O..O..Over and over, we try to prove our love to you.
Over and over, what more can we do.
Over and over, my friends say we’re a fool.
But over and over, we’ll be a fool for you.
’cause we’ve got Hamptonality!
As I mentioned in my last post, I spent a few days sharing great ideas relating to Internal Branding and Employe Engagement with a lot of really smart people representing some really good companies. Among them was Gina Valenti ofHilton Worldwide. She showed us how everyone, internal and external is feeling the Hamptonality.
I’ll admit. When Gina asked the audience to show by hands who had traveled to a Hampton and who the fans were. My hand stayed up. As a value-based product offering, I don’t think Hampton could do any better – always a clean room and bed, always a nice breakfast with a smile. Works for me!
From a brand perspective, I think their positioning lines up fairly identically to the one I try to strengthen every day for the brands I work on, Lady Luck Casino and Isle Casino. So, of course, I was more than just mildly interested to see how Hampton relates that positioning internally so that it can be expressed at every interaction.
What is Hamptonality? Check out this video.
Eventually this made its way through to the external audience in the form of a brand campaign.
Do me a favor. Go to YouTube and search for the term “Hamptonality”. I couldn’t believe the number of videos I found.
Thanks Gina! Thanks to you I have even bigger goals to accomplish.
My apologies for being absent the last couple of weeks. I guess I didn’t expect to be so distracted. However, I have compiled my list for this week. I hope you enjoy these news clips and that they make you think of great ways to become better marketers.
Do you remember Delta’s iconic tagline “We Love To Fly, And It Shows”? I’d love for airlines to show me how much they love to fly because right now, it’s hard to see it while I try to manuever my way into some sort of comfortable sitting position, or when the person in front of me leans their seat back until it’s practically on me. It’s not that passenger’s fault. He or she is just working with what the airline gave them. I’ve been watching ABC’s Pan Am and I can’t help remembering how I used to love to fly. My mother would get me dressed up in a pretty dress, and I typically had a hat and white gloves. I remember peering into the cockpit with so much amazement. So much of the reasons people loved to fly are gone. I for one would love to see it come back. Read about how Delta is approaching the customer experience.
I’ve worked in the casino industry now for quite a number of years. Every single company I’ve worked for has created jobs, paid lots of tax dollars (LOTS!) and has become outstanding members of the communities. I know the media has to give the opposition equal time, butthese kinds of editorialsjust make me realize how little some folks know of the real casino industry.
…and then there are times when we just lose our focus. People are not huge fans of the gaming options being outside of the normal casino areas. Looks like some of the casinos are moving some games out to the public areas and folks are just not too keen on the additional availability. Read about it here…
Finally, I’ve been thinking a great deal about brand champions and employee engagement.At the heart of all these efforts is building a culture brand. Here are some good ways to start.
You know how so many companies use those stock images of happy employees for back of house or internal communication? We use them too, with a mixture of “talent” shots.
We wanted to help our employees understand how they fit into our plans. So rather than relying on the stock shots, we thought we’d create a new library of employee images. We decided to use actual employees, but not just a handful. We wanted a handful from each of our 15 properties. That’s somewhere north of 150 employees. That’s expensive and time-consuming. We’ve been working on this for months. We’re not about 2/3 of the way through. The last shoot I was on was a marathon to get 32 untrained “models” shot, but it was an extraordinary experience. They were energetic, frenetic, engaging, overjoyed and more to be part of this project. In turn, they inspired me to get through event he most frustrating of conference calls.
The selection committee was blown away by the submissions. Our employees really “get it.” They know what an important role they play in the guest experience. Wow! It’s great to realize that all the dots are connecting.
Some companies know exactly how to engage their employees and turn them into THE most valuable brand ambassadors. Zappos immediately comes to mind.
Some companies are seemingly less “cultish” about it but they are no less successful.
Some companies, for whatever reason, haven’t given this a thought.
Some companies are just starting the journey. Most are probably somewhere in between.
We’re just starting the journey, and that’s OK. In fact, I think it’s great. I’d much rather be starting out than to not have given it a thought. Plus, I get the benefit of studying so many other companies that have blazed a great trail, leaving markers all along the way.
I recently attended a seminar and met some of these great trailblazers. My key takeaways:
Have a singularly focused vision
Build trust
Engaging leaders have the power to positively impact revenue and profit
It’s not enough to just change the logo on the letterhead when rolling out a new brand
If you provide the right structure, you don’t have to fear the employee voice
Know what you’re promising to employees and live up to it
Realize your employees are your best and most valued assets
Zappos tells us they are committed to “WOW”ing the customer. This vision is the focal point of their decision-making. To do this, they must have the best employees, the best operations and systems. They put all of this in place, and with confidence, they let things happen. And what happens is remarkable service with a sprinkling of surprises that keep customers coming back for more.
Eddie Bauer went through the kind of tough time that was constantly making the news for over a year, and yet I never knew. Why? I think it’s because they figured out how to get their employees to ask “How can I help?” rather than asking “What’s going to happen to me?” The leadership was very open. They shared what they knew and…and you’ll love this…what they didn’t know. That transparency had to be the key to building respect and trust. They also taught employees more than folding, stocking, and ringing up sales. They taught them about the business – EBITDA, covenants, what is like to be a public company – the stuff you never see in your employee manuals.
BBVA Compass has learned how to connect virtual and physical content to bring senior leadership communications to employees in a way that is simple, useable and actionable. Utilizing face-to-face meetings, email, voice mail and video, they position their leadership as thought leaders. This, in turn, works to engage and energize the employee base so that their brand promise is delivered with every customer interaction. Let me just add that I fully intend on “borrowing” their coffee talk podcast concept.
Juniper Networks recently rebranded their corporate identity utilizing a multi-prong global engagement campaign to create excitement, build a sense of inclusion, foster brand evangelism and pay tribute to the brand. NEED MORE
Mayo Clinic has absolutely floored me! Sure I expected Zappos to be embracing social media” but Mayo? In such a private and regulated environment, they have added a personal touch to communications in a “slightly messy” way. The storytelling approach uses real language and real voices. They recognize that employees WANT to be engaged. They are the ones witnessing and creating the spontaneous interactions that have resulted in the best internal and external communications.
Take a look at this video. It started very simply and turned into a media blitz for Mayo positioning them as a place you can feel comfortable in rather than a “dreaded hospital.”
JetBlue’s David Neelman once said you had to treat crew members like they were the most important part of the business. They are! No matter how many beautiful ads you create or how much money you spend building the most beautiful building, it’s the employees that will control that moment of truth. If you give them the tools to act on that moment, they’ll see you through it. They really will. Remember employees want to help. They want to be a part of the solution. They want to grow with you, not against you.
We have a great program at the company I work for (if I do say so myself). It’s easy for all of our employees to execute AND be rewarded for it. See. Say. Smile. Check it out. http://islecorp.com/profile-seesaysmile.aspx We set a very specific and measurable goal. We trained and trained. We reward when there is success, and success is contagious. Everyone gets involved in fun ways.
Last thought: Employees are more engaged when they’re part of solving the puzzle.
Another takeaway from the conference was that we’re doing some things right. Hooray! We’re trying to educate all of our employees and their families about the business of our business by sending our newsletter to their homes rather than putting them out in the break room. We’re sharing some of our more fun moments through YouTube. We’re setting specific goals and tying rewards only to those things each person can impact rather than some nebulous concept.
My next step: Find out which employees are engaged and why and find out which employees are not engaged and why. The rest will come with answers to these questions.
