One of Germany's largest logistics companies (c. 300,000 employees worldwide) is facing the challenge of preparing itself for the future. The company is launching its biggest quality and service offensive to date: in addition to a new corporate strategy with clear objectives, this project is primarily about taking the employees along on this journey. Every employee must realize that they can/will help shape the future as part of the company. Everyone is needed, because: "It's your company. You are the company." The aim is to retell the story of the future with and through the employees. The particular challenge at this point in time: around 60% of employees are not yet connected online and therefore primarily receive their information offline. The interim manager takes over the management of the project as an interim business partner.
Transformation map translates need for change for employees
Driven by the Management Board, the quality and service initiative is set up across hierarchies and divisions. Building on this, corporate strategy, HR and marketing/PR develop a transformation map that identifies the need for change in each area of the company and "translates" it for the employees. The project manager ensures coordination between the divisions and agency management. She also acts as an interface between corporate communications and the service providers involved. She manages and organizes the tender for the implementing PR agency, controls the process, budget and timing in close coordination with the company's PR management.
Claim summarizes the core message of the communication campaign
The accompanying communication takes place in three phases: Phase 1 is intended to shake up and sensitize the workforce, phase 2 ensures involvement, phase 3 provides inspiration. A claim provides the thematic bracket and summarizes the core message (the future is only possible together).
In order to find out whether the planned communication campaign is achieving its goals, internal focus groups are formed to discuss the planned motifs. The roll-out begins with a Group-wide teasing campaign. It initially causes head shaking and irritation - the campaign is resolved in phase 2, in which it is made clear who is responsible for the future topics: the individual employee.
Testimonials from the company that were already the stars of the company's previous employer branding campaign are used here. The result is 10 motifs, each of which shows a typical employee of the company and stands for a statement about the future with clear "I" messages (example: "I am the future because I always think outside the box"). Posters, postcards, a letter from the Management Board to all employees and a photo box tour, which gives every employee the chance to have their own future poster, round off this second phase.
For the third phase, we are looking for motifs within the company: A call for groups, teams or departments that stand for the future. The resulting motifs replace the I with a WE: "We are the future" is the message that runs through this campaign phase.
Project manager accompanies in-depth cross-company dialog offensive
In addition to the marketing implementation, the project manager also accompanies the in-depth cross-company dialog offensive, which is based on regional future conferences and brings the topics to a wider audience. Individual future ambassadors, who are recruited here, then go out into the field and hold workshops to ensure that the necessary change topics reach every employee locally.
Measurements and impact checks prove the success of the campaign
The overarching communication and marketing goals were clearly defined and were reviewed with feedback campaigns, with the help of the employee survey that takes place every two years and during the dialog campaign, among other things. The future program was to be understood as THE program that would carry the company into the future and thus ensure sustainable economic success.
The communication was well received - at least that is what all measurements and impact checks showed; the message of the campaign was remembered and could be classified accordingly by the employees surveyed. The project manager impressed with her concept, her strategic approach and the results achieved. The successfully completed project resulted in a number of other commissions.
