Best Technology Award

The business objective was clear: make day one of a major acquisition resonate with 66,000 employees from diverse backgrounds, disciplines and geographies. As 70% of mergers fail due to ‘cultural incompatibility’ this event was business-critical. The operational challenges were significant too: legal and compliance constraints, no firm date, short timescales and travel restrictions to boot. 

The team leant on the digital skills acquired during the pandemic. Clever use of green screen technology allowed all key speakers from Germany, Denmark and US to appear together on a single stage. Choreographed stage directions (gesticulating and interacting with fellow speakers) made it look like they were there in person – showing the unity of the senior leadership team that was vital to the brief.

Engaging with grass roots employees was paramount. Live video walls and ‘Find a Fellow’ app for colleagues to connect around similar interests brought team members together. 

The judges said; “This is a super smart and ambitious in-house team who won the work after a 4 way pitch from global agencies left both boards unimpressed! We loved how they leveraged technology to transform an event that could have been a dry transaction announcement into a thoroughly engaging, culturally cohesive and inclusive event.”