In a fascinating blog post, Dr Sullivan argues that control of employer brands has shifted permanently away from employers themselves, and into the hands of "a complicated mix of individuals who use a variety of communication channels to influence your brand without your knowledge, consent, or guidance". The key influencers among these groups include bloggers, social media users, Twitter users, online forums, internet groups and search engine managers.

Dr Sullivan believes that HR has failed to keep pace with this seismic shift in the control of employer branding, and that it must now run to catch up. As he puts it:

While many product brand marketers learned long ago that if the experience with the product didn't match the brand positioning, consumers would revolt, few in HR were paying attention. Many HR leaders may ignore or discount the facts, but the truth is that a fundamental shift has occurred, and like it or not, the years of putting forward a brand identity not tied to reality are over.

Changing ownership of the employer brand would therefore appear to be one more facet of the "new normal" that is now confronting HR in the aftermath of the global economic crisis.

See also:

• East Sussex County Council's work to create a worthwhile employer brand (subscription required)
• 'Social' media: How to have a conversation about your culture (external website) From the Renegade HR blog.
• It's your employer brand - be careful who you trust with it (external website) From the T Recs blog.