Why Branding Your Apparel is Important for Your Business: Internal Perception

“Define what your brand stands for, its core values and tone of voice, and then communicate consistently in those terms.” - Simon Mainwaring, award-winning Branding Consultant

Successful businesses expand beyond the perceived realm of external marketing by focusing on brand perception internally. Employees are the most important asset of a business, in that they hold the power to either reinforce or break a brand’s promise to the public. Highly engaged employees are 38% more likely to have above-average productivity (Workplace Research Foundation). External awareness and perception of an organization are greatly influenced by the internal culture and level to which employees embrace the company’s mission.

Building brand ambassadors within a business structure can be simplified through a few touch points. An employee needs to feel recognized and incentivized to produce at their highest level, and take the company’s goals to heart. Branded materials can help to facilitate this feeling. Awarding company plaques or prizes for employee achievement can boost morale and create healthy competition to service the brand’s promise.

To balance individualized rewards, a business must be prudent to the importance of encouraging teamwork. Brands build toward their ultimate potential when the entire population of the company collaborates effectively to achieve a common goal. Reiterating the necessity and benefits of team effort can be accomplished through branded apparel, such as casual logo shirts for Fridays or collared polos with the brand name. Giving branded apparel to the team will create a sense of community and connection, without needing to introduce a uniform or strict dress code. Culture will flourish under a united visual aesthetic that aligns employees with each other and the company’s brand simultaneously.

Purpose-driven employees will separate your business from the competition. Those who feel trusted, supported, and undivided are more likely to reinforce a brand’s promise to the public on their own volition than anyone. Companies with a higher sense of purpose outperform others by as much as 400%, and branded materials promote an aligned company vision. Connecting internal perception with external marketing through creative eye-catching elements will lead employees to continually associate positivity and production with a company’s brand.