Excellence in Corporate Communications - Internal Stakeholders

Summary of work

Created in 2015, Seqirus is one of the world’s largest influenza vaccine companies and a major partner in the prevention and control of influenza globally, with operations in more than 30 countries. In 2018, Seqirus developed and launched a new brand platform, with ’On the Front Line’ being the central brand promise. The dimensions of this new brand personality include being authentic, optimistic, determined, inclusive and appreciative. An employee survey in April 2018 indicated that the Seqirus Senior Leadership Team (SQLT) was well regarded by its people. However, with the combination of two former companies, followed by an intense integration period, overall employee engagement scores were lower than the industry average. A key challenge for the Corporate Affairs Team was to improve employee engagement. With humour, authenticity and inclusion at the core of their strategy, ’News from the Front Line’ was created with legendary news anchorman Ron Burgundy as the central character. This campaign pushed the boundaries by moving away from the serious corporate approach usually taken by pharma companies, largely thanks to the willingness of the senior leaders to participate and show their humorous side.

Judges' comments

The judges loved the approach to this campaign. It was creative, bold and brave and it delivered memorable content with high employee engagement on a small budget.