The growth of Snapchat as an advertising medium – and increasingly as an employer branding platform – sums this up. Messages that disappear in 10 seconds have little choice but to touch their audience, they simply have to convey a simple, strong message with clarity before the ether swallows them up.
The respective triumphs of Trump and the Brexit campaign, however we choose to perceive them, had in common clarity and simplicity of presentation and message delivery. Subtle they weren’t, clear they were.
And however we process the poppy, the haka, the Donald and Brexit, they have all succeeded in creating an emotional connection. They are not passive, vanilla brands, but brands with clear messages and symbols.
As we speak, we are witnessing the expansion of another brand via such emotive connections. Lego has long been a part of our childhoods but until recently a largely quiet, apolitical brand.
Less so today. Three years ago, Lego introduced its first three female mini-figures in a STEM setting. Since then, they have added to the list and now boast options such as a female deep sea explorer, aerospace engineer, astronaut and even a McLaren pit stop engineer. The company has also recently launched mini-figures in wheelchairs.
Perhaps though Lego’s most overt gesture was its recent pulling of all promotional advertising out of the Daily Mail as a result of a Lego fan and parent group and their social media campaign.
And it is hard to think of another period when ensuring your brand – consumer or candidate – means something – something clear, simple, memorable and ideally with an emotional connection – is so significant.
Contrary to many observers, the post-Brexit employment sky has not fallen in. Far from it. According to Adzuna, the number of UK job seekers per vacancy dropped to 0.47 in October. The REC monthly Report on Jobs suggested that the number of people securing permanent employment had climbed at its fastest rate for 8 months and the ONS this month estimated that there are 757,000 unfilled vacancies in the economy, up 12,000 on the previous month and 18,000 on a year on year comparison.
If your employer brand is not standing out, not being assertive, not standing for something, then it’s likely to be standing alone, with your talent acquisition strategy facing an uphill battle.
Although it has clearly evolved over time, we instinctively know what the poppy represents – the haka too, although more niche, reaches out with passion and raw emotion.

Consider your organisation’s employer brand – what sort of emotion does it currently inspire? Does it sit on the fence or has it made a confident, decisive choice?

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