GlaxoSmithKline

The issue

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), the world's second largest pharmaceutical company, was created through one of the biggest mergers in history. GSK realised that creating a strong internal identity was essential for a successful global integration and chose their new employee compensation and benefits programmes as the vehicle to drive forward the identity of the new company.

The objectives of the new internal identity and the compensation and benefits programmes that underpin it, were to:

• align mindsets and behaviours to reflect the spirit of the new company and support global integration
• reassure an uncertain and anxious workforce
• attract, retain, motivate and develop key talent
• give all employees the opportunity to share in GSK's future success.

Our approach

GSK selected PricewaterhouseCoopers Human Resource Services as their adviser, because of our breadth of expertise and experience in all aspects of successfully marketing reward programmes. Our marketing and communication specialists worked together with experts in compensation and pensions, share schemes and wider reward, technology, training and tax. GSK valued our approach of truly engaging with employees as internal customers.

We began by interviewing a wide range of stakeholders to understand GSK's challenges and legacy arrangements and the desired values and culture for the future. GSK's initial focus was on managing and minimising employee anxiety. Employees were encouraged to voice their concerns and suggestions through focus groups and questions to the CEO's website and kept them informed about progress. We proposed a new internal identity concept - called TotalReward - that created competitive advantage as an employer of choice while being completely tailored to GSK and their desired unique culture and identity.

We designed a promotional campaign to introduce employees to the new programme, which included posters, a video and "passports" providing an overview of the package. We then produced adverts, training and briefing sessions up to the launch. Finally, we produced detailed booklets and communications encompassing pay, bonus, pensions, share scheme, healthcare and ancillary programmes.

TotalReward was launched simultaneously to approximately 50,000 employees in the UK and the US, followed by a rollout to a global audience of a further 5,000 executives and managers. Our 'Train-the-Trainer' programme for GSK's HR professionals helped to subsequently cascade the TotalReward message and details throughout GSK's businesses.

The outcome

GSK successfully created an internal identity that encouraged employees to engage emotionally with the new identity. By doing this, GSK gained the commitment and focus of the workforce, enabling them to move forward as one company.

The campaign added value far beyond the launch of a new compensation and benefit programme:

• this communication was one of the most successful internal applications of the GSK identity and its drivers to date
• over 80% of GSK's UK employees now have a direct stake in the company through participation in new share plans, some 20% higher than GSK's original expectation
• a survey of GSK employees in the US showed that 80% of respondents thought the TotalReward employee presentations were either good or excellent.

We have since worked with GSK on several other employee engagement projects, including their new intranet and their recruitment communications strategy, based on the messages and design behind TotalReward.

For further information about this case study, please contact Marc Hommel on +44 20 7804 6936 or Angela Mohtashemi at on +44 20 7804 0952.