I recently stumbled across Target’s “online magazine” website dedicated to showcasing their products, events, partnerships and other happenings at the company (thanks @JacquesHBastien and @DusteeJenkins). The website is A Bullseye View: Behind the Scenes of Target.
Target quietly began “A Bullseye View” as its online magazine in 2011. It now receives over 100,000 unique visitors a month. The site is meant to tell the stories behind Target’s products, events, partnerships and other happenings at the company which makes my organizational development brain think there is more here than just ‘selling product.’ What Zappo’s did with their groundbreaking culture book as a way to introduce new employees to the Zappo’s company culture, it seems this website is doing again and this time in a much more interactive way.
Check out this post from the website back in 2012: “Target is a great place to work — just ask Forbes, Fortune, Diversity Inc. and other esteemed organizations and outlets that continually rank Target on their “best places to work” and “most admired companies” lists. While we won’t argue with the big guys, we looked to a team member and store leader (who has worked at Target for 45 years!) to find out if all the hype is true. Below, Steve Olson, store team leader of the Target store in Vadnais Heights, shares his store secrets.”
The site goes on to sit down with Steve and do an interview with him and his personal experience working at Target. Brilliant!
As Millennials continue to fill the ranks at most organizations with the majority of employees being Millennials by 2020 (51%), this could be a neat and modern way to showcase all things about a company’s culture. Remember that Millennials want transparency, genuineness and meaningfulness in their job and their place of work. As the trendy cultures of Google, Starbucks, and Zappos become mainstream, this has pushed other companies to re-examine their internal cultures, wanting a more positive, fun and modern workplace for our elusive generation. Many companies have added this goal of restructuring or identifying key elements of their culture and then highlighting that story as part of their strategic plan for the next 3-5 years (as a way to attract the best Millennials).
The mix of internal branding with increasing ease and availability of media platforms will be the next marketing and communications explosion. This is not just for the Zappos or the Targets of the world, but we will see this from small to mid-size companies as well.
I believe that as Millennials take on more roles in companies and as companies want to recruit the best Millennials, we’ll see more of this type of integrated culture/design/media output as a way to recruit, engage and retain their new young professionals. Why just brand for your customers? Brand for your employees who will become your brand ambassadors!
What do you think? Is this attractive as someone that might want to work at Target? Do you like having an inside look at the culture of a company before you consider applying or accepting a job? As a Millennial already established in a company, do you see this as something feasible and worthwhile as a way to attract, engage and retain our generation in your company?