Resources for Humans managing editor Celeste Blackburn reviews the book Light Their Fire: Using Internal Marketing to Ignite Employee Performance and Wow Your Customers by Susan Drake, Michelle Gullman, and Sara Roberts.
In Light Their Fire: Using Internal Marketing to Ignite Employee Performance and Wow Your Customers
Because it doesn’t generate revenue, internal marketing is often one of the first programs on the proverbial chopping block when executives start cutting costs. But it’s employees who represent the brand to the customer. If a company’s employees don’t buy in to its mission, they can’t communicate the value of the company’s products and services to customers. Also, employees who don’t feel “in the loop” are more likely to leave their jobs quicker — creating an expense when the company was trying to cut back.
Topics the book covers include:
- the need to adapt messages by audience;
- roles of different communications vehicles (from e-mails to conferences);
- combining different communications tools for maximum effectiveness; and
- methods for measuring the effectiveness of your messages.
The authors of Light Their Fire show how internal marketing helps organizations obtain enhanced productivity, lower turnover, and increase employee motivation. All of those things together can help lead your company to a stronger position in the marketplace. The authors have worked with a wide range of clients, including American Express, Disney, FedEx, and Maybelline.
Celeste Blackburn is managing editor of HR Insight and Diversity Insight. She has taught composition at the collegiate level and worked as a journalist.