The growing importance of internal marketing in companies has several reasons. The arrival of Generation Y in the job market in recent years is one of them. Also, changes in organizational cultures, new business and work models lead more and more companies to resort to marketing rules to better relate to and engage their employees.
This is what we are going to discuss in this article. Here you will see how important this strategy is and how it should be applied in modern businesses. We will reflect on how the generations taking over decision-making positions need to be accounted for in this type of methodology.
Keep reading to understand!
Internal marketing in companies: what it is and what the benefits are
To begin with, let us briefly review the concept of internal marketing. It is basically the application of a set of institutional marketing strategies and actions aimed at the internal audience, including employees, shareholders, associates, resellers, etc.
Companies that apply this tactic are those that have already realized the importance of the internal community for their business.
Although several experts on the subject reject the concept of the “internal customer,” it well defines the vision that a company’s primary audience is formed by its employees. After all, the people who are part of an organization are the first to come into contact with the market strategy, products, and services. Therefore, it is necessary to think about how to do marketing and communication to win them over and make them engaged with the business.
Among the benefits of doing internal marketing, the main ones are:
- Improvements in the work environment (people working more involved and happier);
- Increased productivity (more engagement);
- Retention and development of talent (better prepared and satisfied people, with no desire to change jobs);
- Gains in employer branding (reputation as an employer);
- More fluid communication (without noise, with fewer errors in understanding and absorbing messages);
- Improvements in business competitiveness (more productive, innovative, and happy people with their work environment trying harder);
- Alignment between the objectives of professionals and those of the organization (sense between expected results and ways of carrying out day-to-day projects and activities);
- Improvements in organizational climate (relationships between professionals and teams, etc.);
- Improvements in the acceptance and internalization of organizational culture (mission, vision, values, methods, among others).
Bonus: How to enhance internal communication with Corporate TV?
Internal marketing and Generation Y: what changes with ongoing social and corporate shifts
One of the critical points faced by corporations over the last decade is the arrival in the job market of the so-called Generation Y (those born in the mid-1980s), who are driving changes in how business models and labor relations take place.
Over the past five years, Generation Y youth have also reached leadership positions, as they are now averaging 30 years of age, have denser and more consolidated academic training than previous generations, and are experiencing the peak of the so-called Digital Transformation. Also, the way these people relate to Information Technology (IT) innovations requires institutions to adapt to new behaviors.
As experts like Sidnei Oliveira define, Generation Y is, in short, better informed and more accustomed to globalization (of business, information, and social movement). With a large number of tools at their disposal, these individuals seek new work alternatives, such as remote work, home office, etc., in addition to being in more of a hurry for professional advancement. These are people who are unaccustomed to dealing with losses due to the way their families raised them (protection, consumerism, conveniences).
Let us look at some considerations regarding this:
Talent retention is a challenge for current internal marketing
Therefore, retaining talent is increasingly difficult. The great challenge is that the young Gen Y worker needs to see meaning in their work and does not feel obligated to stay in a single job for many years.
Retaining this worker requires the union of HR and Communication/Marketing areas with leadership to create short-, medium-, and long-term actions. Understanding the behavioral profile, thinking of ways to communicate, establishing an open dialogue with constant feedback, offering tangible benefits… All of this is necessary to extract the best from Generation Y (avoiding generational conflicts, engaging, motivating).
Professional and personal satisfaction need to be addressed in internal marketing
Having an internal marketing strategy that includes actions for people’s satisfaction is also fundamental. Since the separation between personal and professional is an increasingly blurred line, it is up to companies to work on the sense of fulfillment of these young people so that they also see work as a way to complete their personal lives.
Communication and marketing actions then come into play, making professionals perceive benefits (tangible and intangible), flexible working hours, gamification (using game dynamics in daily work life), corporate events, among others.
Internal entrepreneurship grows as an internal marketing tactic
Also in the pursuit of generating a sense of belonging, more and more companies have included intrapreneurship or internal entrepreneurship actions in their internal marketing tactics. In other words, they are providing ways for their employees to create new products and services.
This movement is explained by the number of startups emerging every day, with young talent creating disruptive innovations and surprising the market with their ideas. Therefore, to retain this talent, internal entrepreneurship has been encouraged.
Technology and instant communication as drivers of internal marketing results
Finally, internal marketing in companies has recently utilized technological tools to satisfy professionals’ desires for instant communication, shrinking distances, and above all, possibilities to innovate and bring projects to life.
This movement includes the use of corporate TVs, intranet platforms and corporate portals, instant messaging apps, internal social networks, videoconferencing, and other technological advancements. The more technology is employed, the better connected the institution is with people’s current behavior.
What do you think about how internal marketing should be done in 21st-century businesses? In your business, is this a strategic concern? Leave a comment!
