Where Does Corporate Culture Fit in a Down Economy (Part 2)

We are moving into part two of the series. So, I guess if you are still reading this then I have peaked your interest? Well, I guess we will find out.

The second major point I want to hit on is differentiation. When companies initiate culture changes and it succeeds through their current employees there is something different about them. Consumers see the company as different. And, I don’t mean that in a bad way. They are attracted to the company.

I am sure that the competition in your industry has increased in the past couple years, and you are probably scrambling to find a way to differentiate yourself. I am not saying that a culture change is your only option, but it surely can be a viable one. We know that consumers don’t just interact with your brand in any single area. They have a whole experience with your brand. If you can create a culture that is significant, not only to your employees, but also to your consumers then they will seek out your company.


Along with that, your customers are interacting daily with your employees. And, like mentioned in part 1 of this series, your employees are going to be the driving force behind your culture change. Be wary I am going to make another connection here. Therefore, if you have committed employees to your culture, then you will have committed employees to your customer. And even from that, you will have committed customers to your company, because they will see the effects of the culture.

You may not think it, but consumers see right through gimmicks such as an employee greeting them with a giant smile and saying “How can I help you today.“ I am not saying you or your employees are wrong, but if that employee doesn’t truly believe in the value of that interaction with the customer, then the customer WILL pick up on that. The culture will make the employee-customer interaction unique and authentic. This way the customer will enjoy the experience with your company and will come back for more.


Also, consumers are seeking relationships with the brands they interact with. They want to “feel” the reason they should buy your brand. They want to understand where you are coming from, and they want to be able to give feedback. They want to be involved in the decision. This is why your culture needs employees who believe in your company and in the culture. This way they will want to create that relationship with the customer and the customer will want to create that relationship back.

Now, these interactions with the customer can be extremely different from business to business. It may be very short-term transactional type relationships or even long-term building relationships. But, the key is that each and every interaction is an experience and a relationship for the customer. Your culture is what will make the difference. It will be what authenticates your business to the consumer.

My final point on this, which will lead us into the third point in this series, is that when your company portrays a strong culture, not only do your current employees see that, but potential employees see that. Strong cultures attract top talent. With that, even stakeholders and potential supply chain members will see that and they will want to do business with you. All of this will happen as long as your culture fits who you are as a business and is initiated correctly. It will affect the entire way you do business. For the better of course. Strong, unique cultures ALWAYS differentiate your company and will be beneficial to you.