1. Introduction

I've been working with a number of HR people recently (on creativity and productive thinking), and there seems to be a phrase that's on everyone's lips - Employer Branding. It seems to be the Holy Grail, the flavour of the month, this year's model.

But what is it? What is an Employer Brand? Which companies have successfully reinvented themselves as Employer Brands? How do you build an Employer Brand?

Most views of Employer Branding involve becoming an 'Employer of Choice'. We know the reasons - (relatively) low unemployment, skills shortages in many sectors, severe competition for the best potential recruits. How can your organisation stand out from the crowd?

Well, it might be worth borrowing from Consumer Branding. Think Walkers, Coke, Nike, Orange, Gap, Diesel, easyJet, Nokia, Starbucks. Can we take some of the insights of consumer brand building, and apply them to Employer Branding? I think we can.