The mere desire for employees to become natural brand ambassadors is not enough. The organization must create the conditions that make this possible in the first place. And that means much more than just an internal newsletter or a “mission” written on the wall. It involves truly understanding how people perceive and experience their work, their relationships within the organization, and what stories and feelings they associate with the brand they represent outwardly every day. Are they proud of their work? Do they feel and see that they are genuinely contributing, even if it’s just a tiny piece? Do they feel seen, heard, and valued? Do they gladly and proudly say where they work?

‍

When working with very different clients from various industries, we often find that the problem is not that employees do not want to belong to or contribute to the brand. Often the challenge is that employees don’t know where or what exactly they should belong to. Organizations neglect the importance of clarity: what exactly do we stand for, what do we advocate, what behaviors do we value, which decisions align with our identity and which do not. Only when these foundations are set, consistently communicated, and reflected daily in the actions of leadership, can employees recognize whether they identify with them and want to internalize them.

‍

A brand, if it is to be alive and credible, must also have room for doubt, questions, and deviations. Room for reflection and also for change, if it is meaningful and necessary. Company brands are too often built as an idealized image of themselves, without space for mistakes or internal inconsistencies. But it is precisely in these cracks that the most sincere stories often arise. And in these stories lies the bond between employees and the brand — the very thing that often determines whether someone will stay, contribute, co-create, or simply drift away. This often also influences whether someone will even want to be part of the organization and join it.

‍

When working with very different clients from various industries, we often find that the problem is not that employees do not want to belong to or contribute to the brand. Often the challenge is that employees don’t know where or what exactly they should belong to.

‍

We often ask ourselves how to attract the best talents, those who will contribute to growth and success and ideally truly live the company’s values. But maybe a better question is how to (first) ensure that existing employees see meaning in what they do and that company values can truly be recognized in everyday practice. Not in internal communications, but in how decisions are made. Not in corporate values on paper, but in how people are treated in crisis situations, when someone makes a mistake, when vulnerability shows. In other words, to build on what we already have and create foundations that allow growth and expansion in the desired direction.

‍

A good brand is not afraid of people who question it. On the contrary — it needs such people because they genuinely help it remain awake, sensitive, and adaptable. Employees who do not just want to adapt but contribute are a rarity that should not be overlooked. And if we learn to listen to them, our brand might really become the start of something bigger than just another campaign.

‍

From here on, the task of strategic communication is mainly to build this connection sincerely and consistently, to tell it both internally and externally. To connect different understandings within the organization and help create a shared language understood by all. I am not talking about creating a perfect story, but about being able to recognize in the story we tell outwardly what we truly live inside.

‍

A good brand is not afraid of people who question it. On the contrary — it needs such people because they genuinely help it remain awake, sensitive, and adaptable. Employees who do not just want to adapt but contribute are a rarity that should not be overlooked. And if we learn to listen to them, our brand might really become the start of something bigger than just another campaign.

‍

Here, both strategic communication and HR play a crucial role, needing to work together, breathe in sync, and create conditions so that a brand is not just something communicated, but something felt, lived, and shared. And that, because of the people who carry it, has real meaning.

‍

This column was originally published in Super Znamka magazine. You can subscribe here.

‍