To evolve and strengthen the brand, City & Guilds asked its employees how they viewed the awards body, using the results to drive a new direction.
Staff helped develop a fresh brand strategy, which placed the learner, represented by a fictional character 'Lloydy', at its heart.
The brand team created videos of Lloydy and embedded the refreshed brand culture throughout the organisation, presenting the results to every department via meetings and employee updates.
An internal event, Market Place, brought everyone together, including learners and employers, to experience the brand. The event had 700 attendees, with 81% rating the experience as 'good' or 'excellent'.
To further embed the concept, back in the office, the brand team created 'Lloydy's room' - a meeting room decorated like the bedroom of a typical learner. City & Guilds has since launched a brand guide to the wider marketing team, using an internal teaser 'Thank you' campaign, with a series of posters illustrating the learner's journey.
According to a follow-up 2010 Employee Opinion Survey, 76% of staff said they felt committed to the City & Guilds group strategy as a result of this campaign - an impressive five-point rise on the previous year.
The change in brand strategy has also improved service provision and increased average customer service scores to 81.6%.
The campaign was a clear winner, according to the judges, who praised its energy, commenting: 'You got a real sense that something was changing here.'
HIGHLY COMMENDED
Aviva
Aviva's introduction of the brand promise, 'No one recognises you like Aviva', aimed to put staff and customers at the heart of its business.
In 2008, the insurance group launched a 'Customer Cup' to engage staff at all levels and put them in charge of delivering this promise. The global tournament invited its 46,000 employees across 21 countries to work in teams on projects that put customers first. It was promoted via posters, a handbook and a dedicated website.
Since the initiative's launch, 680 projects have been entered into the Cup. The overall net commercial benefit of entries for 2008-09 exceeded £16.5m.
'A well-constructed programme across different territories that was a great way to empower employees and get them involved in the business,' was the judges' verdict.
Also shortlisted for Employee engagement: Hays, Recruiting experts worldwide; HP, Palm sales apprentice; Phoenix Group, You said we did; Midcounties Co-operative, D.O.E.S. business