When one thinks about the impact of enterprise learning, the fact that increasing competencies directly can maximize operational performance usually comes to mind. However, in today’s increasingly competitive, service-oriented marketplace, there are few elements that set a leader apart from the rest of the pack.

In today’s marketing scenario, the brand name is a major differentiator when it comes to market performance, be it internal or external. The big players in the market foresee learning as the key to creating winning value propositions for clients and prospects. Learning initiatives are being used for the development of employees and are also being extended to clients and markets. In the modern era, learning is being accepted as a valuable strategy to facilitate companies to go to the market, create breakthrough products and establish positive buyer relationships that last a lifetime.

The Impact of learning on Creating Brand Value
Until recently, the term “Brand” was limited to the visual expression of a value proposition. A ‘Brand’ was a unique identity that helps to recognize, differentiate products, services and solutions, from one provider to that of the other.

The modern day definition of brand is more holistic and integrated; a brand is often described as the full expression of an organization’s “promise” — what the marketplace expects from the seller at all engagement points, from initial awareness to the purchase to customer service. In this way, a “brand” must answer the buyer’s question, “What’s in it for me?”

This has led to a new challenge on how the organization completely engages their employees, clients and partners with their brand. One of the best ways the next-generation training and development groups can support the mission of their organization is to become the necessary catalysts to enable both the people and the systems to work better together to deliver on the brand promise.

Why learning in marketing?
Marketers and buyers value education simply because it has proved to have greater buyer rewards than many traditional marketing efforts such as direct mail, advertising or some new-breed tactics such as search engine optimization.

Five major factors that could help increase your company’s market value through learning and leadership development programs:

1. Brand Your Learning Offerings
Learners want the highest level of user experience and interaction, therefore ensure that your offerings enhances your corporate or organizational brand. In addition to that, make sure some key elements are met when you address the learning needs as it will have a direct impact on the brand value which includes the user interface, the development of relevant and engaging content, messaging, delivery modalities, and the application and measurement of results. Ensure all your learning and development resources understand that they are brand stewards for the organization.

2. Offer Learning Programs to Customers and Partners
Consider offering your internal learning opportunities to your clients and include a broad array of customers and even partners. You get the added benefit of creating a peer-networking environment. Go even further to create offerings for clients and prospects that increase their participation in your brand in a new way

3. Create and Support Learning Community
Next-generation learning and development organizations are taking learning activities into the community, creating broader communities of interest and impermeable webs of buyer brand loyalty. Power your brand more by using learning to support your organization's reputation as a solid community citizen.

4. Broaden the Frontier of Learning with Marketing
Take a look at the big picture of learning and development. Ask your self, "Where can learning be implemented and make a difference for our employee, client or community systems?" Find the market-savvy employees in your organization and team up with them to leverage capabilities to create and promote outstanding marketing and learning programs.

5. . Create Brand Leaders
The fastest way to increase learning and development efforts’ ability to influence brand value is by developing leaders at all levels of the organization. Studies show that if you develop one manager or leader, you have the ability to affect that person’s entire work group.

Further, these leaders are most likely to influence clients, prospects, analysts and the community about your organization’s brand. Ensure they are well-equipped with both the right skills and competencies to communicate effectively and that they are armed with the best message.

The Bottom-line
The application and value of learning is constantly growing. Learning generally pays off in direct and indirect ways by building brand value, both as “the company to do business with” and “as the place to work in”.

Beyond improving individual and organizational performance within the enterprise, learning is the most powerful way to ensure an organization’s brand and market values are maximized internally with its employees and externally with its partners, customers, prospects and market influencers.