Helping 600,000 global employees feel like they belong
DHL Group | ‘I belong’ inclusion and belonging campaign
Context
With more than 600,000 employees across 220 countries and territories, DHL Group recognise that creating a safe, inclusive workplace is essential to being a great place to work where everyone can contribute.
Approach
‘I Belong’ went beyond corporate communications by creating space for employees to show what belonging means in real life. Through blended images and personal stories, colleagues shared different parts of who they are, helping others feel seen, included and comfortable to be themselves inside and outside of work.
Outcome
Employees around the world contributed their own stories across internal platforms and social channels, helping reinforce DHL Group’s commitment to creating an inclusive workplace.
DHL Group’s ambition is to be a great place to work for all. For an organisation of more than 600,000 employees across 220 countries and territories, that means creating a workplace where every colleague feels comfortable, valued and able to contribute. However, belonging can be difficult to communicate in a way that feels authentic rather than corporate.
Rather than simply communicating leadership sentiment, the campaign needed to ensure these values and beliefs were being felt by employees.
Creating a global campaign with real employees at the centre
Rather than define belonging for employees, we wanted to help them express it for themselves. “I Belong” became a simple, empowering statement that put the employee voice at the centre of the campaign and made the message feel direct and easy to connect with.
Real employees became the storytellers of the campaign. Through blended imagery, colleagues showed the many different parts of who they are beyond work, creating a warm and visible expression of DHL’s belief that everyone should feel able to be their authentic self and contribute.
We worked with real colleagues from across DHL Group, reflecting different communities across the six key diversity pillars: gender, LGBTIQ+, abilities, age, beliefs, and ethnic and national origin. Through a dedicated photoshoot, we explored who employees were outside of work, including their interests, passions and experiences, and used these photos to create blended portraits that felt true to them. Employees also shared their own quotes and read them in the campaign video, making the final piece feel genuinely employee-led.
Enabling global participation in an internal inclusion campaign
For a campaign to resonate across such a large and diverse workforce, accessibility and consistency were critical. We developed a global campaign toolkit including ready-to-use assets, video content and a user-generated content guide. This ensured local teams and employees could participate easily while maintaining a cohesive campaign identity across regions.
To make participation as easy as possible, we introduced a flexible frame device and the #iBelong hashtag. This allowed employees across different countries and cultures to share their own stories using a simple visual format, while keeping their messages personal and authentic.
The approach empowered employees to become active contributors rather than passive audiences, helping belonging become something people experienced and expressed – not just something the organisation talked about.
How we made a meaningful difference
Thousands of employees engaged with the campaign during DEIB Week, sharing stories through internal platforms and social channels. On the employee app Smart Connect alone, more than 1,800 posts were shared and the most popular story attracted over 18,000 visits. ‘I Belong’ also generated strong engagement externally, with more than 25,000 reactions on LinkedIn.
By making space for employees’ own voices, ‘I Belong’ became something people wanted to join. It helped colleagues feel recognised, proud to share their individuality and part of something bigger than their own experience.
Big Insight
Giving employees space to share their own stories can strengthen their sense of belonging at work.
As a passionate advocate for inclusion, I believe that belonging campaigns must go beyond corporate statements and performative gestures. These campaigns only work if they create a strong sense of openness and acceptance. What’s so great about the “I Belong” campaign is that it feels employee-led – almost co-created – which gives it a level of authenticity that really resonates with people.
— Frankie New, Senior Content Manager
What we delivered
- Campaign strategy and positioning
- ‘I Belong’ campaign concept
- Employee photoshoot
- Campaign activation assets including posters and digital assets
- Employee UGC template and toolkit
- Campaign video including script writing and production
- Managers’ guide
Award recognition
Recognising its creative approach, the campaign received Silver at the MUSE Creative Awards in the Branded Content – Diversity / Equity / Inclusion category.
