CONTEXT
It is commonly accepted that any company, regardless of industry or size, must develop equity in its brand: it must have a differentiated product that is marketed with a clear, consistent message; it must ensure customers become satisfied, loyal users. The company that does not do this will not rise above the cluttered business landscape.
CHALLENGE
Less commonly discussed, however, is the extent to which a government needs branding in order to rise above the cluttered political landscape. Whether national government, provincial/state, or municipality, each must be able to define and promote its unique vision. Place branding is essential, as the government that does not project a clearly defined image of what it is and what it represents, is doomed to anonymity.
The same is true for individual departments within public sector organizations at a time when governments are looking to cut funding to services. This only revenue shortfalls down the line. Where does that leave departments and institutions delivering what you believe are “essential” services? With a fast-diminishing appetite for funding, organizations better get used to standing on their own two feet, or finding a new way to promote their public value.
And the same is also true of a whole array of critically important public services – whether health care, academic, or social institutions, even the most grass-roots community and regional organizations – all of which are threatened with extinction.
In the struggle to maintain balanced budgets or even just to remain solvent, isn’t it time to change the social sector’s long-standing culture of expectation and its predisposition to expecting handouts from government, to one of trying to be self-sufficient and sustainable?
The forecast looks grim – unless the sector realizes that the best way to ensure their future is to think of themselves as thought leaders. Public sector organizations should focus on putting content and leadership at the centre of their brand building effort.
“The organization that is not managing knowledge
is not paying attention to business”
(Thomas Stewart, HBR editor).
SOLUTION
Many public organizations struggle to effectively promote their brands because they don’t effectively manage their collective brainpower. To remind people of who they are and what they do, they must tell their stories. Knowledge – what an organization collectively knows and how efficiently it uses what it knows – provides a sustainable advantage.
They must learn to communicate inside the organization before being able to effectively tell their stories to the outside. Most need to work proactively to remind insiders of what keeps their organization vibrant and vital, and to reveal the common experience, values, and knowledge employees share. Organizations that can identify, tangibilize, and promote their insights possess capabilities and tools to advance the broader aims of the organization. This is what knowledge marketing can do.
