Winner: SAP – "Think differently about autism at work", The Telegraph
Diversity in the workplace is a hot topic but neurodiversity, particularly autism, is often overlooked, resulting in a clear knowledge gap. A Telegraph subscriber study of senior decision-makers showed that only 16% were aware of the positives of neurodiversity and only 5% had any knowledge of autism at work schemes.
The Telegraph collaborated with SAP and its media agency, PHD, to address this imbalance in a campaign centered on a high-level business event in March 2019.
The Telegraph’s day-long Diversity & Inclusion conference, in association with SAP, was attended by more than 200 business decision-makers and government policymakers. Thirty-five speakers (including people with autism and those employing people with autism) showcased how creating, developing and retaining an inclusive, neurodiverse culture can drive increased innovation and productivity.
Some of the key speaker topics were focused on inspiration – the positives autism can bring to productivity – and practical advice. Several roundtables were also held to deliberate on key talking points such as the case for flexible working to support inclusion.
To spark interest and start the conversation, two months before the event The Telegraph embarked on a targeted business campaign, across its portfolio, seeding the themes of the event in the Telegraph’s Business section.
The content was read by 84,000 business people, including more than 20,000 who read about how to design a neurodiverse workplace and 18,000 that read a personal story of a banker, who described having autism at work as "like having a super power".
The event increased awareness of the positives of a neurodiversity programme in the workplace from 17% to 47% and prompted brand awareness of SAP increased from 33% to 43%. Importantly, the likelihood to use SAP increased 17% and to recommend SAP by 42%.
The event "really helped shift perceptions and drive outcomes for us as a brand", according to Ellen Hudson, executive communications senior specialist at SAP.