Functional stage
I know · I understand
Knowledge of the business, processes and roles. It is the foundation. Without it, emotion does not turn into contribution.
The model
From knowing to advocating.
Brand Imprinting is a set of studies, tools and techniques that aim to build an emotional bond between employees and the brand, understanding the brand as the set of rational and emotional attributes represented in the organization’s name and identity.
The model draws on Abraham Maslow’s theory of human motivation: as people satisfy basic needs, they look for belonging, recognition and transcendence. Work is no different. First we need to know what we do and how; then, why and what for.
The pyramid
The model organizes commitment into five levels. Each level answers a question and produces a state in the employee.
Hover, tap or use the keyboard to see what each level means.
Emotional
I believeAmbassador
The employee says: “I advocate”
Dimension: Pride of belonging
The inclination to speak well of the organization, to recommend it, to bring work into family and social conversations, to have friends at work and to feel proud of its achievements.
Warning sign. Pride that rests only on the brand’s external prestige and not on the internal experience.
Emotional
Involve
How do I contribute?
The employee says: “I take part”
Dimension: Shared responsibility
Each person knows how their work affects other people’s work and the results, who depends on them and whom they depend on, and feels that their opinion is heard.
Warning sign. High individual commitment but a low sense of being listened to by superiors.
Emotional
Inspire / Give meaning
Why?
The employee says: “I want”
Dimension: Purpose and style
The deep reason the organization exists. Making money is not the answer: it is a result. Purpose must inspire, project the organization into the future and define a style of its own. Leaders must embody it.
Warning sign. Values known by heart that nobody connects with everyday decisions.
Functional
Align
How do we do it?
The employee says: “I understand”
Dimension: Processes
The tools, processes, value chain, the role of each area, how decisions are made, and the consistency between what is done and what is promised to the public.
Warning sign. Working in silos. Everyone understands their own part but not anyone else’s.
Functional
Inform
What do we do?
The employee says: “I know”
Dimension: Business knowledge
What people know about what the organization does: products and services, customers, competitors, its environment, how it wants to be perceived, its overall objectives, and their own role, duties and benefits.
Warning sign. People who know their own task but not what sets their organization apart.
| Level | Question | The employee… | Stage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inform | What do we do? | I know | Functional |
| Align | How do we do it? | I understand | Functional |
| Inspire / Give meaning | Why? | I want | Emotional |
| Involve | How do I contribute? | I take part | Emotional |
| I believe | — | I advocate (Ambassador) | Emotional |
Two stages
Emotional stage
I want · I take part · I advocate
Purpose, a sense of personal contribution and pride in belonging.
Emotional margin
It is the added value a person brings when their commitment is emotional and not only functional: more ideas, more care, more collaboration, longer tenure. The emotional margin grows as you move up the pyramid.
A key principle
“A moderate emotional bond combined with a correct understanding of the brand is worth more than high enthusiasm built on a mistaken perception.”
Love without understanding does not turn into contribution.
Two axes read together
Brand Imprinting looks at two things at once: how much a person knows about their organization and how much they feel about it. Each combination tells a different story and calls for a different response.
A company and a brand are not the same thing
The company
A group of people working together in one place.
The brand
The symbol of the aspirations and purpose those people work for: it defines a style, creates differentiation and aligns efforts.
Brand Imprinting works on commitment to the brand, not only to the employer.
Virtuous circle
When people feel fulfilled, their sense of belonging, identification and pride grow. They become ambassadors who influence their peers, and the bond spreads.
- 1
Fulfillment
- 2
Belonging, identification and pride
- 3
Ambassadors
- 4
The bond spreads
Each level is measured with a dimension of its own.
Sources
- Maslow, A. H. (1943). A Theory of Human Motivation. Psychological Review, 50(4), 370–396.