Five elements of telling your workplace brand story effectively

Impacts of a strong brand story

When people think about brands, they usually think about the visuals. But, traditional advertising allows us to shape messages in attractive ways that grab customers’ attention. By doing this, we also create deeper connections with customers.

Companies are putting more effort and financial resources into sharing their story with the world. But this also begs the question: what about their people? So, environmental branding plays a role in creating an authentic workplace brand story.

Workplaces are going through a revolution. For example, in the way people communicate and work. Places of work are becoming more social and collaborative. As a result, management is rethinking how people engage with their workplace brand story inside the office.

How can this be achieved?

Firstly, by identifying different touchpoints of the user journey within a client’s workplace. We can do this by using five principle branding elements that evoke emotions through all the senses. This will bring the purpose of a brand to life. Doing this will enhance the user experience and create a more engaging and immersive work environment.

The five workplace brand element touchpoints

The touchpoints are:

1. Brand identity: Understanding our clients’ corporate identity helps to define their unique positioning and purpose. This will connect them to their target audience.
2. Signage and wayfinding: Building and activating comprehensive signage and wayfinding systems support more efficient use of space. This will also deliver further information and complement the design of the space.
3. Environmental graphics: Using environmental graphics delivers clear messages by integrating aspects of the client’s culture and values into the interior design of a space.
4. Environmental branding: These interactive environments, physical or digital, are about discovery, learning, and connections. They inform users about the company’s mission and objectives and immerse them into the brand story.
5. Brand accessories: Accessories help create a more social and welcoming environment that humanises the user experience. They are the final, detailed design layer that adds meaning to immersive workplaces.

A brand-led approach

The top talent prioritise companies that provide memorable workplace experiences. They look for places where collaboration is encouraged. Similarly they also look for where culture is amplified. They prefer this to traditional offices separated by cubicles with little social interaction.

These users will experience the brand story every day. So creating a working environment using a brand-led approach is important. It can embody a company’s philosophy and reinforce its purpose. It also increases productivity and enhances business growth.

Investing more in people through workplace design

We design for people at work. Simply because people are the greatest driving force of organisations. This workplace design approach is in our work with Diageo in Singapore. The objective was to create more meaningful connections between Diageo’s own people. We also wanted to create meaningful connections between the customers and its portfolio of iconic brands at its creative hub and headquarters for the APAC region.

Each of the five elements of environmental branding were integrated into our design solution. As a result we successfully delivered a workplace journey that brings users closer to the values of the company and engages all senses by blending experiences.

What environmental branding does

Our brand experience team blends a transformative mix of sensations, emotions, and behaviours. These elements help reshape a traditional office into a meaningful workplace brand story. This brand experience is driven by an authentic narrative.

Our world is becoming more digital. In these times, intellectual capital is also one of the most valuable assets of a company. To get the best capital, you need the best people and to get the best people, you need the best workplace environment.