Why Brands Need Team Love
And why we should start there?
Branding starts from within.
From people. From the team. From culture.
Not from a trendy logo or an "authentic" campaign with models laughing at salads.
CRISIS OF TRUST?
In the ’60s, people trusted brands because they made good stuff.
In the ’80s and ’90s, we fell in love with stories that sounded like life mottos (Just do it!).
Now we’re told to believe in social responsibility and purpose-driven missions.
But let's be honest for a second:
How many of us actually care what a brand believes when we're just picking tomato paste off the shelf?
Your story? Cute. But not always relevant.
Because here's the truth:
The consumer may never want to hear your story.
But your team already lives it.
Every. Single. Day.
And they’re telling it too:
In Slack chats.
On Zoom calls.
At brunch.
On LinkedIn.
In DMs.
And, let’s face it, probably in memes (that are way more on point than company's marketing copy 😬).
So ask yourself this:
What do your employees say about your company in their group chats? In their kitchens?
That’s your real brand audit.
Why Brand = Internal Culture
Your people are your brand voice.
No, not your tone-of-voice guidelines.
Real voice. With real opinions.
They’re the ones carrying your brand into the world - through conversations, not campaigns.
If you inspire people for real (not just with pizza Fridays), they’ll spread the word. And that’s the kind of reach money can’t buy.
Your team is your uniqueness.
Yes, even if you make tomato paste.
Especially if you make tomato paste.
Because someone else out there also makes tomato paste. And has a better SEO budget.
But they don’t have your people. People are the only true competitive edge you can’t copy-paste.
How you treat people = how you treat the world.
And customers notice. Always.
Cold audiences don’t warm up to your story.
They warm up to emotion.
And that emotion is sparked by real human contact:
from a kind support reply;
from a thoughtful delivery;
from a barista, who remembers your order.
One good human moment can do more than a seven-figure billboard campaign.
And that’s not exaggeration - it’s just basic psychology.
Employer Brand = your best long-term strategy.
It’s not just blah-blah-blah. It’s brand infrastructure.
You attract talent that actually wants to show up on Monday.
You retain people because they’re growing, not surviving.
You build brand power because people believe - and belief travels fast. This is a point where your brand starts to grow.
It grows where your people feel seen.
Cared for.
Not just hired, but chosen. Again and again.
“It’s the time that you spent on your rose that makes your rose so important.”
Employer brand works the same way.
You water it.
You protect it from wind.
You show up for it - even when it throws shade.
And one day, it blooms.
Loyalty. Energy. Buzz. Profit.
TL;DR:
Want a brand that lasts?
Start where the soul lives.
Inside yourself.
Inside the team.
Inside the people who already said “yes” to you.
Your team’s belief is the one thing that can’t be outsourced. But it can be built. And that’s the real work.
And honestly? That’s the most strategic thing you can do.
