National CineMedia offers ‘Brand Challenge’ to employees in effective rebranding campaign

The rebranding of National CineMedia (the largest cinema advertising network in the U.S.) was exactly what a rebranding should be: A statement about a significant change in an organization’s identity. For that reason, and many others, NCM has won first place in the “Rebranding” category of Ragan’s 2015 Employee Communications Awards.

NCM had experienced considerable growth and substantial change. To help employees understand that the rebranding effort involved more than just designing a new logo, the organization delivered a package to every employee’s desk, introduced by a note from the CEO. Employees also found that NCM’s intranet and website had been updated overnight to reflect its new identity. 

A gamification component was one of the campaign’s highlights. The NCM Brand Challenge featured a series of challenges through which employees learned about the new branding, how to use it, and where to find it—all while winning branded items, including water bottles, coffee mugs, and tote bags.  

To start the Challenge, employees first had to adopt the new email signature, then watch a short video, and then explore a “Brand Book,” available via a link on the home page. More than 60 percent of employees completed the challenge by the end of the campaign’s first day; that number soared to 80 percent by the end of the week. 

Employees embraced the new identity, reflected by the low number of improper logo uses the company encountered. The campaign was brilliantly coordinated, reaching even remote employees at the right time, and directly engaged employees.

Congratulations to Amy Jane Finnerty, Glen Hobbs, Jeff Goeke, Jessie Chamberlain, Jordan Edwards, Katie Dake, Laurie Trombley, Leslie Obletz, Lindsay Nordholm, Marcos Perez, Steve Ochs, and Tricia Vrzal!