One aspect of B-to-B brands, which is little understood, is how talent impacts brand.
We know how easily individuals can trash B-to-B brands but how positive a force are they/we?
At one level individuals in small B-to-B bubbles can become so super-famous that they are synonymous with the brands they work for, but the truth is that this ‘individual effect’ was always a little overblown and is now definitely on the way out.
That said, CEOs are the exception, and the likes of Robert Hiscox, David Howden, Andrew Beazley, Steven Catlin, Pat Ryan, and many others, have propelled their brands to greatness, but even these towering figures are still mere mortals whose tenures are relatively brief, whereas brands are built over the long term.
Aside from CEOs, these days it is teams and culture that are the strongest talent drivers of brands; individuals may represent the brand visibly for a time but after they leave the waters close over and the brand carries on, or it should if you’ve put the investment in. Nowadays, according to Gracechurch, positive cultures are the ‘North Stars’ of the business in people terms, both for winning business and attracting talent.
This is a big shift from the old box trading days, when everything centred on individuals and the reliance on ‘my word is my bond’: these days it’s more likely to be ‘my brand is my promise’.
Being known for a particular class of business often changes how you’re viewed too – Cyber for example has been hooked into, and reinforced Beazley’s image as an innovator, and this perception helps build credibility in new left-field ventures such as its ‘Smart Tracker syndicate’.
Team style, feel and behaviours also say speak loudly about a brand – often visually and conversationally represented via channels such as LinkedIn. These styles are partly individual, and partly corporate, in which people’s behaviours and actions are palpably and tangibly aligned with their employer’s brand values and ambition.
With all this in mind we will be running a series of articles looking at the growing influence of London Market brands through the team and business class lenses. So follow us on LinkedIn to follow this new Insurindex series…