4 Companies With Amazing Culture and How They Market It
Previously, we discussed the power of Culture Marketing—creating an amazing company culture and then marketing it to the world in order to improve recruiting efforts, increase customer base, and ultimately increase revenue. In continuation, here we take a look into the cultures of 4 incredibly successful companies, what makes their cultures so great, and some of the ways they expose and market their culture to the people.
“You have to have the culture,” says Google Chairman Eric Schmidt, “and you need to get it right.” Google has made their culture a priority and has truly gone above and beyond to make it amazing. Check out just some highlights of their unique culture.
- Always researching, always improving: Almost everything at Google is done the way it is because of data. Tests are done to help optimize not just their products and services, but their employees’ happiness and performance as well. From how long maternity leave should be to the length of lunch lines, everything is carefully researched and considered to determine the best way.
- Make work fun: Just some of the many fun perks Google employees can take advantage of are bowling alleys, volleyball breaks, subsidized massages, and basketball courts.
- Free food: Not only do employees get three free meals a day, but the food is GOOD.
- An incredible facility: Take a minute to check out some pictures of the Googleplex and appreciate the company’s design and decor. The fun, relaxing, and creative environment is luring to employees and sets a unique tone that has contributed to Google’s success.
- 20% time: Founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin explained what employee’s 20% time is: “We encourage our employees, in addition to their regular projects, to spend 20% of their time working on what they think will most benefit Google. This empowers them to be more creative and innovative. Many of our significant advances have happened in this manner.”
How does Google market its culture?
- Google has created such an interesting and admirable culture that it has naturally attracted a ton of attention. Interviews, articles, and lists of best companies to work at have highlighted Google and what it’s like to work there. It now serves as a model that other companies try to emulate.
- The film, “The Internship,” featuring comedians Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson, is about the experience of two laid-off salesmen that get internships at Google. While the movie is not about real people, the inside look into the Googleplex and Google culture is said to be pretty true to life, with the exception of the competitive environment they depict. This movie was an excellent way of marketing Google’s culture and showcasing what a great place it is to work.
Chick-fil-A
Dee Ann Turner, Vice President of Corporate Talent at Chick-fil-A said, “Culture is the soul of an organization,” and wow, this company has embraced that idea. Here are some reasons their culture is so noteworthy.
- Service: Chick-fil-A has been based on Biblical principles from the start of the company, especially service. The purpose of the company is as follows, “To glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us and to have a positive influence on all who come into contact with Chick-fil-A.” Even the non-religious appreciate the high standard of service and quality this restaurant delivers.
- Respect and kindness: These are characteristics that Chick-fil-A looks for in every one of its hires. Managers pay attention to how job candidates treat those around them, including receptionists and people that have no say in the hiring process. All employees are to treat others as they would like to be treated.
- Honesty: Chick-fil-A values telling the truth to everyone involved. Being respectfully honest when it comes to performance and expectations helps gain others’ trust and loyalty. This culture characteristic is one that is transformative in the way a company is run.
- Family oriented: This business is family-owned and family led. They serve families and children in need, and develop youth and family/marriage enrichment programs in local communities. Restaurants commonly have indoor play areas for children, as well as free mini cups of cheerios for little ones. Chick-fil-A is a very family-minded company.
- Giving: Over the past 3 years, Chick-fil-A has contributed over $68 million to over 700 educational and charitable organizations as well as millions of dollars worth in food donations across the country. They have also created various educational opportunities for their team members and youth all over.
These are some of the ways Chick-fil-A has marketed the culture they’ve worked so hard to create:
- In November of 2015 Turner published her book, “It’s My Pleasure,” explaining the distinct and powerful culture of the company and why it has had so much success. Revealing this information to the public has only increased respect and positive attention to the company and made it a model for others to learn from.
- Chick-fil-A shares its cultural qualities of dignity, respect, and honor with every customer that goes there. The restaurant’s goal is to improve the lives of everyone it comes in contact with, whether it be by helping a mother and child in from the rain or just responding to a thank you with, “it’s my pleasure.” By including everyone in their circle of kindness, customers become attached to not only the food, but the feeling of hospitality at Chick-fil-A as well.
- In its efforts to give and serve in local communities, people see the values of this business in action.
REI
Dennis Madsen, president and CEO of REI, said in an interview, “Employees can get benefits and incentives anywhere, but it’s harder for them to find a place where they can totally immerse themselves in the culture.” REI is another company that has gone above and beyond to offer a culture worth immersing oneself in. Read some of the ways they have found to create a killer culture.
- Commitment to the environment: Every year, REI organizes thousands of volunteers to clean up beaches, restore habitat, build trails, and more. It is dedicated to preserving our environment and taking care of the world around us.
