News

Joanna Allen and Helen Toole team up to develop internal branding and employer brand processes

Joanna Allen

Helen Toole

"I feel we can add even more value through our ability to structure and framework processes that support the work we do inside an organisation. Supporting existing HR managers with specific techniques and helping to bridge the gap between HR and marketing is of particular importance."

Joanna Allen

July 1st 09

Internal and Employer Branding

Savvy & Victor are to develop their Internal and Employer Branding Division.

We are very proud to announce that new Savvy team member Helen Toole, currently HR director at Armida Chartered Accountants, is to begin working with Savvy & Victor to further develop our internal and employer branding service.

“We have built our reputation working with companies to support the growth of their business in all areas of brand messaging and communication,” says Joanna Allen, creative director at Savvy & Victor. “Branding is so much more than merely good design or a well established logo – it is actually about cultivating relationships with customers, bonding with staff and establishing empathy with new prospects.”

“Helen has worked with us on our own employee issues and it was during this time I realised that her extensive experience in HR would be invaluable when we are working with clients on the growing area of ‘employer branding’ or internal branding,” says Joanna. “It’s all very well getting your customers to understand your brand – but equally important is getting your employees onside as well.”

“Savvy & Victor’s expertise lies in understanding our clients’ businesses inside and out. If we understand where a business is today, and where it wants to be in the future, we can help develop the values, personalities and audience perceptions to that end. This is all well and good of course, but where I feel we can add even more value, is in our ability to structure and framework processes that support the work we do inside an organisation. Supporting existing HR managers with specific techniques and helping to bridge the gap between HR and marketing is of particular importance. This is where Helen comes in. Her experience in HR stretches over 16 years in both the public and voluntary sector as well as now in the private sector as director of HR at Armida.

Adds Helen: “I was interested to hear about what it is that Savvy & Victor does and we soon saw how we could work together on projects. A strong employer brand should connect an organisation’s values, people strategy and HR policies and be intrinsically linked to the company brand.”

It is planned that Helen will talk to clients’ staff and stakeholders about how they regard the company they work for – forming focus groups and through individual evaluations

“There’s no point in having a very focused management team which is working well together – without that spreading through the whole organisation,” says Helen.

Adds Joanna: “There’s a story that somebody visiting the Nasa headquarters in the US asked one of their tea ladies what she did and she replied ‘I help put people into space’. If you can get everyone in a whole organisation onboard, then that’s fantastic. There’s still very much a ‘them and us’ culture here in the UK and that’s something which needs to be addressed.”

Helen adds that establishing a strong brand also plays a key role in recruiting and retaining good staff.

“Employer branding is a useful tool to help organisations differentiate what they have to offer in the labour market and recruit, retain and engage the people they need in order to succeed,” says Helen. “Through my work with Savvy & Victor, the senior managers of an organisation will hopefully gain an insight into their employees’ attitudes. These attitudes can then be used to inform and influence how internal communications are handled and help in the design of effective people management initiatives.”

For more information, contact Joanna Allen on tel: 01825 841174 or email: jo@savvyandvictor.com