Agency introduces behemoth to brand journalism, and to treating employees as clients

Pace, a content marketing agency, has brought Walgreens’ employee communications magic into a company many times bigger than Walgreens: the international behemoth Walmart. 

And Pace has added a new twist that is all its own.

For that feat, Pace has been named co-winner of the Best Employee Engagement category in Ragan’s 2013 Employee Communications Awards. 

In a showing of revolutionary insight, Pace realized that Walmart’s workforce of 1.3 million was a huge, largely undeveloped market made up entirely of avid consumers smack dab in the middle of the world’s No. 1 consumer paradise every day of the year.

Pace suggested that Walmart go after this market aggressively by listening to what cues and behaviors Walmart employees wanted from their employer, and by tapping workers as a vital source of practical stories, tips, anecdotes, advice, and wisdom.

The four keys to this strategy:
• Walmart World: Pace transformed the publication Walmart World into the personal voice of Walmart employees.
• Access: Walmart World empowered employees by giving them access to expert advice, early insider information (on sales, etc.), and sneak product previews.
• Information and inspiration: Workers discovered best practices, clues for advancement, and living examples of workplace excellence through first-person storytelling in Walmart World.
• Celebration: Recognizing worker anniversaries, career promotions, and volunteerism strengthened the “family ties” feeling among Walmart workers.

Walmart World is a multichannel content platform, not just a print publication. The printed Walmart World lands in break rooms and the home office, while Walmartworld.com is an internal social platform of articles, conversations, photos, and videos by and for employees.

Walmart employed a number of tactics to leverage Walmart World and its online presence in achieving its goals:
• Facebook posts publicly celebrate employee deeds.
• The company’s Pinterest page includes lifestyle content, Sam Walton quotes, etc.
• There’s a mobile app for Walmart World and Walmartworld.com (in development).
• Video storytelling happens on all Walmart digital channels and the Walmart TV Network.
• Pace remade Walmart World’s old-style ad-page model into an ads-as-content model.

The results: Pace’s new strategy is working. Far more employees read Walmart World. More workers contribute to it and to the electronic version at Walmartworld.com. Many more staff cut sales coupons out of the magazine and use them at Walmart.

The proof: The 2013 ad revenue for Walmart World rose by 60 percent over 2012. This big jump proved Pace had figured out the transformational keys in Walmart’s employee communications strategy. 

Congratulations to Matthew Larsen, director, Walmart; and Pace’s Walmart-project staffers Dana Adams, SVP, custom content; Amy Adams, group account director; and Adam Kleiner and Larry Williams, creative directors.

Want to get recognized for your hard work? Find out about Ragan and PR Daily’s award programs here: http://www.ragan.com/Awards/RaganAwardsPrograms.aspx