ALIGNMENT – the arrangement of a particular thing or group of things in a straight line or in correct relative position, order or sequence.
Good things happen in life when things are aligned. For instance:
- You feel good when you speak and act in alignment with your values.
- Your body feels good when your posture is in alignment.
- A situation is said to be good, lucky or the right timing for something to happen when ‘the stars are aligned’.
Good things also happen in business when things are aligned. For instance:
- Teams are generally more engaged, cohesive and productive when their work is aligned to a shared vision, mission and goals.
- Employees speak with a more unified voice when company storytelling is aligned with company purpose, values and beliefs.
- Business success is more likely when purpose, strategy and execution are aligned.
However, when things are out of sync in business, results, relationships and reputation can suffer. For example, through mixed messaging, siloed teams and inconsistent service delivery.
The Journey to Strategic Brand Alignment
When it comes to strategic brand alignment, a business will usually sit somewhere on a spectrum between ‘disconnection’ and ‘integration’. The below figure shows the indicative journey for businesses, from being in a state of disconnectedness with a focus on tasks, to reaching a state of integration, complete alignment, and a focus on bigger picture strategic outcomes.
Blueprint for Strategic Brand Alignment
The gap between organisational disconnectedness and integration can be closed when a business aligns its corporate culture, communications and customer experience. When company beliefs, values and a strong sense purpose (culture) are aligned across marketing messages and channels (communications), customer touchpoints and service delivery (customer experience), the consistency of thoughts, words and actions builds credibility, fosters trust and enhances reputation. This relationship is shown in the figure below.
The alignment of culture, communications and customer experience also creates more cohesive and engaged teams because the thinking, language and behaviours of employees are based on a shared understanding of vision and values, and desired strategic outcomes. Over time, this consistency improves business results, relationships and reputation.
I’ve created a strategic brand alignment program to help organisations of all sizes – from small businesses to large public sector organisations – to strategically align their corporate culture, communications and customer experience – so they can improve performance and enhance their reputation.
To find out more, visit https://www.rosweadman.com or contact Ros Weadman via email or phone 1800 677 600.
©Ros Weadman 2022 Ros Weadman helps people, businesses and organisations to build a distinctive brand, increase their visibility and enhance their reputation. Ros’s new book ‘Enhance Your Reputation’ is out now. Order your copy here.
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