Owning the brand: Employees And Customers, Unknown Author  

This article focuses on a leverage point that many companies have not yet realized, and that is their employees. Their employees are the face of the company itself. The author states that for a staff of twenty people, that almost equates to 2 million connections. Thus, if given the opportunity, it very likely that the company establishes a "social brand," where there are real people talking to real customers. He uses Starbucks as a classic example, referring to them as one of the leaders on employees and branding. As employees start speaking well on behalf of Starbucks, on top of good customer relations, it also creates a socialized image of the company because their employees are social, and therefore the company and brand is associated with being social and real. He states in the next few years, business is going to see a new focus: hospitality.

I think the author makes a very valid point, as I personally love to go into a store and have a friendly conversation with the person behind the counter. At Starbucks, I have never experienced someone who was unfriendly, and it is a genuine friendly, not the " Hi, welcome to Taco Bell..." that is mumbled and sounds like part of a script. If companies become more aware of the employees and how they feel about their employer, they could either use it and advance themselves, or the company can ignore it and get left behind.

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