One way management can assess how well employees are aligned with an organization's brand is by conducting an annual brand check-up, according to a whitepaper from Smith & Jones.
To conduct the check-up, a leader will choose roughly 10 people at random for an informal conversation. These people can be employees, patients and other "users" of the brand.
The first question to ask is:
• In three words or less, what does [the brand] stand for?
If they have a problem answering or need prompting, leaders should take note.
If they can answer this question, move onto the second:
• What things does [the brand] do, day in and day out, that supports the brand promise?
From their answers, a pattern should emerge, and leaders should look to answer the following questions among all participants' responses:
• Can everyone define what the brand stands for?
• Is there consistency in what everyone says the brand stands for?
• Is there consistency between what insiders and outsiders are saying?
• Are the words people use to describe what the brand stands for likely to inspire advocacy?
• Do the things people say in support of your "brand promise" really support it?
If the answer to all five of these questions is "yes," the brand communications program is likely effective. If a "no" pops up, hospital leaders may want to dig deeper and consider a more comprehensive way to diagnose the brand's effectiveness.
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