In the Old Days of advertising (I'm not even going to use the word branding, because nobody used that word back in the Old Days), everyone knew what "bait and switch" and "false advertising" meant. Good companies did not advertise one thing and then sell another. Respected businesses did not pretend that their product was one thing when it actually was something else. But before the Old Days, back in the Really Old Days, it was one of the Ten Commandments - Thou Shalt Not Lie.

These days, there's a wonderful term bandied about on the net with ever more frequency to cover what Thou Shalt Not Do - astroturfing. Wikipedia says it's "a neologism for formal public relations campaigns in politics and advertising that seek to create the impression of being spontaneous, grassroots behavior. Hence the reference to the artificial grass AstroTurf."

Bells and whistles don't work unless there is someone behind them. It's exciting to launch an external campaign encompassing advertising, public relations, and promotions. But before you get caught up in great ideas and make any promises, you better be sure your employees are ready to keep them.
 
In order to reconnect your team and customers as part of a new initiative, you have to begin within your organization. Whether the repositioning of your brand stems from a merger or a desire to recapture lost market share, employees want to understand their role. So, tell them about the changes, why and what will change, and how it will affect them personally. That's how they can feel pride in what they do.

Here is how to make sure your brand is ready to deliver from the inside out.

When I tell people I'm in Interactive Marketing, I often hear, "Oh, you design websites," or, "You do banners on the Internet." Wrong. "Interactive" is a misused and misunderstood word in the marketing world. Interactive channels include every communications platform that people utilize in their daily lives: cell phones, the Internet, ATM machines, kiosks, video games, and many others. These devices are evolving at lightning speed. Is the iPhone a phone, a computer, or a social networking device? How do marketers decide which platforms will be most effective to build business? And how can marketers develop interactive programs on these platforms that are engaging and meaningful to the consumer?