It is aimed at working professionals and may be interested in joining the company. However, because it is an external-facing brand it still represents Netflix.
The world changed dramatically overnight because of COVID-19, and the global Black Lives Matter protests. The employer branding team realized that it had to adapt its strategy to reflect this new reality.
Marquise Mcoy, program manager for employer brand at Netflix, says, "It is very important that you are aware of the world, in your communities." She also stated, "And that we match what's happening in the world in a suitable way."
Marquise was joined at the virtual conference by Amir Moini (Nielsen's lead for employer branding), to talk about the steps taken to show empathy and their culture. These are the pivot points they made:
- We must move away from "edgy branding" and towards content that inspires joy, courage, and feels relevant
Amir and Marquise had to quickly figure out how they would continue to produce their core content in a virtual setting after the shift to remote working. They had to first determine if any of the planned projects could be rethought.
Marquise states, "We had to really take a step back, look at our work holistically over the year, as well into 2021." He also says that "we had to examine what projects were going on, which projects were going ahead or delayed, and which projects were going forward that we would have never done before."
Also, the tone of the content had to be changed. The WeAreNetflix brand is a strong focus on human stories. However, humor may not be appropriate given the current climate.
Amir states, "Maybe in our past, we would have done more edgy stuff." It just doesn't feel right to be in the limelight. We want to emphasize more themes of courage and community, unity and authenticity. These are the things that bring smiles to people's faces and inspire them.
This approach is illustrated in a recent post that the team shared. It features a screenshot taken from Brene Brown's Netflix documentary The Call to Courage. Brene explains that vulnerability is having the courage and will to be vulnerable, even when you don't have control over the outcome.
Amir states that it can be used to relate to many situations, including those where people have lost their jobs or are feeling anxious about the future. We want to provide comfort through their newsfeed, no matter what it may be.
Another piece of content that is uplifting was created by a Netflix team from Spain who decided to wear the colors rainbow during a video conference.
Amir states, "We thought this would bring a smile on people's faces." It also shows the joy and community that our team shares.
Amir and Marquise will continue to work hard to ensure the WeAreNetflix brand is distinctive and memorable, despite this change in direction. They were hesitant to post screenshots of remote teams after a number of companies had done so. But then they saw the Spain team's vibrant meeting and decided to reconsider.
Amir states, "We felt it was unique enough for us to cut through all the noise." "Is there another company doing this? If they are, what can I do differently to make it stand out?
For a few weeks, this approach brought joy in a difficult situation. Then, Ahmaud, Breonna Taylor, and Rayshard Brooks were killed. This sparked a worldwide conversation about racial injustice.
Marquise and Amir knew the Black community was in pain. They knew that Black professionals had felt marginalized and silenced in the past. They realized that Netflix had a powerful platform that could be used for Black voices and created a video where Netflix employees discussed what it meant to them to be Black.
This is only one example of the content Netflix has produced to help Black Lives Matter. A panel discussion featuring Black animators discusses how to foster diversity and community in the future is another good example.
"It felt the right time for us to encourage and continue building the Black community of animation," Stevi Carter, development executive at Netflix feature animation production, said in the introduction. "And honestly have a real conversation about how we're doing it and what's happening right now."
- It is important to prioritize content that gives back, like informative webinars.
Amir and Marquise were not content to provide inspiration or courage but wanted to emphasize the importance of giving back.
Amir clarifies that we don't want content that is self-congratulatory, or about our personal philanthropic efforts. We want the content to give people practical takeaways they can use in their lives and companies.
This is evident in a video that the team recently produced. It features leaders from some of Netflix's employee resources groups (ERGs), who discuss their roles in the company, how they got started, and the conversations they are having.
Marquise says, "When we looked at our work and the world around us, we realized these leaders were the ones who provide community and comfort to many of our employees." We wanted to share our successes and challenges as well as our learnings with the rest of the world, so people could benefit from them, whether they're starting an ERG themselves or looking to expand their existing ERG.
- Quality over quantity, even if it means posting only once per month
Marquise and Amir had hit the pause on several of their planned campaigns. This meant that they had less content to work with.
However, they didn't see this as a problem. They decided to put quality above quantity, even though this meant spacing outposts. Amir points out that it was unlikely anyone would want a new Instagram post by the team when there was so much else going on. It was better to wait until they had something to say.
He advises that you prioritize having engaging, meaningful content. This will ensure that every time you share something, it resonates well with your audience in a meaningful way.
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Final thoughts
Amir and Marquise offer five tips for anyone who is unsure of how to position their employer branding strategy in today's marketplace.
- You should focus on creating content that inspires and is empathic without appearing naive.
- Make sure you are giving back to others and don't show pride in your accomplishments.
- It doesn't have to be all about current events. People need to take a break from time to time, and it's okay for them to get that.
- Instead of focusing on the perks offered by your company, showcase your culture and people.
- Remember that every person's situation is different. Therefore, even though we are all in this together, certain people and communities will be disproportionately affected by the current circumstances. According to the old saying, "We are all in the same storm but not in the exact same boat."
Amir states that not everyone has a work-from-home setup. You have many people following your pages and channels so it is important to pay attention to what you are posting and how it resonates with them.
