blue pawns in a circle

BlackRock announced last month that it was establishing a new unit within the firm “charged with creating a unified company message and spreading it within the marketplace,” according to an article in Ignites, a Financial Times publication. This unit will ensure that firm messaging was consistent across all key audiences – both internal and external.

Brand plays a powerful role in building credibility, by bringing a company’s disparate offerings into a single, compelling value proposition. As BlackRock’s service offerings become more complex and diverse, this new brand unit’s goal is to “build the strongest possible relationships with clients and solidify the image and reputation of the firm,” the article notes.

This image and reputation begins internally: as Howard Breindel commented in the piece, “You need to educate all of your staff at all levels on [the] value proposition and you need to create brand ambassadors.” Employees that have a strong bond and clear understanding of the corporate brand can be incredibly valuable to that brand. “Every employee in your firm, regardless of their level of seniority, is a brand ambassador because of their interactions with the outside world,” Howard continued. With the right training, tools, and use of technology, firms can (re)invigorate their employees, generating brand enthusiasm and a shared purpose: these employees can then effectively brand messaging to external stakeholders. (Read more on how to leverage and empower employees here.)

Especially in an organization as large as BlackRock, the most vital task of ensuring consistent messaging is oftentimes also the most difficult. Therefore, an entire unit dedicated to “ensuring that every employee stays on message” makes sense for the multinational investment management corporation. If successful, this will allow for an authentic dialogue between employees and clients, one that easily crosses practice areas and addresses holistic solutions.