Companies work extremely hard to build a brand that conveys their values and is in line with their goals, all through a single message.
But what does your office say about your company? What image do you transmit to employees and customers? What can you do to remedy this situation?
Experts in workplace strategies at CADOR explore the lessons that can be drawn from branding to align the design of your company with your brand strategy.
Currently, brand strategies try to cover all types of internal and external channels, as each point of contact is considered to have an influence on the perception of the reputation reflected by your company. But, what does your workspace say about you?
In traditional office design, emphasis was placed on conveying the company’s values. It was focused on meeting the specific needs of users and, while image was important, it was viewed as a secondary element. However, the more widespread adoption of the hybrid working model has opened up our homes and offices, forcing us to show our place of work and turning telematic meetings into unexpected showcases of our workspaces.
The perception of our customers is no longer limited to the reception area and to a small number of meeting rooms. As a result, corporate image has become a key element and our workspace is now a three-dimensional representation of our brand. This is a great opportunity for companies.
Not without a strategy
Your office must leave an impression on your customers, so it is fundamental to define a strategy: decide what you want to say and how you want to say it to ensure differentiation and coherence.
We all know about the famous offices of the major technology companies, which have slides, food, table football, etc., all innovative and news-worthy elements. The employees themselves become company ambassadors, boasting about their place of work.
But not all offices need slides. If our customers always come first, we should create spaces where they feel welcome. If our company wants to demonstrate its commitment to the environment, we should create recycling areas and make water fountains available to employees, and if we want to talk about work flexibility, we should not do so from rigid and monotonous spaces.
You may be interested in: Sustainability and innovation at the service of smart working
Internal and External Branding
The goal is for both customers and employees to identify with our brand and want to be a part of it. We must therefore always be honest and offer a consistent message that goes beyond a couple of inspirational phrases on a wall.
“Your brand is what other people say about you when you’re not in the room”, Jeff Bezos, Chief Executive Officer of Amazon.
If we see offices as yet another element of brand communication that allows us to transmit our company’s message, we can create settings that will improve the well-being and productivity of our employees, turning them into ambassadors for our company. And this positive internal perception will help to attract and retain talent.
Rubén García, Director of Business Development and Marketing at Cador.