1. When employees believe in the brand a business will prosper. It’s worthwhile creating a strategic plan to ensure all new recruits and existing employees understand your mission, vision and values. 
2. Lead from the top down. Once again Richard Branson is a great example, and thanks to his leadership style everyone has a much stronger understanding of the Virgin brand. 
3. Don’t try and fit a round peg in a square hole. If your organisation’s brand is fun loving, young and quirky then be clear when you’re recruiting that the talent fits the bill. For example: some city bars actively encourage young people with tattoos to apply for positions in their bar as they convey the right edgy image for their business. 
4. Make sure your workplace conveys the same brand messages it does to staff as it does to customers. So, if your brand is all about ‘living the dream’ then enthuse staff with motivational surrounds, such as great looking offices, which are fun and encourage your staff to personify your brand ethos.
5. Mantras are a good way of getting your staff to remember what your brand is all about. Starbucks may have a manual on customer service, but their baristas are trained to remember be nice, be clean and to ‘Say Yes.’ Thanks to this snappy mantra their outlets always look their best and their staff remember to offer a ‘can do’ attitude.
6. Think of fun ways to engage your staff in delivering your brand ethos on a daily basis. French outdoor gear company, Decathlon, offers their staff a 10-minute energy-building workout each morning. It brings the team together, builds in fun time, and gives customer-facing personnel lots of energy.
7. Consult with your staff and ensure your values appeal to your workforce. Are they still relevant? Let your staff have a say on the future, and what values could be more pertinent to your business. If employees shape the brand they’re much more likely to support it. 
8. Involve your staff in major brand campaigns as it’s a great way of boosting morale and spreading the word. For example, if you’ve got your brand in a major film, offer company trips to the local cinema to further boost your credentials and ensure your staff act as brand ambassadors. 
9. How do you know if your staff are living the brand? Basic signs to look out for: do staff recommend your company to others? Do they enjoy wearing company uniforms? Do employees look happy, and go the extra mile?
10. My biggest tip: don’t be a David Brent and tell staff to live the brand, it will only breed cynicism within the workforce and will backfire big time!

About the author 

Gary Cattermole is the co- director of The Survey Initiative, a leading employee research provider specialising in employee engagement.