The impact that company culture and marketing has on your business is deeper and richer than many leaders imagine at first glance.
Data from years of research supports the idea that what your company stands for and how you operate matters greatly, not only internally but for your customers as well. Here’s a sampling:
- 82% of leaders believe a strong company culture can be a competitive advantage.
- Companies with strong cultures see their revenues increase by at least four times as a result.
- 95% of leaders believe a company’s culture affects consumer decisions.
- Today, more customers decide against doing business with companies they do not trust, no matter how great their products or services are.
- Companies that have a shared mission, vision, and values are nine times more likely to have high customer satisfaction ratings.
- Companies with satisfied employees typically outperform their competitors by 20%, linking company culture with happy employees, productivity, and creating overall value.
- 86% of potential hires won’t apply to a company with a bad reputation among former employees or the public.
- 65% of employees say they would likely leave their jobs if their company was portrayed negatively in the news or on social media because of bad business practices.
A Marketer’s Definition of Company Culture
According to HubSpot, company culture is “the values, behaviors, and shared vision that contribute to the environment of an organization.”
Culture is exemplified in the way your leaders make decisions and how the entire workforce interacts with one another, regardless of position or status.
Marketers will go one step further. Many believe company culture extends out to your market and industry. It includes the way your vision and values interact with those held by your prospects, customers, and other stakeholders. As a result, your company culture becomes a powerful marketing tool. How? When you communicate it so effectively that people will choose your business over another because your culture fits with their views and interests.
4 Ways Good Culture and Great Marketing Go Hand in Hand
- Culture gives your brand messaging a positive direction.
When your marketing efforts accurately reflect how your company thinks, acts, and works, the messaging is more apt to ring true with others. You’re showing off your authentic self to people by saying what you do and doing what you say. Everyone, including your customers, will feel good about you when your messages are consistent with your values as a business. That’s why it’s vital to build a strong culture first, then align your branding with it. This is what brings the complex mix of vision and values to life for the public.
- Employees who experience strong culture turn into brand advocates.
Not only is having a strong culture one of the top ways to attract and nurture great talent (even more than salary). It will also inspire your workforce to be one of the best marketing assets your company has.
Studies show that happy, highly engaged employees advocate for their company more often than totally disengaged employees. When your employees are recommending your company, products, and services to others, it multiples your marketing efforts and improves your chances of increased awareness for your brand.
- A strong culture attracts like-minded businesses as partners.
Your culture could make you a better partner for other businesses because your values and vision align with theirs. When a strong culture drives your marketing messages, people get a better idea of what you’re all about. Studies show they’re more likely to want to partner with you, even if your vision is a little different from theirs:
- 81% of executives say that companies that are successful at building long-term relationships make a direct correlation between what they believe in and the way they conduct their business.
- 60% of executives say that knowing what a company stands for is more important in choosing a corporate partner than whether they are innovative or dominate their market.
- Companies with strong cultures aren’t afraid to show it off on social media.
Social media is one of the best outlets for communicating clear, comprehensive messaging about company culture. People generally want to hear great stories about your company’s purpose and the positive impact you’re making on your community and your employees, customers, and stakeholders.
11outof11 is Investing in Its Own Culture
This year, 11outof11 chose to further invest in its own culture by implementing CultureWise, a systematic way to define, drive
and sustain a high-performing culture. Having been admirers of Culture Wise for a long time, the time had come to implement it at 11outof11.
If you want to partner with a top content marketing agency with strong company culture, connect with 11outof11. Request a complimentary call with an 11outof11 expert. Contact us to learn more.