- Encourage a love of the outdoors: REI knows its employees share a love of the outdoors, and therefore helps them make their aspirations come true. Madsen described their “Challenge grants,” or the company’s way of giving equipment to their employees. “One employee or several of them together submit an application describing an outdoor challenge they’d like to pursue that they’ve never done before, like climb Mount Rainier or hike the Appalachian Trail, and the gear they would need to do it. We judge the applications according to how much of a personal stretch the challenge is for an employee or group. And if the application is approved, the company gives the individual or the team free REI equipment.”
- Only the best products: This company has high standards when it comes to quality of equipment. When it comes to outdoor adventures, reliable gear can mean the difference between life and death, so REI takes quality seriously. REI employees feel a sense of pride in knowing that their stores sell trustworthy products.
- Customer ownership: REI is different from other companies in that it is a cooperative, meaning millions of their customers share in the ownership and profit of the company. Anyone can pay a one-time membership fee and get special deals and partial refunds. This system makes it so that earnings are not the sole interest of the company; price and good products are most important to these customer-owners. REI is still profit-driven, yet the main focus is on maintaining consistent product quality and service.
Here are some ways REI makes its culture known to the masses:
- REI only hires people who are passionate about the outdoors and have a variety of skills in outdoor activities; this kind of employee will help transmit that same passion to REI’s customers. REI offers “Family Adventure Programs,” as well as 350 how-to articles and videos online designed to help customers (or members) shop wisely and learn outdoor skills. They have a very lenient return policy on their merchandise. All of these efforts help engrain the company’s cultural characteristics of high quality standards and love of the outdoors in the minds of its customers.
- Take a minute to check out the REI Facebook page; it’s full of photos, videos, and quotes about adventures, equipment, and environmental efforts posted by employees and customers. It is a great way to get insight into what the company is all about, and to inspire people through their feed to enrich their lives with the outdoors.
- REI’s environmental programs help spread the word of its values. The Promoting Environmental Awareness in Kids (PEAK) program teaches children about outdoor ethics, like cleaning up waste and respecting wildlife, as well as having fun in nature. Efforts like these contribute to the company’s brand and its customer loyalty.
Apple
Apple’s culture is different in that beyond being a ridiculously cool and innovative company, most people don’t know much about the culture at Apple. Why? Because that in and of itself is part of Apple’s culture.
- Secrecy: Apple has a culture of secrecy, not just when it comes to the public, but within the company as well. Everyone keeps to their own area of responsibility; anything else is not their business. Justin Maxwell was a user interface designer, and after leaving Apple explained, “The measures that Apple takes to protect its creative and intellectual environment are unparalleled in the valley, and it’s been a disappointing experience since leaving there. Apple’s security policy extends to blogs, to speaking engagements, to what we talk about with our spouses. Most people get it and respect it. The ones who don’t — the ones who need to put Apple under their name so they can get a speaking gig at SxSW — are kindly ushered to move on. If I was still at Apple, I would not be responding to this question, nor would I feel wronged for not being able to.”
- Lack of internal politics: Because of the secrecy at Apple, there aren’t the internal politics that most companies experience. Adam Lashinsky, the author of Inside Apple, said, “There’s not a lot of politics at Apple because you don’t have any information with which to play politics. So instead you go to work and you work. And that’s the – in a short version – the way of life at Apple.”
- Startup culture: Even though the company has been around since 1976, Steve Jobs described Apple’s culture as being like a “startup.” In other words, they have a passion for innovation, they drive growth and better products, and yet are focused on simplicity.
- Expect nothing but the best: At Apple, nothing less than 100% is acceptable. They guarantee the finest products, so they hire only the most intellectual and intelligent people that will guarantee their best effort. Steve Jobs was known to readily fire employees who did not meet his expectations.
How does Apple make their culture known?
- By making the leading and most innovative products. The quality and innovation of Apple’s creations and the success of their company shows their customers that they will only deliver the best, therefore implying that that’s what they expect of their employees.
- The secrecy of Apple indirectly tells the world that they are working on something amazing and one-of-a-kind. Tim Cook, CEO at Apple, said, “Well, that is a part of the magic of Apple. And I don’t want to let anybody know our magic because I don’t want anybody copying it.”
- From Mission Impossible to Legally Blonde, There are countless examples of Apple product placement in movies and shows, spreading the cool and popular image the company has even more. This kind of marketing makes Apple products and Apple jobs even more coveted.
Clearly, there are a variety of ways to make successful company cultures and market them. Learn from the best and apply their strategies to your own company. Culture is only becoming more important in all aspects of making a company successful, so start improving your company culture now.