Most marketing executives employ a flawed brand performance model. They agonise over financial metrics like ROI, profit, EBITDA, revenue, etc. These are important but more informed marketers consider employee and brand metrics. Why do they take a more holistic and balanced approach?
Great brands are built from within. They comprise energised, engaged and knowledgeable employees. These kind of employees deliver fantastic brand experiences that drive financial performance. This is why you need to take ‘employee equity’ measures. Such measures also push the needle for classical brand equity measures such as price premium, relative satisfaction and brand salience that also drive financial metrics. It’s a self-reinforcing and symbiotic relationship that starts with employees and your brand as opposed to financial metrics.
We’ve seen logic play out time and time again with our clients by using advanced analytical techniques like structural equation modelling.
It’s also important to note that measuring brand performance in this way is the closest you’ll get to a brand marketing crystal ball. If employee and / or brand metrics drop as sure as night follows day so too will financial metrics. Measuring employee and brand measures helps you take pre-emptive action before it affects the bottom line. This is one of the hidden gems many financially focused CMOs fail to consider when measuring brand performance.