Grant Thornton's employer brand refresh

When we started our employer brand rebrand in January 2020, we knew we had a lot of ground to cover. 63% of college graduates had never heard of us and our employer brand was almost non existent. The world changed in March when we originally planned to launch. Our research held up but our execution would need to be different.

The employer brand space had little differentiation between competitors or other industries. This was our chance to stand out against not just our industry but the entire employer brand space.

We created an employer brand that built on our existing creative system to bring it to life. We refreshed messaging that featured heart-felt yet confident language, new imagery, font styles and existing brand elements. We wanted potential talent to feel hopeful, excited and emboldened to tackle the next phase of their career and life. They're more than a just a number. They matter. Their passions matter. They don't have to give up what's important to them to have a career they love at every level.

We launched through multiple channels but focused on our website and social where we used our summer internship program to kick our new brand off.

During our student summer program, participants and new hires received a customized gated welcome experience. They were welcomed with a personal video from the CEO prompting them to select an exclusive gift from our company store. This effort helped make a unique and memorable first impression.

This audience is often difficult to engage, so we needed to keep the conversation going. We connected with them authentically with one of the best ways to get to know someone, music. We created a collaborative Spotify playlist that encouraged students to add songs that motivated them. This allowed students to experience our culture in a different way, and to get to know each other as they "interned" remotely.

Even though we couldn’t throw a party in person we wanted something special to mark the end of their program and the huge career milestone of receiving and accepting their first full time employment offer. They were able to share the news via social using a branded gif and a dedicated employer brand hashtag.

In just two weeks of the students summer program, the Spotify playlist generated 5.5 hours of music and 117 likes from program participants.

Additionally, we launched a social awareness campaign during this same timeframe where it accounted for 30-45% of all total impressions and engagements for the entire month of July. The celebratory branded gif and message generated more than 500 posts from our newest employees. 

And that was just the beginning!