In last week’s edition in the instalment titled “Internal brand management and entrepreneurial success in the age of AI,” we introduced the concept of internal brand alignment.
We highlighted that this week, we will take a deep dive into the process of building a cohesive brand from the inside out for African brands and entrepreneurs to gear upwards competitively and maintain a competitive edge in the cutthroat competition.
Suffice it to note that the Age of AI is upon us.
There ought to be a strategic balance between deploying technology and creating a lifetime experience among the varying stakeholders, especially customers.
Digital updates are significant, but nothing can substitute in-person workshops when executives meet staff members to build a shared vision and appreciation of the brand.
Staff will support the company and advance the brand’s purpose if they understand its motivations.
They will offer regular, reciprocal communication so you can test or present your ideas to them before sharing them with the market.
However, adopting an open and honest culture is crucial because testing ideas on someone who won’t offer helpful critiques is pointless.
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Working together lets you predict market trends, sentiments, and shifts before they become problems.
We have been at companies with a pledge to openness and welcoming ideas across the board, yet the team members will hold back due to fears of reprisals.
Engaging customers through social media, email marketing, or in-store interactions is the best method to make them feel valued.
They should be able to swiftly and readily express their concerns and feedback through open, two-way communication.
When employees are invested in the brand, they are arguably the most powerful brand ambassadors.
They need to understand their role in making the brand’s aspirations a reality.
Hence, they need to constantly engage in person so that there is an appreciation of their take on the brand, which can be expressed through body language.
Marketers may use tools to implement an internal communications strategy that will inform employees and foster a sense of community.
Treating staff members the same way you would your external clients will foster a culture of feedback, which should be recorded and applied to raise satisfaction levels and boost productivity.
Employees are the best capabilities at hand to champion the brand’s cause internally and externally, but most importantly, the latter.
In line with this, the champions can be chosen to live the brand ideals and spread them throughout the company.
These people work to keep people up to date on marketing efforts that have happened, are happening, or will happen in the future.
They usually come from different departments.
When this happens, as we always say, generally, people do not trust brands but trust peers or people, and this approach entrenches the nerve and soul of the brand across the spectrum of the enterprise and brand.
People who work for a company should be able to make decisions because it makes them feel important and believe that managers know what they think.
Therefore, brands should increasingly realise how important it is to communicate with employees on an internal level to reinforce values and give employees a feeling of belonging.
In the age of AI, there is a possibility of consolidating internal brand management through the effective utilisation of AI to create consistency in the total management of the brand and effectively utilise digital innovations to remain ahead of the curve.
This can be done through the following steps, which will be discussed in detail in the next instalment:
An AI-driven branding strategy: Explore how AI can enhance branding efforts through personalisation, content creation, and customer engagement.
This will enhance the development of a strategic plan for integrating AI into branding efforts, outlining objectives, timelines, and resources needed for the internal teams to augment the afore-noted face-to-face meetings.
Foster internal alignment: Involve employees in the branding process to ensure they understand and embrace the brand’s purpose and values.
Through this process, the company will manage tailor design training on AI tools and platforms to empower employees to use technology to support branding initiatives.
Maintain consistent messaging: Develop comprehensive brand guidelines that outline messaging, tone, and visual identity, ensuring consistency across all channels and touchpoints.
Today, brands are empowered to leverage AI tools to generate marketing content that adheres to brand guidelines and maintains a cohesive brand voice.
This will, therefore, consolidate the brand’s voice and consistency in delivering its promise to the external stakeholders.
Encourage innovation: Encourage teams to explore new ideas and use AI to test and refine branding initiatives.
Top management should consider building a lasting culture of innovation through pivoting on AI.
In this regard, there is scope to consider partnerships with AI startups or tech firms to implement cutting-edge solutions that enhance brand management.
Evaluate and adapt: We live in a fast-paced, changing world, so we need to constantly look in the rear mirror to assess our performance.
This requires a deliberate effort to conduct regular assessments of brand performance and the effectiveness of AI implementations, making adjustments as necessary.
This enhances the company/brand’s ability to keep abreast of emerging AI technologies and trends that could impact brand management and adapt strategies accordingly.
In conclusion, brand management internally in the age of AI involves several strategic steps to ensure alignment with the brand’s identity, values, and goals while effectively leveraging AI technologies.
Yet technology alone cannot trump the face-to-face experience delivered to internal teams and, by extension, external stakeholders.
This is the most complex time to be alive, and brands should tap into every opportunity to consolidate internally and leapfrog in shaping and engaging the future we want. African brands must take the bold step forward!
*Farai Chigora is a businessman and academic. He is a senior lecturer at the Africa University’s College of Business, Peace, Leadership and Governance and lso a global business modelling practitioner. His doctoral research focused on Business Administration (Destination Marketing and Branding Major, Ukzn, SA). He is into agribusiness and consults for many companies in Zimbabwe and Africa. He writes in his personal capacity and can be contacted for feedback and business at fariechigora@gmail.com, www.fachip.co.zw, WhatsApp mobile: +263772886871.
*Tabani Moyo is an extraordinary researcher with the University of North West, South Africa’s Social Transformation School. He holds a Doctorate in Business Administration (research focus on new media and corporate reputation management, UKZN), chartered marketer, dellow CIM, communications and reputation management expert based in Harare. He can be contacted at moyojz@gmail.com @TabaniMoyo (X)
