Some of the world's biggest brands are giving the public a sneak peek of the day-to-day operations at the company. Here are a few examples of brands doing this to perfection.

1. PRESENTS
THE
PORTHOLE
EFFECT
HOW THE BIGGEST BRANDS SHOWCASE
COMPANY CULTURE

2. The Porthole Effect
Company culture is the personality of a brand. The personality is defined by
its values, ethics, work environment, mission, and much more.
In days past, brands seemed to put little emphasis on positive company
culture, and people relied on stories and gossip to get an idea of what
it was really like to work at a company.
You’ve likely heard tales of tech-titans such as Google having slides in
their offices, with ball pits at the bottom, but how could anyone have
known for sure without visual proof? Brands have famously been strict
on social media policies, often asking that employees do not share
work-related content within their social networks.
This aura of mystery worked well for a lot of brands, as it meant they
could avoid possible scrutiny for their operational behaviors.

3. However, in recent years even some of the biggest businesses have
realized the many benefits that come with showcasing positive
company culture. Brands are putting a real focus on their company
culture and utilizing social media as a porthole to showcase it and to
let people in.
With the increased emphasis on/importance of social media, marketers
are focusing their attention on social media as a way of giving the
public a look at life at the company, through photo and video content,
and calling upon their employees to create it, share it, and generate
engagement.
The Porthole Effect
Imagine the feeling of having your CEO or Managing Director in the
office for a day. Suddenly everyone is on their best behavior, and
absolutely everyone does everything by the book. Well, since some of
the world’s biggest brands have started “letting people in,” they’ve
begun conducting themselves in a similar manner. After all, in the age
of social media and Twitter shaming, no one wants to get told off.

4. One particular company that has championed this idea is London-
based influencer marketing agency The Goat Agency. The Goat
has pioneered the idea of an office-based daily vlog, which at the
time of writing this has an impressive 245 episodes under its belt.
The vlog intends to document the goings-on and meteoric rise of
the company, and yet it does so much more. The vlog serves as a
porthole that looks into daily operations at the company and gives
an authentic look at the work environment, which is typically
challenging to display.
The Goat vlog gives us a look at the work environment and the
people who work there. For a prospective candidate, deciding
whether or not you’ll get along with colleagues/fit in could be a
deciding factor.
The Goat Agency Daily Vlog

5. The Goat Agency Daily Vlog
The vlog benefits both their employer brand and their brand
as a whole, as for many LinkedIn users, they’ve stumbled across
The Goat through word of mouth, and the video/audio content
gives an in-depth look into what they do in a more easily-
digestible manner.
Though the vlog does The Goat Agency a huge service, it is
worth mentioning that they are also entertaining, easily
accessible, and quick to digest. Most episodes clock in at
around the five-minute mark, meaning just about anyone can
tune in to the latest episode if they’ve five minutes to spare.
Founded just five years ago, LinkedIn ranked The Goat Agency
as #8 in its top startups to work for in the UK. They also
produce and share podcasts with both guests and employees
alike.

6. As we’ve seen with a lot of trend predictions recently, it seems that the
consensus for 2020 is brands will be striving to become more employee-
centric, and no one it seems is doing a better job of this than fitness apparel
tycoons Gymshark.
Since its inception in 2012, Gymshark has seen exponential growth year on
year. So much so that four years in, they found themselves featured in The
Sunday Times Fast Track. As is noted in the feature, Gymshark did not
incorporate traditional marketing tactics early on. Instead, they harnessed the
power of social media and influencers to build recognition and a reputation.
Gymshark clearly put a heavy emphasis on positive company culture as a
means of building their employer brand. Thecompany’s LinkedIn serves almost
entirely for this purpose, with a great deal of employee-centric photo and video
content, and little-to-no mention of their products. Head to the “life” section of
their page to hear it from the brand themselves:
Building Company Culture at Gymshark

7. Building Company Culture at Gymshark
“Our culture of innovation and community is central to everything at
Gymshark. We work hard to create the latest in performance wear, but there’s
always time for lunch with a colleague.”
Gymshark recognized early on that the key to their growth would be not
just their products, but the culture they build from within. They
continue to build on this with the likes of their #Gymshark66 campaign,
which cleverly builds on their employer brand through the use of their
established company culture, and also pushes for a more customer-centric
approach, all by incorporating User-Generated Content.
The campaign asks users to pledge to change their fitness habits in just
sixty-six days, in order to establish a routine that lasts a lifetime. Gymshark
sets a challenge each week and encourages participants to document the
process using the campaign hashtag. Not only does this raise brand
awareness using User/Employee-Generated Content, but it
incorporates a sense of community among customers and employees alike.

8. Starbucks could be hailed as one of the founding fathers of modern
employee influence, as they have long recognized the power of their
employees, whom the company refers to as ‘Partners.’
Another brand doing an exemplary job of showcasing life at the company
is coffee-colossus Starbucks.
Starbucks launched “Starbucks Partners” accounts on various social
media channels, and encouraged employees to use the hashtag
#starbuckspartners when sharing company-related content. Photos
submitted using the hashtag can then be used as authentic content for
the Partners accounts.
Employee Advocacy Meets User-Generated Content

9. Employee Advocacy Meets User-Generated Content
By going public with an idea that would typically remain internal,
Starbucks is offering the public the chance to take an authentic look at
life as a Starbucks employee, a feat that was challenging to achieve
pre-social media.
The company sets guidelines for the employees to follow, but as they
are somewhat relaxed, Starbucks relieves any apprehension employees
may have felt about sharing.
By combining employee advocacy and Employee User-Generated Content,
Starbucks has opened itself up as an operationally transparent company.
Which, according to many 2020 trend predictions, is a hugely favourable
quality to both consumers and candidates alike.

10. People are less likely than ever before to trust brands and advertising,
and millennial buyers rate trust and authenticity as two of the most desirable
traits in a brand.
The Porthole Effect
Employees advocating for your brand is one fantastic way of doing this, but
have them creating content too, and you’ll quickly establish a reputation as a
more customer and employe-centric organization.
Operational transparency and being able to trust a brand are key qualities both
businesses and consumers are looking for in 2020. As the masses become
more switched on to the traditional tactics of savvy marketers and influencers
alike, they are seeking out brands with whom they can establish lasting and
trusting relationships. Similarly, top candidates are likely to hear more about
their future employer before applying for a position than ever before, so make
sure you control the narrative.

11. Check out The Ultimate Guide to Employee Influencers to learn more
about how to showcase your company culture, and how to turn your
employees into full-blown influencers
The Guide covers everything from trends driving the demand for
employee influencers, to an all-encompassing business case. It also
includes industry leader insights, infographics, and checklists for
success. To book a demo or to get in contact, simply click here.