Why You’ll See More Employee Engagement Activations At Work

While the “consumerization” of B2B marketing and events are gaining momentum, brands understand that everyone is a customer.

Smart businesses increasingly engage their entire workforce adopting a business-to-employee (B2E) approach that aligns and positions the messages from both marketing and human resources.

B2E Marketing: Why Companies Now Target Employees At The Office

“It used to be that we created sales meetings for our clients to educate and energize their sales force,” explains Cramer’s president, Rich Sturchio. “Now those meetings are equally, or even more, about retention and company culture. With everyone spread around the country and the world, it’s one of the few opportunities to let employees know what the company stands for – its core values and its social responsibility – and make them feel part of it.”

No Company Can Afford to Ignore Employee Engagement

Companies who invest in improving employee engagement can measure their results in stronger retention and rates of productivity according to the Gallup study on the state of the American workplace, bluntly concluding that employees no longer stay at companies who don’t prioritize it.

The meta-analysis showed that— regardless of company size, location, or industry— engaged employees lead to better business outcomes. The rate of disengaged workers (51%) has barely budged the last decade. Cleary, we can do better.

“Building company culture requires a grassroots effort that requires much more than digital content or a sign on a wall—it is high touch and a high contact investment."

Rich Sturchio, Cramer President

Internal Events and Onsite Activations Achieve Many B2E Goals

Organizations have realized in today’s tech-driven, always-on world where we are inundated with messaging, there‘s no better way to drive home a message than experiential marketing. Now those same experiences are being deployed and geared towards employees.

In B2C or B2B marketing, interactive experiences create those authentic moments of alchemy that drive brand loyalty or cement new and positive impressions of a company. Companies who have embraced the direction of experiential marketing are bringing it to the office.

In-office activations need to go beyond that marketing message of a company’s core values. They must add more layers like Here’s our commitment to you, your career, your wellbeing.

Brand activations are about coming to your audience and letting them know in a memorable way and creating or deepening an emotional connection. It ideally generates enthusiasm beyond the moment and leads to action. What objectives could companies project onto in-office activations?

“I think the old adage of ‘show don’t tell’ holds true for B2E experiences,” asserts Joe Lovett, head of intelligence and director of strategic planning. “Sure, you can tell your employees about your initiatives, goals, and strategies, but the more immersed and active they are, the better chance leaders have in getting their employees excited about new strategies and products.”

Reach More Employees At In-Office Events

Create excitement at offices where those who do not attend off-site events have the opportunity to participate. It can be powerful to focus on collaboration and comradery among those who don’t work together on a day-to-day level. This occupational happiness logically spreads to the customer experience, fueling the data that supports ROI from more engaged employees.

“In-office activations can touch every employee and deliver messages with a level of consistency. Culture develops from the top down and the bottom up, so you need to reach everyone in the organization. We’ve done activations at headquarters, and we have done simultaneous activations across several offices across the country—bringing a high touch experience to everyone within the organization,” according to Cramer president Rich Sturchio.

A company can control an internal message or encourage shareable moments for employees. Activations can transform your workforce into cultural ambassadors when they convey company passion on LinkedIn and beyond.

Considerations

There are complexities with in-office experiences where company messaging carries so much weight. You have to get it right.

Here are some questions to answer from Cramer’s creative director Tim Owens who partners with our clients on brand activations.

Office spaces bring their own challenges. Sometimes with limited space, special consideration should address how the physical elements are created and positioned to allow everyone to have the same experience.
How will you incentivize engagement? How can you design an inclusive event for all of your employees to participate?
Optics are important. How will you balance the desire to look well executed without looking like a frivolous spend?
Can you create something evergreen that can be built upon and used again?

What is your use B2E strategy to increase your employee engagement?

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