creating a power partnership between hr and marketing - without a big fight
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How can HR and marketing professionals work together without a big fight? This was the topic that my co-author, Pat Nazemetz, and I discussed at the global Business Marketing Association BLAZE conference in Chicago last week. The conference drew in more than 650 business marketers from around the world, making it the single largest B2B marketing event in 2013, and we were honored to be invited as speakers. (View the presentation video at http://bit.ly/192LwCX.) So, how can organizations foster the relationship between internal and external brands? Pat, a former HR executive, often says that HR believes they need to own communications with employees; they want accuracy, compliance, consistency and reality. But often, those messages lack impact; they miss the communications mark. So, what’s an HR person to do? Find a trusted partner in marketing. Marketing professionals are uniquely positioned to tell stories and authentically communicate the importance of culture to rally a team around the brand – a common set of goals and objectives. Today, we live in an era where brands are people, and people are brands. Key to any HR-marketing partnership is honesty and trust. Admit that you grab for the same turf, that you want to claim ownership, control, visibility and credit for the inside-out messages. Rely on your trusted partner to pull you out of your comfort zone, and together, think about how those messages can take flight and hit their targets with the greatest impact. In today’s business world, we all have less time to do more. Imagine the impact when you help get employees, managers and leaders aligned to your brand. An army of talent who “gets it” means that they will see themselves in the picture, and they will promote that picture with conviction in the marketplace. We no longer control, or even manage, our brands. Destroy the silos, and watch what happens when tension between two departments becomes alignment. The effect on budgets, priorities, recruitment, retention, engagement and brand will prove this partnership critical and worthwhile.TRANSCRIPT
Creating a POWER PARTNERSHIP
Between HR and Marketing – Without a Big Fight
Will Ruch Pat Nazemetz
ME to WE…Really?!
How to Foster the Relationship
INTERNAL BRAND
EXTERNAL BRAND
Rich FloerschCHRO, McDonald’s
Richard WerganFormer CMO, Xerox
“I’ll be honest with you, the average HR person –
I’m gonna include myself in that – isn’t maybe as creative and
doesn’t think about some of the sizzle parts of it that a really
strong marketer can do, and I think the collaboration actually
can be quite powerful.”
Rich FloerschCHRO, McDonald’s
“The most important part of the newly designed Xerox brand is really how it is reflected by our employees and our people. I spent a lot of time working with HR on getting the message to the employees, and that was of high importance to our CEO.”
Richard WerganFormer CMO, Xerox
to
ALIGNMENT
CREATIVE Support is the Spark
“Good luck!”“You’re all fluff
and mirrors.”
• Orbit around your brand
• Employees as brand ambassadors – not arsonists
IGNITE the Relationship
[email protected] [email protected]
Learn more about the book at HRMarketingPartners.com.