A few months ago, a client called with a plea. A brand-name F500 company, they needed to embark on an employer brand journey but they weren't sure their leaders and peers truly understood what employer brand actually meant. They were throwing around suggestions like "we need to refine our culture" and what we really need is an "employer value proposition."
I smiled. I'd been there--over ten years before. And I remember feeling the pain of a movement that was still new. The term employer brand hadn't been around long and there was little academic research happening in the space. And while there are a number of places to learn about employer brand, culture and EVP, there is still so much confusion in the market (and plenty of "experts" adding to a muddled mess).
Because, like many of you, I started out confused too, I set out on a journey to make it easier.
I've spent the past decade combing through every book, article and academic lecture on marketing, brand and employer brand. I completed an MBA in HR and Marketing to find the intersection. I've interviewed hundreds of experts in anthropology, brand, marketing and HR and practically, have launched dozens of brands (learning some hard lessons along the way). And it all boils down to simplicity.
So with the help of literally hundreds of experts, I landed on the simplest way to understand the differences:
The biggest lessons?
Overall:
Culture:
EVP:
Employer Brand
The culmination of all of this work? It's not a lengthy research paper or lecture. It's a simple primer we here at exaqueo have decided to share freely. You don't have to enter your email address or sign up for a mailing list to see it. We just ask that you tell us what you think or share your comments below and use attribution when sharing with others.
Preview the primer here or, email me directly for a shareable pdf.