As the saying goes, “The only constant in life is change.” This is especially true in business. Whether facing reorganization, leadership shifts, acquisition, technology upgrades, rebranding or culture modifications, change is a part of our everyday lives. Adjusting to it, however, can be challenging, disruptive and exciting all at the same time.  Change is a sign of improvement to come, but it needs to be effectively managed to maximize the benefits and ensure company-wide adoption. While change management often is driven by top leadership, marketing can play a critical role in its success.

What Is Change Management?

Change management is everything done to prepare and support employees, customers and other stakeholders in embracing and driving new ways to seek organizational growth. Because every organization is unique, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to change management practice. No matter what industry you are in, change management is a process for guiding organizational shifts. To be successful, companies need a structured plan to implement, monitor and evaluate the process from start to finish—and beyond.

Where Does Marketing Fit In?

Marketers are catalysts for change. We look for new trends, identify emerging technologies and embrace new communication channels. Marketers already have many of the skills and insights necessary to support change management. We understand people. We know how employees, customers and other target audiences think. Marketers recognize the importance of communication and transparency. We are experts at stimulating buy-in.

Marketing makes the connection between corporate goals, overarching strategies, business development and customer satisfaction. Armed with this foundation, marketing is in a unique position to engage all stakeholders and communicate change in a way that addresses fears, delivers meaningful messaging and elicits the desired action from various audiences.

Key Components of Change Management

Change management looks different for every company, but a successful plan includes the following steps:

• Acquire leadership support. From the beginning, it is essential to have the full support of company leaders. Change management expert John Kotter says, “Major change is often said to be impossible unless the head of the organization is an active supporter.” While leadership buy-in is important from the start, effective change management requires input and involvement from a cross-section of the organization. Enlist program leaders from various departments who are well-liked and influential throughout the organization.

• Anticipate and mitigate resistance. Change is difficult. Identify what resistance might look like for each stakeholder group. Determine who will manage push-back. Examine how resistance can be mitigated before it negatively impacts the project and organization. By addressing internal hesitancies from the beginning, you can avoid resistance and help audiences adapt to the change.

• Communicate the reason for change. Creating a positive and proactive awareness campaign is essential. Brand the change initiative. Give a face to the program and develop a creative communications plan that reflects the change’s purpose, connects it to business goals and adds an element of fun. This step is essential to developing trust with target audiences, especially employees. “Communicate a sensible vision to employees: if employees have shared sense of purpose, it will be easier to initiate action to achieve that purpose,” Kotter says.

• Communicate the benefits for each target audience. The success of this step relies on the answer to one simple question: “What’s in it for me?” Ask and answer this question for every stakeholder group, both internal and external. Identify the appropriate channels for communication. Emails, videos, online learning and posters can help make your initiative more appealing and understandable. When it comes to change, there is no such that as over-communication.

• Design and implement a comprehensive roll-out plan. Change isn’t a one-and-done event. To garner the buy-in of all employees, develop a plan to educate them about the change and train them on any new approaches or policies. Develop training materials and visual aids that support the organizational change and its benefits. Be sure to include a way to gather feedback to address remaining concerns or questions. Small, gradual change will help avoid overwhelming your team with too much at once.

• Adoption and evaluation. Change takes time. Identify ways to provide ongoing support, assess stakeholder satisfaction and measure success. Throughout the roll-out process, collect feedback, monitor usage and evaluate success criteria. Consider rewarding employees who complete training exercises, demonstrate buy-in and embrace new processes. Ongoing support and recognition are essential to keeping staff motivated.

A New Skill for Marketers

Every change management initiative is different, but the need for marketing to make it a success remains constant across the board. At the core of every change management initiative lies corporate culture. Because corporate culture goes hand-in-hand with a brand’s story, vision, mission and values, marketing’s role is essential. Rolling out your change management initiative with a strategic and internal and external marketing plan can ensure retention, adoption and even enthusiasm for the road ahead.