5 ways brand managers can get the best out of their teams

Managing a brand is traditionally seen through the lens of fragmented tasks like designs, logos, storytelling and brand promotion. This is changing rapidly, however. Brand image and marketing now rely on how well a team works to deliver on interdependent ideas. Branding as team effort has become more central to the survival of organizations around the world.

There are simply so many storytelling opportunities and even more willing storytellers that companies can no longer afford to leave stories told about their brands to chance. The team must be carefully managed to deliver on a multitude of tasks that each have significant impact on how the brand is perceived.

Many companies commit enormous resources, billions spent annually on brand marketing, to putting together efficient brand or marketing teams.

These teams cannot improve the market share or customer base of the brands they represent without purposeful management and leadership. This makes the role of the brand manager (BM) critical for success. The brand manager oversees such teams not only to ensure that efforts are coordinated, but also that every member of the team gives their utmost best in contributing to the corporate goals.

It is impossible to overemphasize the need for maximizing the talents available to an organization.  

First of all, when employees get the chance to work at their best, they more easily develop a sense of loyalty to the brand and they are less likely to leave the job. Employee retention rates impact brand stability and a healthy amount of long-standing team members is necessary for growth. More importantly, it becomes easier for the team to tell true, original stories about the brand they are marketing.

Secondly, employee relations themselves tell a story about a company. Such a story can immensely color the image the brand has compared to the competition.

To market and build efficient brands, it is important that teams are managed proficiently.

Top 5 tips on activities or practices to get the most out of people’s talents

 While there are numerous ways you can get the best out of your team, the following are the top five strategies that could help you maximize talent.

Ensure great communication

As people in the storytelling business, communication is crucial. It is important that communication channels are not only functional but also optimal. Job descriptions should be clear and straight to the point. The same standard should be maintained when handing out tasks and offering feedback. This should be done bearing in mind that all efforts are geared towards achieving a common goal.

Provide meaningful feedback

People can only get better at their jobs if they get quality, meaningful, feedback on what they have done. Many managers fail at this because they simply cannot not be bothered. It is not enough to point out what was done wrong. Go a step further to explain and offer suggestions on how team members can improve.

Give freedom and autonomy

Many managers undermine the creativity and competence of their team by insisting that things be done in only one way. This can be especially detrimental in today’s branding world, where creativity reigns supreme. You may want to learn to give clear instructions on the task to be done and let the team get it done in their own way. You just might be pleasantly surprised.

Equip with tools and skills

It’s wise to invest in quality training of employees and providing the tools that help to minimize challenges while also maximizing output.  

Create a reward system

Team members should look forward to rewards for meeting set goals People are encouraged to give their best if they get rewarded for success.

An organisation’s employees are key to its marketing and branding efforts. The wrong approach to managing your team could cause permanent damage to your brand image and marketing efforts. Getting the best out of your team is one of the biggest points you can score for your branding efforts.