In the fast-evolving world of B2B marketing, tech giant Siemens is redefining influencer strategies by looking inward. Rather than turning to external figures, Siemens considers its employees as the brand’s most powerful influencers and thought leaders.
“Your colleagues are your greatest assets,” says Ophelie Janus, Siemens’ global head of thought leadership. Speaking at LinkedIn’s B2Believe event on 15 October, she championed the role of employees in building brand credibility and fostering trust. “Our employees are influencers in their own right,” she explained, adding that they play a key role in shaping conversations around Siemens’ core focus areas, including AI and the industrial metaverse.
The Power of Employee Thought Leadership
Janus highlighted the importance of employee-driven thought leadership in creating a community around topics integral to Siemens’ mission. The industrial metaverse—a digital environment replicating real-world systems like factories and transport—represents a complex offering that requires long-term visionary content, rather than short-term sales pitches.
“In B2B, the purchase journey is lengthy, and 95% of buyers are out-of-market at any given time,” Janus noted, referencing LinkedIn’s B2B Institute’s 95:5 rule. By empowering employees as thought leaders, Siemens ensures it stays “top of mind” for potential buyers when they eventually consider a purchase.
Using an analogy, Janus likened the approach to fitness brands engaging communities around running: “We’re not selling sneakers; we’re selling the industrial metaverse. It’s something you can’t even fully utilise yet, so we focus on forward-thinking content that builds trust and keeps us relevant.”
Turning Challenges into Opportunities
The rise of social media has made employees more visible than ever, regardless of whether their companies embrace this trend. Imogen Coles, head of influence at Ogilvy, warned that if businesses don’t harness this opportunity, it could become a liability.
“Employees are already posting on social media, and they’re only going to become more visible,” Coles said. “Instead of seeing it as a risk, companies need to take control by equipping employees to be effective ambassadors.”
Siemens exemplifies this proactive approach, operating within a “super structured” framework that provides employees with clear guidelines for social media engagement. Collaboration with HR and legal teams ensures these activities align with company policies, protecting both the brand and its employees.
Measuring the Impact
To gauge the success of its employee-driven influencer strategy, Siemens runs a global corporate ambassador programme. This initiative tracks LinkedIn activity, measuring the number of employees engaging on the platform and analysing the quality of their interactions.
“It’s a precision game,” Janus explained. Siemens focuses on top-of-funnel metrics such as awareness and education, ensuring that conversations initiated by employees drive interest in the brand’s specialised areas. This structured approach enables Siemens to assess how employee advocacy influences long-term business objectives.
Personal Profiles as Brand Assets
Jon Evans, chief customer officer at System 1 and fellow panellist at the event, shared his own journey as an employee-influencer. Launching his podcast, Uncensored CMO, in 2019, Evans initially faced scepticism from his employer.
“For a long time, I was on the brink of being fired because I spent more time on the podcast than in budget meetings,” Evans admitted. However, as the podcast grew in popularity, it became clear how valuable a personal employee profile could be. System 1 saw a measurable impact on inbound customer enquiries, proving the effectiveness of employee-led thought leadership.
A New Era for B2B Influencer Marketing
Siemens’ approach signals a shift in the B2B landscape, where employee advocacy is becoming a cornerstone of brand strategy. By equipping staff with the tools and guidance to act as influencers, the company is not only humanising its brand but also strengthening its position in a competitive market.
Janus summarised the strategy succinctly: “In B2B, trust and thought leadership are everything. Who better to embody those qualities than your own people?”
Source: https://www.marketingweek.com/siemens-employees-brand-influencers
