#189 Brand People Like Best Companies Do, Not Just Products

Brand people, not just products? What difference does it make?

Your products don’t build trust. Your people do.

In today’s trust economy, the smartest companies aren’t just marketing what they sell—they’re branding who makes it all possible.

This episode of the relaunched Story-Driven Business podcast (formerly known as Building a Modern Employer Brand podcast) challenges the old-school product-first branding mindset.

We’re going to explore how the most admired and resilient companies put their people—employees, leaders, customers and candidates—at the heart of their business narrative.

We’ll talk about why branding your people (internally and externally) isn’t about glossy brochures or bragging about benefits or product features. It’s about showing the world the human intelligence, values, and collaboration that power the success of your people, customers and business.

We’ll also dig into how story-driven employer branding positions people as your ultimate value proposition—and how this drives everything from sales and stakeholder trust to talent attraction and retention.

This episode is perfect for business leaders who want to become category leaders—not just vendors.

Key takeaways

• Talent sees themselves in your journey.
• Customers see the why behind your what.
• Stakeholders see a business that is future-proof – because it’s people-proof.

Your people are your greatest competitive advantage. It’s time your brand looked like it.

Episode 189 Why the Best Businesses Brand Their People—Not Just Their Products

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Episode show notes

Hi friend, and welcome back to my podcast, formerly known as ‘Building A Modern Employer Brand’ starting now as the Story-Driven Business Podcast!

I’m your host, Susanna Rantanen—world’s leading modern employer branding expert, strategist and yes, finally I can say: An author!

My book ‘Story-Driven Employer Branding’ is now out and available on your preferred Amazon marketplace and also, directly from me, with a signature, from storydrivenemployerbranding.com.

This is the new version of my long standing podcast.

Story-Driven Business Podcast is where we bridge the gap between employer branding and business leadership by showing you how to build business brand value from the inside out.

In my new book, I explain my employer branding methodology in detail and this is a game-changer for all those of you who always thought employer branding was just about EVP and campaigns generating applications for talent acquisition.

Today’s episode is called: Why the Best Businesses Brand Their People—Not Just Their Products.

And I have to say, this topic is so close to my heart. Because when you really get what this means… you’ll never look at marketing or leadership the same way again.

Let’s start with a business story

Let me take you back a few years…

I was in a client meeting—tech startup, full of ambition, growth goals like rockets. And the founder said something that stuck with me ever since. He said:

“We need to look like a place that builds amazing stuff.”

And I remember gently smiling and replying:

“You already do. But I don’t see the amazing people building it anywhere.”

Silence. He blinked. And then it hit him.

You see, his entire brand story was about the product: the software, the features, the tech specs.

Mind you, this is very common in my native Finland as we are the introverted engineering country! I

love my country dearly, but this has got to be our national weakness! The inability to create lasting brands and evoke emotions in out target audiences, be it customers or employees, or other stakeholders.

In this tech company, too, their actual source of value—the people behind it—were invisible.

That was the day I realized just how deep the disconnect runs between what most businesses say they value… and what they actually show in their brand.

And ever since, I’ve been on a mission to change that. Hence… today’s episode. 

The Business Case for Branding People

Let’s be blunt for a second.

Your people are your greatest competitive advantage.

But most companies spend 90% of their branding efforts talking about products and desire to sell, not people, why they exist and how they change the world for their customers and employees.

And yet…

It’s your engineers, consultants, designers, or care workers that drive innovation.

It’s your culture – how you lead your people, hold them accountable to your customer promise, values and mission, encourage and appreciate their input and empower them to reach business goals together that makes customers come back.

It’s your leaders who live the expected brand in every decision they make and every step they take.

So here’s the truth:
Products may attract attention, especially when they are not a mere commodity. By the way, I talk about commodity from a strategic point of view in episode 150.

So..
People build trust.
And trust is what converts—not just in recruitment, but in business.

And in a world of AI-generated everything, trust is the new currency.

Branding your people isn’t fluff.
It’s not employer branding’s little cousin.

It’s strategic brand leadership that turns into your magnetic employer brand. And this brand defines how you lead, how your people execute and how they treat your current and future customers and employees.

How This Ties to The Magnetic Employer Branding Method™

In my book, Story-Driven Employer Branding, I talk about this mindset shift that’s central to the Magnetic Employer Branding Method™:

“Your talent is the hero. And your business is the guide.”

That means: the brand story isn’t about your company being awesome. It’s about showing how your company helps people become awesome.

That includes your employees and your customers.

When you spotlight your people, your brand becomes relatable, trustworthy, and emotionally magnetic.

Let’s take this a bit deeper.

When you brand your people, you show:

• What kind of leadership lives in your culture.
• What values are truly practised (not just printed).
• What collaboration looks like in action.
• What real innovation feels like behind the scenes.

You shift the conversation from “Look what we sell” to “Look who we are.”

That’s not marketing fluff.
That’s brand substance.

Branding Your People in Action

Let’s make it practical.

Branding your people can look like:

1. Leader-led storytelling – Founders and managers sharing lessons and documenting the business journey with its ups and downs, not just wins. Showing vulnerability in your brand makes you more humane and makes people believe and trust you more.
   
2. Employee hero stories – Framing your people’s growth at work and outside work, or as professionals and humans, as the proof of your culture.
   
3. Behind-the-scenes storytelling – Showcasing how things are done and why they matter.
   
4. Collaborative content – Letting your people speak for the brand instead of speaking about them.

And no, it doesn’t mean everyone needs to be on TikTok or post daily on LinkedIn.
It means building systems and habits that consistently show the people-power behind the brand.

Because when you brand your people, you do three things:

1. Build emotional affinity with future talent.
2. Show authenticity to customers and stakeholders.
3. Create a long-term narrative that scales with your growth.

And guess what? 

That’s how you create brand trust that survives product cycles, leadership changes, even economic downturns.

The Risk of Not Branding Your People

Now let’s talk risk.

If your employer brand is disconnected from your business brand…
If your people are invisible behind your product…

Then when crisis hits—or talent leaves—you’re exposed.
Because people don’t feel loyalty to features. They feel loyalty to people.

When companies go quiet about their people, candidates assume the worst.
When leaders never show up in the brand, employees assume they don’t care.

And when customers can’t see the humans behind the service…
Well, they’ll go somewhere they can.

Branding people isn’t a “nice to have.”
It’s a brand insurance policy. 

A business growth strategy. 

And an emotional loyalty generator.

Action Step – What You Can Do Next

Audit your brand visibility today:

Here’s your action step as a business leader or employer branding pro:

• Can people see who works behind the product?
• Can they tell what kind of culture you have?
• Do your employees sound like humans in your content—or scripted mannequins?
• Are your leaders leading with story?

If the answer is “no” or “barely”… don’t panic. But do start.

Start small.
Start with a story.
Start with showing why your people matter.

Because that is the brand people will trust tomorrow.

Final Thoughts + Quote

Alright, I’ll wrap up with a favourite quote.
This one’s from Howard Schultz, former CEO of Starbucks:

“When you’re surrounded by people who share a passionate commitment around a common purpose, anything is possible.”

That’s what branding your people does.
It turns your business into a purpose-driven collective.
And that… is a brand worth following.

• If this episode resonated, I’d love to hear from you!
• Drop me a message on LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok or YouTube
• Or tag me in your story-driven content—let’s keep building magnetic brands together.

And hey, if you haven’t grabbed a copy of my book Story-Driven Employer Branding, it’s now available on Amazon worldwide.

Dive into the method that’s helping modern leaders and employer brand pros build business stories that work.

Until next time, stay magnetic, be story-driven. 💫