RALLY THE AMBASSADOR PROGRAMS HELP B-TO-B COMPANIES BOOST EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT AND DRIVE PROFITABILITY BY MATTHEW SCHWARTZ

HE CUSTOMER COMES FIRST. It’s a familiar mantra for many B-to-B companies. But HCL thinks differently. The IT company, which employs more than 105,000 people in 31 countries and generates $6 billion in annual revenue, fosters an “employees first, customers second” business strategy. The strategy encourages employees across the organiza- tion to come up with ideas to improve both the operation and customer satisfaction. In the past few years, the company’s “ideapreneurs” have developed several programs designed to bolster these areas, such as MAD JAM, which celebrates outstanding ideas from within HCL that have been imple- mented for clients. For HCL, leading with its employees is the most effective way to retain and grow existing customers and attract new ones, says global CMO Matt Preschern. “When you put your employees first, they’re your best brand advocates,” he adds. HCL’s ideapreneurs demonstrate the growing nexus between programs and the top and bottom lines. Amid intense competition for market share and the rise of social media, B-to-B companies are looking to boost employee engagement in order to improve

10 B-to-B MARKETER Winter 2016 TROOPS!

Association of National Advertisers ana.net 11 communications and profitability. After all, employ- guidelines, social and otherwise? How many employ- ees are the ones who regularly interface with ees will participate, and at what level? customers, whether huddling at trade shows and Medtronic, a leading medical technology develop- conferences or troubleshooting via call centers. ment company, recruited 200 “brand champions” to “The aspiration is that every employee should be help drive a new and marketing message viewed as a brand ambassador,” says Sam Stern, following a significant change in the . senior analyst of customer engagement at Forrester After acquiring Covidien last year for nearly $49 Research. “What we’re seeing [among enterprise billion, the number of employees at Medtronic nearly companies] is a recognition that there needs to be doubled, to about 85,000. brand consistency across the entire organization, in The acquisition, the largest in Medtronic’s history, terms of how employees connect the overall brand ushered in a new logo, new color scheme, and visual image to their experience working for the company.” and verbal changes to the company’s marketing message. But Medtronic’s mission stayed the same: ELEVATING EMPLOYER BRANDING Every to “alleviate pain, restore health, extend life.” rand ambassador programs present tremen- employee “This was a moment in time to fundamentally Bdous opportunities for B-to-B companies to should restate our purpose as a company, and celebrate distinguish themselves and their employees, but be viewed and welcome new employees,” says Rob Clark, vice myriad challenges exist. Perhaps the most important president of global communications at Medtronic. is ensuring the program has a wide marketing lens as a brand “We needed people who could well understand and and a sharp focus. ambassador.” articulate our new positioning and make sure “Successful requires fuller and — SAM STERN, employees and stakeholders could take this new, more consistent engagement among the people inside Forrester and sometimes complex, nuanced messaging to our and outside a company, both those who experience stakeholders and customers.” the brand and those who represent it,” says Michelle The brand champions — recognized as people with Smith, vice president of marketing at O.C. Tanner and influence in their respective area of the company — a member of the BMA Board of Advisors. “Organiza- were given online and offline training on how to tions must elevate employer branding to its rightful reinforce the overall marketing message to both place among the other major pillars of corporate, employees and customers. The brand champions then product, and service brand management.” provided “cascade training” via multiple channels to an Some of the major questions that marketers need additional 3,800 employees, who further extended the to answer before they embark on a brand ambassa- message to other Medtronic staffers. dor program include: What is the criterion? Is the Metrics-wise, Clark says that every Medtronic program temporary or long-term? What are the employee has been made aware of both the

Treat Employees Like MVCs: Most Valuable Clients an overall internal communica- tions initiative, per Northwestern University. esearch conducted The Northwestern study way good customer communica- 1. Senior management by Northwestern University in analyzed 18 global companies tions are — that is, with a participation. Leadership 2006 and replicated in 2015 from a wide variety of industries goal-oriented strategy to instill initiative, support, and/or buy-in identified several best practices to get a better read on the specific positive attitudes that match the are vital for the success of any for how to integrate employees strategies and tactics that organization’s objectives,” says internal communications into strategic marketing empowered employees to Frank Mulhern, Ph.D., professor, initiative. To inspire employees activities. Paramount among the consistently deliver their and associate dean of the and bring them along during tenets: senior management company’s brand promise, which integrated marketing communica- major change, senior leaders support for an organizational in turn helped those businesses tions department at Medill School/ must first be demonstrably structure that facilitates strategic reach their goals. One of the key Northwestern University, who on-board with the effort. internal communications that takeaways is that to capitalize on developed the research study. 2. Integrated organizational appeal to employees and connect brand ambassador programs, “Internal communications should structure. Internal communica- them to marketing efforts. Sans companies have to treat their be seen as serving employees, not tions should encompass all buy-in from the top, the effort of employees more like their most bothering them with unwanted employees working in a company. cultivating brand ambassador valuable clients. information.” Using a horizontally integrated programs could be a useless “Employee communications The six best practices below management or process structure exercise. should be approached the same are related to, and supportive of, enables all functions and levels to

