Brand Monkeys

This philosophy grew out of something a college professor talked about multiple times in different classes. The idea was that each student, each staff member, each faculty, each administrator all of us were little PR-engines that carried the image of the university with us wherever we went.

The professors that were presenting at conferences or publishing papers demonstrated that it was an institution full of academic fervor. The students that participated around the community and around the world in missions activities demonstrated that it was also about serving God by serving others. The administrators demonstrated that it is a sound business investment for philanthropists around the world.

Honestly, the PR office of at that school really didn't manage the brand of the university at all! The brand-monkeys did. The students, faculty, staff and administrators carried the image of Taylor University with them wherever they went. It's not the snazzy stuff that the school sends out that attracts new visitors...its everything else.

So how does this equate to a business today? Every employee, from the janitor to the president from the administrative assistant to the chairman of the board...all of them carry the brand of the company on their backs.

Earlier I wrote about my thoughts on hiring interns and how they should clean up their online image. I wrote that as a precursor to this post, that when I hire an intern, they are a brand-monkey. And not just while they work for Neoti, but when they go back to their schools or move on to different jobs they still carry the ability to tear down or lift up the brand of Neoti. THAT is why I seek out who they are.

I can do everything in the world to develop a strong image of who Neoti is. The truth is, as more and more marketing becomes viral the less and less control we have over the mechanics of our brand.

Instead, we have to invest in PEOPLE.*

We invest in our customer service representatives who interact with customers on a daily basis, we invest in our custodians who, if they're happy, will keep the company's interior and exterior shining like new. As we build our brands, we have to realize that it is people that make the difference.

Everyone who works with Neoti is a brand-monkey, honestly you could go so far as to say clients carry a brand-monkey patch on their sleeve. After all, media buyers talk to other media buyers, business owners talk to other business owners...never leave one out in the cold. Chances are you left two or three or even more.


*I should note that I am not suggesting only investing your people, only that we need to invest more.