Digital Impact Award: shortlist

21st Sep 2010

DHL Express online employee photo competition shortlisted for Digital Impact Award

In 2009, a year of recession, DHL Express celebrated its 40th anniversary. To recognize this milestone and employees' input with a splash yet without extravagance, DHL launched a global online employee photo competition, designed and built by internal communications specialists theblueballroom with social technology company redcatco. The competition and campaign won Communicate magazine's Digital Impact Award for the 'Best digital employee communication award' in the 'Best use of digital to an internal audience' category.

The competition generated a staggering 5.6 million hits and 2,800 photo uploads. The inexpensive, globally accessible online solution reached out to all 500,000 worldwide employees of DHL and parent company Deutsche Post DHL and sparked a truly cross-border, cross-level conversation: this user-generated 'by the people, for the people' platform saw 3,400 comments being made on the photos. Page views spanned the full three months of the competition, demonstrating ongoing engagement.

The competition showcased DHL Express' amazing legacy and supported the company's 'One DHL' brand positioning, which celebrates a diverse workforce, global expertise and uniqueness, and joint capabilities. theblueballroom's expertise on inspiring communications for internal audiences, coupled with redcatco's specialist knowledge on social technology, made DHL Express' 40th anniversary a celebration to remember.