The document outlines strategies for effective HR branding and marketing, emphasizing the importance of understanding a brand's origin, opportunities, and consumer values. It advocates for engaging content that resonates with target audiences through authentic storytelling and leveraging employee and customer testimonials. Additionally, it highlights the significance of empowering influencers and maintaining two-way communication to enhance brand credibility and engagement.

1. Build your Brand
Build your Org
Mike Leon
mleon@brandheroes.ca
1.416.543.5292

2. Let’s be honest!

3. We want our
recruitment efforts to
yield this…

5. But sometimes the
process of getting
noticed feels like this…

8. And while we’re at
it…

9. Marketing and HR
Sometimes feels like
this…

11. Instead of like this…

13. Your HR Branding
Survival Pack

14. But first a little
about you and a
bit about me…

15. Who am I?
• President and Chief Brand Hero of Brand Heroes
• Integrated Marketing Consultancy
• Brand Strategy and Design
• Marketing Communications
• Branded Content
• MBA and BBA Branding Instructor @ WLU
• BBA Social Media Instructor

16. A Little Shameless Self Promotion

17. The Skinny on Rock Star Branding
• Origin, Opportunity, Values
• Brand like a networker
• Use your stars
• Both in and out of the organization
• Make your content matter and make it big!
• It’ll cost less than you think
• Say it loud, but don’t you be the one to say it!
• Find your greatest influencers and get them to speak about you.

18. Origin, Opportunity values
• Origin: What’s your brands origin story? Why do you
exist? Why do you need to? There’s an interesting and
relevant story here
• Opportunity: What opportunity are you offering your
customers? How is that opportunity different from any of
your competitors
• Values: What’s important to your consumers. How do
your values align with theirs?

19. Example: Bentley

20. Example: The Dollar Shave Club

21. Use Your Stars
• Find the folks who best relate to those you’re targeting
and show their stories
• Their story first, your story second
• Show them in their element doing exactly what it is
you’re selling

22. Example: Freshbooks

23. Example: My SLC
Contest Video:
http://youtu.be/AIrnnSBzo4E
Campaign Video
http://bit.ly/10j8d1M

24. Market like a Networker
• Think about what’s in it for them, not you.
• Don’t just advertise yourself, otherwise you run the risk
of turning your campaigns into:
• A flat, one-way marketing channel that simply copies existing
content from your brochures, rather than generating anything
new and interactive.
• Unauthentic, boring content that actually serves to erode and
destroy brand credibility rather than grow and re-enforce it.
• Simply advertising, rather than engagement.

25. Market like a Networker
• Instead think about what makes them tick
• What’s important to them and how can we show, not tell
them, that our opportunity is meeting those needs head
on.
• Example:

26. Highlighting the calibre of select
employees

27. Leverage Employee Testimonials

28. Emphasize the power of your culture in
your job descriptions

29. Make Your Content Matter and Make
it Big
• Provide on-going industry and subject matter thought leadership.
• Provide an on-going 2-way communications channel that puts your
consumers in control.
• Provide real-time info on what people are saying about you and
insights on how this can impact key business decisions.
• Provide competitive differentiation and an on-going, interactive source
of company engagement that can boost employee recruitment as well
as business development.

30. Example Coke:

31. Or even give them an ability to
influence your offerings:

32. Say it loud but Don’t be the One to Say it
• Find your greatest influencers and get them to speak
about you. Ideas include:
• Guest blog for major influencers
• Include re-postings of your blogs
• Pursue customer testimonials that you can post on several social
media platforms
• But don’t stop there - find creative ways to get your
customers to tell your stories.

33. Example: The Fiesta Movement

34. The Program
• A grassroots social media campaign to promote the new
Fiesta model
• Placed Fiestas in the hands of 100 social “agents” and
had them promote Ford’s new vehicle through Twitter,
blogs, videos, and events
...all without spending a dollar on
traditional media.

35. Results After 6 Months
- 4.3 million YouTube views
- 500,000+ Flickr views
- 3 million+ Twitter impressions
- 50,000 interested potential customers, 97% of which
didn’t own a Ford at the time
- Sold10,000 units in the first 6 days of sales
• 38% awareness by Gen Y about the product, without
spending a dollar on traditional advertising
• New chapter - http://www.fiestamovement2.com/

36. Summary
• Know who you are, but keep checking in with your
consumers
• Empower and reward your raving fans
• Find your opinion leaders and empower them to spread
the good word
• Re-think “Viral.”
• Think hard about the role you want Viral to play. Is it necessarily the
right tactic for what you want and are set up to do?

37. Thank You!
Mike Leon
(416) 543-5292
mleon@brandheroes.ca
brandheroes.ca
@brandheroes