13 Important questions HR leaders are asking about benefits branding

Communicating benefits to your employees is so important. Not only does it improve benefits take up, it boosts employee engagement and ultimately helps you to make the most of the investment in your benefits programme. However, in my experience, many companies just don’t know where to start.

Last week I took over the Thomsons Twitter account for a live #AskVicky Q&A to answer all questions about communications, branding and beyond! Take a look at some of the best questions below:

How often should I review our benefits brand?
You should look to evolve your benefits brand every year to keep it fresh and engaging, for example update the imagery or the colour palette. In addition to this, you should re-evaluate the overall benefits brand theme every 2-3 years make sure it retains relevance, taking into account culture and demographic changes.
Is communicating before the benefits window enough to engage my employees?
No! We always advise our clients to communicate year-round. Your employees are busy and can easily forget what benefits are on offer.
How long does it take to create a benefits brand from scratch?
It depends on many factors. The best starting point is to make sure you have the right stakeholders on board – involving key decision makers early makes the process much quicker and simpler.
Do I need a brand for my benefits?
We live in a consumer world where branding is key to draw attention to products. We believe in taking this same approach to promoting benefits – a relevant and memorable benefits brand will make your scheme stand out and seem more valuable!
What things should I consider when creating a benefits brand?
First up you need to think about your company’s current brand, values and other company initiatives. These will determine whether you align your benefits brand to these, or whether it makes sense to create something different to make it really stand out.
Can a benefits brand impact employee engagement?
Absolutely! Creating a benefits brand is proven to improve benefit awareness and take up. It also supports retention by enhancing employees’ sense of how valued they feel, leading to a more motivated and engaged workforce.
Why does emotional messaging work?
It forces your people to really think about the value of their benefits, and it helps them to understand ‘what’s in it for me’.
How does tone of voice (TOV) affect engagement?
TOV is just as important as the visual element. It doesn’t have to sound corporate, in fact we encourage companies to have fun with it, as long as it’s appropriate to your audience.
What is an emotional hook?
An emotional hook is designed to invoke a response or reaction that moves your employees personally. When done correctly, it will inspire your employees to make decisions about their benefits as they feel more connected to the outcome the benefits will bring them.
What more can we do than email?
Look around you and find communication opportunities based on where your people go, and what they do in the workplace. Their behaviour can drive lots of different creative avenues to explore.
How do you innovate through internal channels?
Cut through the internal noise with your messaging and brand communications consistently. It will help you to stand out and be memorable!
What do you think is best, digital or print?
A combination of both in a multi-channelled approach is an absolute must if you are to reach as many of your employees as possible.
Is there anything you see a lot of in the market?
Many of our clients are maximising smart phone opportunities by creating mobile-friendly and on the go communications.