Employees as Sustainability Brand Ambassadors: A Typology

In one of our most recent posts we emphasized the importance of building up strong sustainability brands. In this context we suggest eight essential elements, the “8 Cs” of sustainability branding: Core, Co-operative, Credible, Consumer Benefits, Conversational, Consistency, Commitment, and Continuity. We stated that sustainability branding requires the commitment of top management and marketing decision makers. No doubt, this is important (if not crucial). However, the commitment of employees is equally important, especially in the context of sustainability communications, which is characterised by conversations, dialogues, and interactions.

Research shows that the commitment and the understanding of brands by employees impacts brand and company performance. The empirical study by Thomson et al 1999 and further surveys by the global brand agency The Brand Union (formerly: IG Enterprise) indicate that strong commitment and good understanding of brands by employees have a positive impact on brand and business performance. According to the (emotional) commitment and the (intellectual) understanding of brands we may segment employees into four major categories. These include: Weak links, Bystanders, Loose Cannons, and Champions.

Weak links neither really understand the deeper meaning and messages of sustainability brands nor do they care. Often broader sustainability issues are difficult to understand. They may occur somewhere else in the value chain and do not relate the everyday experience and work of employees. Ideally, companies want a (very) small percentage of weak links. Bystanders have the information they need, but they do not care (anymore). This group might even have a negative impact on brand and business performance. “We’ve all seen situations where employees have been through a very difficult time. They are jaded, they’ve seen layoffs, and they don’t feel good about it” says Parish from Enterprise IG and adds: “That’s a very dangerous population. If that population gets out of control, they can actually undermine a brand.” Loose cannons are those people that really mean well. They have a strong emotional connection. They are loyal, but they do not necessarily have the understanding and the means to support the sustainability efforts of the company, its products and brands. Brand champions have both the intellectual connection and the emotional commitment to the sustainability brands. Parish from Enterprise IG emphasizes: “Our studies and our work have shown that clearly there is a very strong link between brand champions and ultimate business results and performance. Champions actually generate a service, as advocates for products and for their company as a good place to work.”

We assume that sustainability pioneers and leaders, who are really serious about sustainability issues and linking them to the core of their business and brands, already have a large percentage of brands champions (as compared to conventional companies). Future studies and surveys might shed light on this hypothesis. In the case of loose cannons (and weak links) it is important to enhance the understanding of employees regarding the deeper meaning and messages of sustainability brands. Sometimes the sustainability issues are far away (in space and time) and difficult to grasp. Instruments to describe and explain complex issues include seminars, speeches, newsletters, open discussions, internal prize competitions, and so on. Here, continuity and clarity are important (the latter might be added as the ninth “C” to sustainability branding!). It becomes obvious that internal sustainability branding is crucial and complementary to external sustainability branding. Since employees are not easy to fool, they (might) play a vital, credible and authentic role as sustainability brands ambassadors.