Strengthening The Employer Brand - The SmartDrive Way
Introduction
SmartDrive Systems is an industry leader in integrating video analytics with transportation. It provides video safety, predictive analytics, compliance, and personalized performance programs to help fleets improve their driving skills, lower operating costs, and deliver significant ROI.
Objective & Execution
The journey of Never Grow Up® with SmartDrive Systems began towards the end of 2018, when the HR team reached out to us for branded internal communications and engagement ideas. Here’s a look at what we have achieved with them.
Engaging offline engagement
Keeping the workforce engaged is a crucial aspect that impacts the business. SmartDrive strives to create a holistic employee experience.
Team Never Grow Up facilitated week-long engagement activities during the Thanksgiving week in November 2018. Conducted at their office premises in Hyderabad, this campaign witnessed a rise in physical participation of individuals. Since then, every communication and activity has received an enhanced response. We have also facilitated Focused Group Discussions with the leadership to address the pain points that managers faced, followed by providing detailed engagement calendars outlining a mix of internal communications as well as offline interactions.
Commemorations through communications
SmartDrive comprises a diverse workforce and being a U.S. based brand, the organization emphasizes on educating its people about the American history.
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Along with greetings and communications mailer for topical and festive days such as Pongal and Dusshera, Team Never Grow Up has also created content and design for historical days commemorated nationally in the States, such as the Martin Luther King Jr Day, Social Justice Day, President’s Day, Labor Day, etc.
With the aim of catering to the millennial crowd, we have also helped drive engagement through mailers based on unconventional days such as the World Heritage Day, Global Handwashing Day, and International Day of Families; accompanied by eye-catchy posters to curb the food wastage in the cafeteria.
A warm and vibrant welcome - Onboarding
SmartDrive wished to facilitate a seamless onboarding journey that showcased a positive, fun, and energetic work environment.
Team Never Grow Up helped design a series of internal communications for the pre-joining formalities, along with multiple consent forms. We also designed collaterals for the Joining Kit, that comprised:
- A welcome note to the new joinees on behalf of the SmartDrive family.
- Postcards which outlined the workplace perks and benefits such as access to the cafeteria, fitness sessions, and medical care.
- Employer Branded Merchandise – A branded diary and a paperweight cube that highlighted the ‘SmartDrive Promise’.
Easing out the relocation
SmartDrive shifted its operational premises from the city to another location which would lead to an increased commutation time for the employees, but also provided them with better infrastructure, facilities, and perks.
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To help instil a sense of pride and showcase the brighter side of shifting bases, Team Never Grow Up facilitated a six-month engagement & communication plan for the pre and post-move announcement period. The communications included an upbeat visual approach that accentuated the overall employer branding, leading to employees approaching the new space with a more welcoming mindset. We also helped build a visually stimulating dipstick survey that was designed to gather a pulse of the crowd, post the announcement.
Tackling the unrest, creatively
Lifting of the lockdown occurred in phases and workforces across the country felt a sense of unrest. SmartDrive adhered to all the norms and guidelines laid down by the government and prioritized their employee safety when they resumed work.
We built infographic styled guidelines with precautionary measures that would help create a safe working environment. Our communications focused on displaying best practices to help maintain hygiene levels. These were further adapted into collaterals for television displays, posters, and danglers.
Adhering to the social norms and COIVD-19 guidelines, these messages encompassed six major aspects – Commuting to the workplace, security and temperature checks at the entrance, social distancing at the workplace, maintaining hygiene at the pantry and cafeteria areas, washing hands frequently and upon the use of the restrooms, and the safety measures to be followed when leaving the premises. Targeting the common areas and the frequently visited spots in the premises, the messaging in these posters were also translated in the local language.
Establishing a media connection
As a fast-growing brand, SmartDrive aspired to create its online media presence and showcase itself as a thought leader.
Ensuring a positive brand positioning for SmartDrive systems, NGU’s PR arm SPRD sought out several influencer marketing opportunities for their senior leaders across print as well as digital media platforms – Right from positioning some of the senior leaders as brand ambassadors by publishing Thought Leadership Articles on social media platforms such as LinkedIn, to seeking out speaker opportunities across renowned national level summits.
The CHRO of SmartDrive Systems was also positioned in a significant panel at the ET HR Roundtable 2019. All our PR efforts led to a reach of 1.54million through online platforms and print media.
SPECIAL FEATURE – A Unique Policy
THE SMARTDRIVE WITHDRAWAL POLICY
SmartDrive aimed to establish their workplace as a ‘Smoke-free zone’ and launched the ‘Withdrawal Policy’ on the occasion of World No Tobacco Day 2019.
This policy encouraged employees to safeguard their health by quitting the consumption of tobacco in any form – smoking, chewing, vaping, passive inhaling, etc. Not only did it strictly prohibit the same on the premises, but also, outlined a year-long support system with certain benefits that employees could avail if they chose to quit smoking - From access to smoking cessation programs to counselling sessions to medical consultations, it also included an addition of a monetary incentive for those who succeeded.
We at Never Grow Up® strongly believe in being positive changemakers and were at the forefront to help them draft the Withdrawal Policy. A strategy-driven and content-led communications campaign was created to build awareness amongst the workforce. In order to bring this initiative in the spotlight, that such a policy can also be adapted by other organizations who wish to cater to their employee’s holistic well-being; this first-of-its-kind policy launch (in India) was also featured in prominent e-publications such as The Times Of India Group and The Hindu.
Media coverages for SmartDrive
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