The role of storytelling in co-creating a corporate brand with employees

Organizations are increasingly realizing that brands cannot be solely controlled by managers, but are instead co-created with stakeholders through their interactions and experiences with the brand. The co-creation of the corporate brand with employees deserves particular attention, as employees are critical in delivering the corporate brand and will influence other stakeholders’ brand experience. Storytelling within organizations offers opportunities for brand co-creation, as stories can be co-produced in an active exchange between the storyteller and audience. Case studies were conducted to investigate storytelling within two organizations in the UK energy industry. Stories were evident in official and unofficial communication, and employees acted as co-producers of stories by reinterpreting and repeating stories. Storytelling played a key role in co-creating the corporate brand with employees, by reinforcing brand values, increasing emotional engagement with the brand, and influencing brand delivery. However, some stories negatively influenced employees’ feelings about the brand, or led employees to assign damaging meanings to the brand. The study indicates the need for organizations to train managers in using storytelling as part of corporate brand management. Managers should also track stories that circulate within an organization, in order to determine whether they support or undermine the desired corporate brand meaning.