People only want to work for—and with—brands they relate to and trust. That’s why it’s important to communicate more than just what you do in your content. You need to show people who you are and what you stand for if you want to build a true relationship. Culture marketing is an awesome way to do that, but what does it look like in practice? We’ll show you with some of our favorite culture marketing examples.
First, What Is Culture Marketing?
Think of culture marketing as an opportunity to introduce yourself to people through content. It’s an organic way to give a human face to your brand and cultivate a more genuine relationship with not only the people who need your product/service but potential employees and collaborators.
In practice, it’s celebrating your company culture through content, offering a behind-the-scenes look at the people, places, and values that make your brand what it is.
10 Awesome Culture Marketing Examples
Luckily, there are more opportunities to share your brand culture with the world than ever before. From blog posts to video, we see culture marketing examples in every medium and every touchpoint from brands of all sizes and industries.
If you’re just starting to explore this type of marketing, or looking for fresh ideas to add to your mix, here are 10 ideas that just might inspire you.
1) Spotify: Showcasing Employees
Employee spotlights, interviews, and other team-centric content are a great way to peel back the curtain and show people the true faces behind your brand, while also making employees feel valued and seen. This type of content is especially useful to let people express why they enjoy working for your company (in their own words)—and show potential candidates why they might enjoy it, too.
Example: Spotify does this especially well on Instagram through simple but fun employee features.
2) Concentrix: Employee-Generated Content
Good businesses hire good people who are engaged in their work and company culture. You can make the most of this energy by soliciting Employee-Generated Content to publish through your brand’s channels. Not only is it a great way to show off your team personality, it also helps employees feel included. Your EGC might take the form of team tips, workday hacks, etc.
Example: Concentrix shares a piece of artwork sketched by an employee. This is a simple but entertaining way to demonstrate not just the brand’s personality but the personality of the people who work there, too.
3) Expedia: Holiday Celebrations
The holidays you celebrate—and how you celebrate them—says a lot about your company culture. Whether it’s a ridiculous costume content for Halloween, a trivia night for International Women’s Month, or a water balloon fight to celebrate your company’s 50th anniversary, showing people how you party can be a great way to entice people to join in the fun.
Example: Expedia does this in a clever way with a blog roundup of how their people celebrate Lunar New Year, a popular holiday in Asian countries. Employees share their personal traditions, offer celebration ideas, and suggests foods to eat if you want to celebrate it yourself. It’s the perfect way to create cross-culture community and let employees celebrate together.
4) The Black Tux: Social Events
Spending time together isn’t indulgent; it’s integral to a healthy culture. When people share experiences, they share stronger bonds. Hence, your company events can become great fodder for culture marketing. Give people a look into your company hack days, field trips, conferences, and other events to showcase how you have fun and connect with each other.
Example: In addition to quarterly field trips (e.g., camping and sailing), The Black Tux goes above and beyond to provide unique, memorable events, such as their Pride day event featuring drag queen bingo and a tie-dye party.
View this post on InstagramFrom Drag Bingo to Tie Dye party, this is how we celebrate #pride at The Black Tux! #loveislove
5) Video Amp: Contests
Contests may seem silly or insignificant, but they can give people great insight into who you are as a brand, what you care about, and how your team interacts. Whether it’s a costume contest or a chili cook-off, people will enjoy seeing this side of your brand personality.
Example: Integrating health, fitness, and well-being is a core part of Video Amp’s culture. To emphasize how important this is to the brand, they published a blog and video documenting the epic fitness challenge they held for their team—with a grand prize trip to Kauai, Hawaii.
6) Yelp: Traditions
Much like holidays, every company has its own unique traditions. You may have people go through a silly ceremony when they get hired, or host a regular Friday Happy Hour, or have an office mascot that greets you at the door. These little quirks and unique experiences bring your brand to life and make people want to participate.
Example: Yelp shares one of their own traditions: welcome back gifts to new mothers. These simple considerations demonstrate how the brand cares for its employees in tangible ways.
7) AT&T: Office Tour
Your physical workspace can say a lot about your company culture and the way you work. (That’s why we redesigned our space to cater to both our introverts and extroverts.)
Whether you have collaborative floor plans, meditation rooms, or interesting features in your office, show them what your inside spaces look like. This type of transparency creates intimacy with followers and makes them feel closer to you.
Example: AT&T gives us a snapshot of their mother’s room, specifically designed to cater to working moms. This space speaks volumes about how they actively support working mothers—in policy, practice, and physical space.
8) Deloitte: Brand Heart
Your Brand Heart is comprised of your purpose, vision, mission, and values. These elements are the bedrock of your company culture and can be a huge competitive advantage that make you stand out. The more you demonstrate those beliefs through your culture marketing, the more you connect with people who want to support your values.
Example: As Deloitte says “In a word, our purpose is to matter. To our clients, our people, our communities, and—through them—to the world at large.” They bring their Brand Heart to life through culture marketing that builds community around their values, including this roundup of employee tips on how to incorporate sustainable practices into your everyday routine.
For more culture marketing examples, see how these brands share their values through content.
9) Google: Pets at the Office
People love animals, and chances are a company that allows animals to accompany employees to the office is a pretty chill place to be. Your furry coworkers can be great content, especially on social media, so if you have an open pet policy or celebrate Bring Your Pet to Work Day, show it off.
Example: Google regularly showcases employee pets on their feed, often photographed all over their company campus.
10) Dollar Shave Club: The Little Stuff
Every company is unique in its own way. Beyond the big stuff (e.g., benefits and parties), look for opportunities to spotlight those little things that make your company special. These can be all sorts of things: your lunch break yoga class, your unique method of brainstorming, or your team’s Spotify playlist.
Example: Dollar Shave Club showcases the clever way they remind people to schedule their check-ins—an interesting little peek into the way they manage their team.
Be Open to Stories Across Your Organization
We hope you’ve found inspiration in the culture marketing examples we’ve outlined here, but know that there are plenty of awesome culture stories behind your four walls. Keep talking to your team, experimenting on your channels, and working to improve the quality of your content—and if you need a few more ideas to keep you going…
- Try our step-by-step guide to create great culture marketing.
- Get more inspiration with these 5 prompts to brainstorm culture marketing ideas.
- Find out how you can use culture marketing to promote your employer brand.
We’re also happy to help you build your culture marketing content strategy. If you need a little support, just hit us up.
Good stuff!
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