Think about it—Marketing and HR are not different verticals. Both deal with people and their mindsets. While HR deals with people within the organization, Marketing caters to the discerning minds outside the organization.

Especially in today’s world, where everything has to be marketed and shown off, the aim of marketing isn’t just limited to advertising or promoting products or services. It is imperative to build relationships with customers and also with the media and the community.

HR professionals have been doing this expertly for ages within organizations—building culture, relationships, dealing with people, and understanding their psyche.

HR has a crucial role to play, more than ever, by supporting the marketing team in building an authentic and long-lasting brand image. Here’s how HR can help the Marketing team foster relationships with the media:

1. Creating Brand Ambassadors Within

HR is in an important position to ensure that a brand’s image reflects its internal culture. I won’t shy away from saying that it is the backbone of the company’s culture. By promoting values like transparency, integrity, and empathy within the organization, HR helps shape a culture that employees genuinely resonate with. These employees become ambassadors, naturally attracting positive attention from the community and media.

2. Employee Advocacy

In today’s digital world, employees are the most trusted and widely seen voice of a company. HR must nurture and promote employee advocacy in the organization to ensure employee engagement at the core level. The more employees are engaged, the more they will exhibit organizational citizenship behaviour. To achieve this, HR should implement employee-friendly policies, coach employees in achieving work-life balance, create opportunities for growth, and foster open communication within the organization. Happy employees will naturally advocate for the organization, which will directly reflect in their behaviour, their social media presence, and their personal communities.

3. Enhancing Media Relations Through Transparency

When there is open and honest communication within the organization, it makes it easier for marketing teams to build trust externally as well. We have to understand that media relations thrive on authenticity, and HR's commitment to transparency in policies and actions builds that foundation. An organization’s positive workplace culture can become a story for the media to publicize, which in turn creates a favourable brand narrative.

4. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Initiatives

HR is deeply involved in CSR activities in many organizations. These initiatives not only support and benefit the community at large but also create a positive image for the organization. Genuine CSR initiatives, especially those driven by employees, become game changers. They reflect the organization’s culture and develop pride and belongingness within employees.

In essence, HR and marketing are two sides of the same coin. Together, they shape the brand’s identity, build trust, and foster relationships that are critical for a company's success in a socially conscious market. By aligning HR practices with marketing goals, businesses can build lasting bonds with the media and the community.