The curious case of the disappearing headcount.

One of the more interesting things Brand Forensics X keeps uncovering is how difficult it often is to answer a simple question.

"How big is this business?

Most organisations explain what they do. Many explain why they’re different. Very few explain how many people are behind it. 

It reminded me of my early days working in smaller creative agencies and design studios. Whenever an important client was due to visit, there was often a sudden burst of activity. Spare Macs would be dug out and fired up. Friends, family and sometimes even freelancers would be drafted in to fill desks for an hour or two.

The aim wasn’t to overtly mislead. It was a subtle deception, of course, but a busier studio looked more established. A larger team suggested greater capability. It helped calm a quiet anxiety within senior leadership. That was a long time ago, but it revealed something that still seems to hold true.

Businesses are often uncomfortable talking about their size.

Some worry they’ll look too small. Others worry they’ll look too large. So many choose not to mention it at all. Looking at organisations from the outside through Brand Forensics X, I see this regularly.

The tool can usually establish what a business does and the value it appears to offer. But are there three people, thirty or three hundred behind it? That is often much harder to determine. It isn’t about whether bigger is more capable or smaller is more agile. It’s about context.

People build a picture of an organisation before they ever speak to it. Understanding something about its scale helps complete that picture. Customers and prospects like a complete picture. 

You might think it’s a small detail. I’m not so sure. The fact that so many organisations choose to leave it unsaid makes me think it matters more than they realise.

Find out more about Brand Forensics X and the Brand Forensics Workshop here.

If you’re curious to see what your organisation looks like from the outside, I’d be delighted to put Brand Forensics X through its paces.