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by Sean McCoy (@TheRealMcCoyTRM) The experience economy was highlighted by Pine and Gilmore in the late 1990s, with great emphasis placed on delivering the ultimate consumer experience and a focus on customer delight to drive premium-brand pricing and competitive advantage, taking the product or service beyond the levels of parity found in so many industry segments today.

This would often transcend the notion of space or environments as theatres in which brands get to stage their performance and stand prepared for audience or, in this case, customer judgement, often dictated by purchase and brand loyalty — or, less excitingly, brand rejection.

Destination branding

Elements of destination branding or environmental design, as we jargonise it in the industry, will cover a myriad dimensions, from pre-store communication and attention flagging; zoning of a retail branch to manage customer movement and experience; through the use of lighting, colour, material finishes and sound to influence sensory experiences which can impact upon consumer behaviour and emotions if designed strategically.

In certain cases, even the olfactory experience — or highly influential sense of smell — is engaged to trigger emotional responses and purchase behaviour — a carefully considered and persuasive marketing science.

Why, then, do we fail to consider a similar approach when it comes to our internal audience?

Sweeping statement

Yes, this is a sweeping statement and there certainly are organisations that get it right, but I would suggest that this is the exception.

In most instances, our approach to the internal customer is best confined to how we optimise space usage with minimal allocation per square meter for each individual and, possibly, with some basic hot-desking or workplace ergonomics thrown in as good measure.

While there a business necessity to optimise space usage and the cost impact of people, there is a need to more deeply consider the role of the internal experience design and its connection to service delivery — in my view, the ultimate opportunity for competitive advantage.

Extreme scenarios

Look at the extreme scenarios. At one level, consider the search success story, Google. It is a well-documented case study with a multitude of learnings, one of which is Google’s approach to environmental design and the role and impact it has upon corporate culture.

Its spaces are filled with engaging, innovative and inspiring design, completely reflective of its corporate culture — informal, people-centric and fun — while totally professional in every facet and pointing to the heart of its technology-based business. Cool is more than a statement in its case; it is a philosophy and reflection of who Google is.

Spaces are highly directed toward specific behaviours. Pause areas are well-considered and deliver real space in which to chill, be inspired and be at one’s innovative and creative best in the business — something that Google thrives on as an organisation and can show a direct correlation to.

Staff wellbeing

Sleep pods were introduced into the business as in-work capsules, specifically designed to facilitate power napping and supporting the notion that well-rested and balanced individuals will deliver their best work. Add to this the commitment to staff wellbeing through canteen facilities, also taken to a different level in the business.

Google employed its first chef when there were a mere 40 employees and today has a culinary team of 150 people deployed across the company, often hosting celebrity-chef visits and MasterChef-styled cook-off competitions — inspiring in themselves.

Admittedly not everyone is Google, nor has its budget capability; but, at the other end, of the spectrum, consider the alternative. Without singling out any individual entity, let’s contrast this to. Say, a typical government department in South Africa, whom we have targeted before for the contradictory concept of ‘service delivery’.

Local municipal level

Examine one of its work environments at a local municipal level and consider the impact of the work environment upon employee morale, customer care and service commitment. Issues such as experience, ambience and environmental design considerations do not feature in its language at all — seldom at a customer level, let alone the internal brand — so hardly an inspiring environment to facilitate service excellence.

There is no shortage of taxpayer funding to address these issues sensibly and appropriately, without reckless expenditure, but it takes a willingness and capacity to act upon this idea and a fundamental understanding of the importance of internal branding in the first instance.

The internal brand discussion should not be seen as a bias that neglects the critical external client perspective. Rather, it should be seen as a complimentary, ongoing investment in our people capability that translates into culture alignment and differentiation, enabling us to compete.

Key role

The environment has a key role to play in that — give it the attention and investment that it deserves.

Dr Sean McCoy, MD and founding member of HKLM, is a prominent figure in the branding arena, with his expertise centered on client service, brand strategy and business development. Sean has been chairperson for the Brand Council of South Africa since 2012. He contributes the regular “The Real McCoy” column focusing on internal branding to MarkLives.

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