Marketing As Therapy

We once worked on a project producing a company's corporate video. When it was finished, one of the employees said, "This video is so good and polished that it makes me feel like I work at a real company."

Of course, the employee had always worked at a real company—a very good company, in fact. Yet, something about the process of marketing made him see it for the first time. We are all familiar with the importance of marketing and its external role in helping increase revenue and decrease costs. But the above story serves as a reminder of the equally valuable internal benefits that a good marketing campaign can produce.

Every successful marketing project results in a tangible expression of a company's worth. With its attractive design and well-articulated content, each piece of communication tells the story of what is best about a company. The business benefits of this are obvious: increased leads, sales, clients, and so on. But it's not only your clients who view your company in this new light. So does everyone who works there.

Creative, intelligent (external) communications pieces also speak well of a company to its own employees, who might be bogged down in day-to-day concerns, losing sight of the overall mission. Marketing encourages companies to look at themselves objectively, as an outside prospect would. It forces a company to clearly articulate who they are to others, and therefore more clearly to themselves. And when employees begin to see the company as prospects do, great things can happen. Suddenly, they may see beyond internal office politics to all the good things the company is producing. Or maybe they see their ideas validated by the company's message. They may think, "If I were a prospect and handed this brochure, or directed to this new Web site, I'd think we were pretty smart. Maybe we are that smart."

The more this happens, the more it can contribute to a positive company culture. At its most extreme, this effect can transform a company from being depressed and pessimistic about future growth to excited and motivated. When everyone involved begins to see himself or herself differently, they act differently. They show more confidence and genuine pride in their company's offerings.

So, don't forget the internal reach of external communications. These side effects are real and powerful.