07/10/2026
Train Your People to Tell the World about Your Brand
by Evan Hackel
A consistent brand identity is the glue that connects every piece of your customer’s experience. From initial contact, to point of sale, to ongoing engagement, every touchpoint is a chance to fulfill your brand’s unique promise. Without that kind of consistency, your customers can feel disconnected from your brand, and ultimately, hesitate to buy or become repeat customers. And training is the best place to get your people on board with your brand.
Let’s Look at Some Great Brands
Let’s stop to consider companies that have used powerful branding to build their success:
• Meineke® uses the brand message “Taking Care of Your Car Shouldn’t Take Over Your Life®” to let customers know that the company saves time, relieves worry, and makes life simpler.
• L. Bean’s famous “Guaranteed to Last®” brand promise is communicated on the company website, in product packaging and shipping documents, in company stores, in calling centers, and in every other interaction with customers. Customers know that if an L.L. Bean product ever fails, they can return it, no questions asked.
• BMW has long promised to build “The Ultimate Driving Machine®,” and uses that brand message consistently in advertising, social media and other contact points.
• The Walt Disney Company’s promise of “Timeless Family Entertainment” is communicated by company employees at theme parks, retail outlets and all other customer contact points.
How do you train your employees to support, communicate and strengthen your brand in every customer interaction?
Make a Commitment to Train Your Employees to Become “Brand Stewards”
When designing training, most companies tend to jump immediately to identifying processes to be improved. Many miss the opportunity to train their people – beginning when they are new hires – to act as great stewards of their brands.
The message? Whether you are developing training in-house or working with a training development company, look for opportunities to engage people with your brand. Remember that videos that tell your company’s values and mission can be a great and time-efficient way of letting trainees know who you are and what your stand for.
Put a New Company-Wide Emphasis on Branding
A strong and compelling brand promise should be consistently lived and communicated in every corner of your organization, not only taught to trainees. To make your brand promise genuine and compelling:
• Work with your marketing and advertising managers to move your brand messaging front and center.
• Encourage your company leaders to talk about what your brand is and what it stands for.
• Communicate your brand premise in your website content, social media channels, printed company materials – and everywhere else. Use company videos, customer testimonials and other media effectively.
• Develop company mission statements and vision statements that clearly express your brand values.
• Encapsulate your brand promise into clear and simple words that your employees can use when interacting with customers and stakeholders. Think of these words as “elevator speeches” that all your staffers can use to trumpet your unique brand promise to the world.