12 B-to-B MARKETER Winter 2016 marketing message and how to access more its intranet to ensure everyone was on the same information about it. “As a result of this work, our page about the . customers are beginning to realize the extended “The challenge is consistency,” Villone says, breadth of our services and are beginning to call us adding that upper management was pleased with on parts of our portfolio that we weren’t getting six the results of the program. “You need to have local months ago,” he adds. customization, but with global coordination.”

WORKING WITH HR SOCIALIZING YOUR EMPLOYEES nother key question for brand ambassador ocial media continues to have a huge impact on Aprograms is what role human resources (HR) Sbrand ambassador efforts, as platforms such as will play in them. When B-to-B company Ingredion Facebook and blur the lines between the Inc. rebranded in 2012, from Corn Products personal and the professional. But that’s a good International, following its 2010 acquisition of thing for brand communications, according to National Starch, marketing and HR worked in HR is Jeffrey Hayzlett, a B-to-B marketing expert and unison with the internal communications and a very former CMO at Eastman Kodak Co. corporate communications departments on a brand important “Shouldn’t it be great that employees can talk ambassador program designed to get the word out part of the about your brand 24/7?” asks Hayzlett, author of to both internal and external audiences. Think Big, Act Bigger: The Rewards of Being “HR is a very important part of the collaboration,” collaboration.” Relentless (Entrepreneur Press, 2015). “It’s the says Marco Villone, vice president of marketing, U.S. — MARCO VILLONE, same thing as being in a local club or talking to your and Canada, at Ingredion, which has 11,000-plus Ingredion neighbor; the only difference is you can add more employees. “In the end, you want employees to live zeros, if your employees are talking to hundreds or and breathe the brand, and HR has very valuable thousands of people, depending on how many insights into how to send the message.” followers they have.” Ingredion’s marketing team provided training to Indeed, employees with socially encouraging around 50 brand ambassadors to make sure they employers are significantly more likely to help boost were well versed on the new company’s messaging than employees whose employers aren’t and core values, and how to assuage any concerns socially encouraging, according to a 2014 survey by among employees about the rebranding. The brand Weber Shandwick and KRC Research. The survey, ambassadors then hosted several live events titled “Employees Rising: Seizing the Opportunity in throughout the world, complete with video messages Employee Activism,” took the pulse of 2,300 from the company’s leadership team, to engage employees working at with 500-plus Ingredion employees. The company also bolstered workers. Among those employers who encourage

be involved in a collaborative where employees feel involved business approach. “This must programs are worth the time and decision-making process. and motivated is critical to the start at the top of the organiza- investment because they not only 3. Strategic marketing success of internal communica- tion and work its way to all give employees a bigger stake in approach. Best-practice tions. The focus is on positive levels. Then there is the need the enterprise but align with the companies take a formal approach reinforcement of proactive work. to inform and evaluate employees bottom line. “A direct link exists to internal communications by 6. Internal brand communica- about customer-based metrics,” between employee engagement applying research and planning tion. Best practice companies he says. and customer engagement and processes, as well as tools and communicate the brand promise Mulhern shares this example: financial performance — even techniques similar to those used to employees across the most “Many customers show the stock when the employee doesn’t have in external marketing programs. relevant channels and then price in highly visible places at direct customer contact,” she 4. Human resources partner- motivate employees to deliver on work but few show levels of says. “There’s an incredible ship. The human resources that promise to all customers. customer satisfaction or retention. opportunity for all marketers to function provides a vital role Asked how B-to-B marketers There [also] is the need to have enhance their brand, increase in developing strategies that can get around obstacles that organizational units match customer loyalty, and improve synchronize with internal could prevent them from customers and their interests, profitability by creating the same communications and business implementing the above tenets, as opposed to a purely functional buy-in to their products, services, development. such as inertia or a lack of approach.” and organizational philosophy 5. Employee engagement. commitment, Mulhern says Michelle Smith, vice with their employees as they Creating an efficient and companies must be more holistic president of marketing at O. C. would for their customers.” collaborative work environment and less top-down in their Tanner, says brand ambassador — M.S.

