Siemens has prioritized its employees as the number one thought leaders for the company and influencers in their own right.
Ophelie Janus, Siemens Global Head of Thought Leadership, on a panel discussion at LinkedIn’s B2Believe event, said employees are every organization’s greatest assets. Employees’ thoughts shape a community around the areas relevant to the brand. She highlighted that harnessing colleagues as thought leaders on social media and at events helps Siemens stay top of mind.
Janus gave an example of the fitness space and the need to talk about running because that’s how one can shape their community and engage with it. She said Siemens is not selling sneakers, but selling the industrial metaverse. As such, the company is focused on developing long-term, visionary content. The executive shared that Siemens is super structured and has clear guidelines for employees acting as influencers.
Imogen Coles, Head of Influence at Ogilvy who was also a panelist at the event, pointed out that employees are posting on social media whether the company wants them to or not. she said employees will get more visible and companies have to harness them as influencers and take control of a situation that could go otherwise. Coles suggested HR and a legal team bring about clear rules for employees engaging on social media as brand ambassadors.
It should be noted that Siemens is more proactive when it comes to engagement. The tech conglomerate has a special global corporate ambassador program that analyzes the number of colleagues present on LinkedIn versus those who are active. Siemens can track the impact of its employees’ posts and activities.
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