One of the biggest challenges a growing chain faces is to not lose the authenticity that made the company successful in the first place.

At some point in every very big organization’s history it was small. Customers didn’t just view the people they met when they walked in the doors as employees of the company. To those customers, the employeeswere the company.

But as the organization grew, customers stopped seeing employees as individuals. Instead, they started seeing the company as a brand – an organization dedicated to replicating the feeling of authenticity.

Is this perception always true? Not always – especially in great companies. The people who really make the business tick are as important as ever. They’re still the company. The problem is often that the systems a larger organization needs to function can sure make itlook to its customers like a faceless bureaucracy.

A Picture Says A Thousand Words. Of course, we believe a vibrant feedback loop between customers and front-line employees is essential – that’s our business. But how to make sure that even this feedback system doesn’t give the appearance of just another big corporate initiative?

This year we’ve seen a series of our clients incorporate compelling photography into that feedback loop in a new way. They’re featuring photos of actual employees on their survey pages as a means of reinforcing that local connection between customer and employee.

Have a look at three examples below of the art which we used on each of these companies’ survey pages. No splashy logos or product shots here. Instead, we’re showcasing the employees to whom a customer’s feedback is directed.

The message to customers is clear: We’re local, we’re real and we’re listening.