Association of National Advertisers ana.net 13 Tim Washer, senior marketing manager at Cisco, presenting at World in San Diego last March. their employees to be social stewards, 55 percent said they provide readily accessible tools for employees to use in social media and 50 percent said they provide messages about the employer for employees to use in social channels. Emerson Electric Co., which employs 110,000 employees worldwide, started social media training in 2013. It recently extended the program with the launch of “Emerson Experts Media Training,” which Try and Find the Funny is integrated with Emerson’s other marketing efforts. The marketing department works with a team of social media executives from Dell to show Emerson hen Tim Washer, talent is hiding in plain sight. employees how to meld brand communications with senior marketing manager at Cisco, “You can have wonderful brand social media channels, says Kathy Button Bell, vice speaks at B-to-B marketing events ambassadors, but you don’t even know throughout the world on behalf of his it,” Washer says. “It’s finding and president and chief marketing officer at Emerson. employer, he usually tosses the discovering the talent that employees “Among other areas, employees are taught how to audience a valentine. Whether it’s have. It may be [someone adept at] engage online communities that are relevant to the Content Marketing World or Social humor, but it also could be filmmakers, brand’s products and services,” Button Bell says. Media Marketing World, Washer will or designers, and employees who can “We even show them their Klout scores to help them show Cisco’s “Valentine’s Day” video, help express different parts of your understand their individual social media impact.” which pokes fun at the romantic holiday company.” There are more than 300 stewards of the while getting the message out about one Washer recommends two ways for program companywide. Dell will continue to lead the of the company’s major products. B-to-B companies to tap into their training for the near future. “Part of social media In the video, which shows black-and- employees’ talents across departments. training is what not to do, as opposed to what to do, white pictures of young couples in First, recruit some local improv and making sure people are communicating about courting mode, to the sound of swelling specialists for training purposes. “That’s violins, the narrator asks, “How many going to help employees be more the Emerson brand in an appropriate ,” ways can a man tell his sweetheart, ‘I creative,” Washer says. “The fundamen- Button Bell says. “That’s a very big responsibility. love you?’” In the past, that meant tals of improv are about overcoming your On the other hand, when you have the ability to expensive diamonds or a tropical inner critic and being authentic, which communicate in a much broader way [via social vacation. “But now,” the narrator adds, is key for being a brand ambassador.” platforms], you need to do that.” to great anticipation, “he can give her Second, have stand-up comedians the ultimate expression of his everlast- (don’t laugh) show employees how to REFLECTING THE CULTURE ing affection — the Cisco ASR9000, work a crowd. By presenting the basics roadening strategic communications and because nothing says forever like up to of stand-up comedy, employees learn offering employees the ability to spread their 6.4 terrabytes per second, nothing says how to be comfortable and vulnerable B wings on behalf of the company should be the twin commitment like up to 400 GBPS per simultaneously, which makes them goals of brand ambassador programs. HCL’s slot, and nothing says ‘I love you’ like six more relatable when they send a times the mobile backhaul capacity.” marketing message. LeadGen, for example, encourages delivery Whenever the video is presented, “As a brand ambassador, you want to employees to upskill themselves to identify customer Washer plays it straight, making it seem ensure that what you share creates a needs and requirements and map them to a solution perfectly normal to give your sweetheart positive experience,” Washer says. “If that can be offered by HCL. LeadGen now has an industrial-grade router for Valen- the audience feels they have gotten to 2,000-plus delivery employees engaged in the tine’s Day. “It usually brings laughter know the brand ambassador, that program and more than 2,000 new contracts. to the proceedings and now, with rapport will extend to the relationship What’s more, HCL’s Portal enables employees social media, we tend to get a lot of the audience has with the company.” to share their ideas for customer-facing projects, retweets,” says Washer, a former Washer says the goals and overall against the clock, within quality specifications and comedy writer for Conan O’Brien and objectives of Cisco’s Valentine’s Day available budget. Through 2015, the program has David Letterman. “That shows you the video include but go beyond lead generated more than 43,000 ideas, helped over 450 value of using humor.” generation, and that’s key to measuring The video also demonstrates the brand ambassador programs. “It’s about customers, and delivered $1 billion-plus in value. value of tapping into employees’ humanizing the brand by showing that “We realize that the external brand ought to be a various talents to help fuel brand we’re comfortable with being playful,” reflection of a culture and a personality that comes ambassador programs, whether formal he adds. “It’s establishing good buzz from us as employees, and as marketers,” HCL’s or otherwise. Washer may have brought and fun, which is important. And then Preschern says. By empowering employees to create his resume with him when he started at you can deal with the funnel stuff.” and drive programs they are passionate about, he Cisco several years ago but, often, —M.S.adds, “we enable them to go above and beyond what any external [marketing] channel can do.”

14 B-to-B MARKETER Winter 2016