Building engagement and culture through change.

Overview

Startup teams run on passion – but passion without balance burns out fast. We partnered with the R&D function of a global healthcare company to deliver a long-term engagement strategy that fits the pace, fuels the culture and actually lasts.

Find out how we used our expertise in Communications and our Embedded Plus model to keep momentum through rapid transformation.

The challenge

Our clients’ global R&D function was navigating the complexities of building culture and engagement in a fast-moving environment. Passion was high, but without balance, burnout was a real risk. They needed:

• A clear, focused approach to engagement — one that fits, not overwhelms.
• Ways to build connection and community across global teams.
• Leadership visibility that reinforced both culture and purpose.

The challenge lay in balancing agility with sustained impact, ensuring employees felt connected and leaders had the right platforms to amplify their voice.

The solution

We designed and implemented a comprehensive, multi-channel communications and engagement strategy that fits the pace, fuels the culture and actually lasts.

This included:

• Founder Engagement: A four-pronged strategy to drive culture and collaboration, featuring Engagement Connects, a dedicated Week of Engagement, an interactive self-service toolkit, and a quarterly recognition program.
• Awareness & Visibility: Monthly newsletters, manager updates, and quarterly town halls to keep employees informed, aligned and inspired.
• Thought Leadership: Coaching and content support for senior leaders, including a LinkedIn strategy, external speaking engagement support, and an internal podcast series.

Why it worked

• Focused to deliver, flexible to last.
• Built connection and community across geographies.
• Aligned to culture and designed to drive business goals.

The result was a framework that motivated without overwhelming — engagement made simple, sustainable, and scalable.

The value created

The program delivered measurable results in engagement, visibility and leadership impact:

• Stronger employee connection: 85% of employees reported feeling engaged, with 87% reporting a strong sense of belonging.
• Increased visibility: Newsletter open rates rose to 70.5% – 10% above baseline and well above industry benchmarks.
• Leader amplification: A 12.8% increase in external social followers, with consistently strong visibility of R&D contributions across company-wide channels.

The result: a more engaged, connected and inspired workforce, confident in their leaders and aligned to purpose.