Established in 1970 and with its operations in the UK and Europe, international express service provider, Parceline, wanted to create a single global brand and chose DPD, one of its dominant brands. The company wanted to ensure this change would respect, retain its reputation amongst its customers and still have the support of its employees.
The campaign needed to immediately engage all employees with the DPD name and brand, inform staff of the reason for the change and address any concerns they might have before the change went in the public domain. The message and its dissemination needed to be consistent, coherent and controlled. It was essential that all managers had sufficient material to cascade to colleagues in a clear and consistent way, helping build brand attachment as quickly as possible.
Breaking news
The news was launched at the annual motivational conference. A detailed presentation was given followed by each manager receiving a pack containing all the campaign collateral, including an employee leaflet, presentation, list of questions and their answers, a detailed manual and samples of all external communications and new sales literature.
It was important that communication was clear and transparent, that it should be considered good news and be seen to come from the top. Film was chosen as the best media for the CEO to convey the news, reassuring everyone for the future and ensuring that everyone heard the same message at the same time. Two versions of the film were produced, one for employees and one for customers.
It was important to recognise the role employees had played in the growth of Parceline. A commemorative poster and gift for each employee positioned the change as a natural progression. A DVD and commemorative employee newsletter was sent to home addresses so that they could be shared with family members and a regular weekly bulletin (emailed and printed) kept everyone informed. In addition, an employee hotline was set up to deal with any specific queries. The other follow-ups were by weekly email bulletins while the intranet was updated with all stationary and templates to make it easier for managers to communicate the brand change to customers and staff.
Feedback
The internal and external campaigns worked together to reaffirm key messages. Outdoor advertising positioned in key locations was timed to coincide with the initial briefing.
Once the transition to the new identity was complete, employees and customers were asked their opinions about the campaign. Ninety seven per cent of employees felt the brand change had been communicated effectively while nine out of 10 employees felt that they understood the reasons for the change quite well and the business continues to grow revenue at 14 per cent.
“The internal communications for the rebranding were very effective,” says Steve Moore, project manager at DPD, and adds, “The video explaining the reasons behind the change was especially both informative and engaging, answering many of my questions. The rebrand message was sent out through a variety of media formats helping us understand more about the change. The packs had been well thought out and the model vans still serve as a reminder of this exciting and historic change.”
