“When the purpose is clear, the mundane becomes meaningful,” said Kevin Paul Scott, author, speaker and cofounder of the leadership consultancy ADDO.

Scott was one of 15 speakers and panelists who shared insights and ideas for HR professionals at the 2025 NACS Human Resources Forum, which took place from March 24-26 in Nashville. The event had a record-setting 126 attendees.

Scott focused on how those in HR roles can help create authentic connections with their employees, much like how public relations and marketing also create connections with consumers.

“Culture and marketing are two sides of the same coin in creating connections,” he said. While most companies pay the most attention to marketing to establish connections with consumers, it is equally important to use the same techniques with employees to enhance culture.

The data backs Scott up. Employees who feel connected to their company’s purpose are three times more likely to be engaged at work.

“When you tell stories about what you mean to the community, it creates affinity with employees. Don’t just share these stories with customers,” Scott said.

“Endearing is enduring,” said Scott. He shared three tips to create an enduring brand:

1. Prioritize the personal. A personal experience goes far beyond a singular customer. It applies to all customers if you want to create unique customer experiences. Scott cited how one airline teaches its flight attendants to imagine all the possibilities about why that person is traveling when they enter the aircraft. It could be to fly to a big job interview, take time off for a vacation or visit an ill family member—but whether a positive, negative or mundane moment, all possibilities allow the airline to connect with people on their terms.

2. Cultivate the culture. Show employees the incentive to take an action and they will reward you with positive actions, said Scott. “Cared for people care for people,” he said.

3. Maximize the moment. It’s not practical to allocate sufficient resources to give every customer an experience that will result in a viral social media moment. But you can create policies that allow employees to proactively create special moments for customers. “Do for one customer what we wish we could do for everyone, and you can create something special,” Scott said.

Look for more coverage of the NACS Human Resources Forum on the next NACS Convenience Matters podcast on Monday, March 31 and in the July 2025 issue of NACS Magazine.