Summary
The award-winning show, Birlasoft On Air (BOA) Revolutionizes Corporate Communication! Uniting a diverse global workforce, BOA's tech-driven approach and content strategy redefine internal communication, enhancing brand sentiment. Breaking barriers post-merger and navigating hybrid work challenges, BOA's 100-week consistency inspired the birth of Tech Lyceum- an external-facing Podcast by Birlasoft. Celebrating achievements, shaping culture, and engaging a wider community, BOA stands as a beacon of innovative corporate storytelling.
Challenge
Objectives: 1. Enhanced Internal Communication: Establish a robust internal communication channel to consistently disseminate company updates, cultural insights, and key information. 2. Employee Engagement and Morale Boost: Create a platform that celebrates individual and collective achievements, reinforcing a positive corporate culture and boosting employee morale. 3. Global Reach and Inclusivity: Overcome geographical barriers by delivering content that resonates with a diverse, globally dispersed workforce, ensuring inclusivity and relevance across regions. 4. Brand Sentiment Enhancement: Elevate the brand sentiment by showcasing Birlasoft as a Great Place to Work, aligning the workforce with the company's values and growth trajectory. Business Challenge(s): 1. Cultural Integration Post-Merger: A paramount objective was to establish a platform capable of seamlessly weaving together the distinct cultures of KPIT and Birlasoft, cultivating a shared identity that resonates throughout the merged organization. 2. Hybrid Work Models: Amidst the challenges posed by COVID-19 and the subsequent transition out of the remote work era, we identified the critical need for a steadfast communication platform that goes beyond geographical limitations. 3. Information Overload: Address the challenge of information overload in a digital age, providing a curated and engaging platform for employees to stay informed without feeling overwhelmed.
Objective
Birlasoft strategically embraced technology to enhance internal communication across its global workforce. Leveraging the transformative power of podcasts, the chosen medium played a pivotal role in fostering a 'listening culture' within the organization. Seamlessly integrating various technological tools, we transcended geographical barriers to deliver compelling content consistently to our 12,500+ employees worldwide. The podcast emerged as a solution to the challenge of reaching a dispersed workforce, particularly post-Covid-19, serving as a platform for disseminating information, sharing corporate culture, and celebrating individual and collective achievements. Our data strategy became the campaign's backbone, enabling targeted communication, measuring engagement metrics, and adapting content based on real-time feedback. The ability to analyze listenership patterns and impact on brand sentiment allowed continuous refinement, making the podcast a powerful tool for sustained growth and positive company culture. As a testament to Birlasoft On Air's (BOA) success, it led to the launch of Tech Lyceum—an outward-facing podcast series sharing tech insights and expertise with a broader external audience. This strategic expansion aligns with our commitment to extending valuable knowledge beyond organizational boundaries and engaging with a wider community of listeners.
Strategy
Vision: Birlasoft On Air aimed to redefine internal communication, creating a dynamic platform that transcends geographical boundaries, fosters inclusivity, and amplifies the corporate narrative. Our Approach: 1. Team Collaboration: A cross-functional team was formed, including content creators, production experts, communication specialists, and technology professionals. Regular collaboration ensured seamless execution, leveraging each team member's expertise. 2. Tech-Driven Production: Harnessing a spectrum of cutting-edge technologies, we transcended traditional barriers by taking the studio experience to everyone's desk. This innovative move eliminated a significant technological hindrance, ensuring a smooth production process. We equipped our team with user-friendly hardware, including powerful microphones and noise reduction software. Geographical challenges were overcome by leveraging widely adopted platforms such as MS Teams and Zoom, allowing us to facilitate high-quality recordings. Our technology-enabled podcasts established an inclusive platform for leaders, managers, and every team member to effortlessly share insights, initiatives, and achievements. 3. Content Diversity: BOA captivates its listeners by crafting a tapestry of compelling content, seamlessly combining insights from leaders with educational and informative treasures across various domains. From the realms of entertainment and company news to the intricacies of processes, cultural tenets, industry trends, BOA unfolds a rich blend of topics. It navigates through the landscape of values, introduces frameworks like POSH, and addresses imperatives such as Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, ESG and much more. 4. Consistency in Execution: Consistently releasing a new episode every week for the past 100 weeks since its launch on January 7, 2022, highlights our dedication to maintaining regularity and the importance of ongoing engagement.
Data
Hear from some of our listeners - "The hosts voice is very energetic, kudos for that. I like the quick update about the things happening at Birlasoft and the fun sections. Overall, I liked the idea, and it's refreshing, something not related to work and may help employees take a quick break and enjoy the updates" – Ganesh Lathi "Really appreciate the musical Friday with Family, it helped in relaxing the mood with Dance kind of Yoga Trick by RJ
Solution
Results
Awards & Key highlight: BOA won Gold at the 11th edition of e4m Golden Mikes Award, in the Best Podcast/Audio Series - Education category. Knowledge Repository: Our podcast has become a recognized asset serving as a vehicle for new program launches, disseminating cultural insights, delivering key news updates, and a conduit for shaping the corporate narrative. Launch of Tech Lyceum: Expanding our podcast portfolio, Birlasoft proudly introduced Tech Lyceum, an exciting addition to our external-facing content. Extended Family: BOA has broadened its influence beyond employees, showcasing episodes like the Employee's Kids Edition. Thus, this strategy expands our outreach and cements our podcast as a holistic storytelling platform. Engagement: With a global workforce of 12,500+ employees, BOA has consistently achieved an impressive average listenership of around 50%, per episode. This widespread engagement is facilitated through a multichannel approach, including Viva Engage, Email, Office transport, Digital TV displays, Cafeteria and Intranet. Brand Sentiment: The positive trajectory of our brand sentiment is evident through our recognition as a Great Place To Work in both 2022 and 2023. This achievement, coupled with sustained quarter-on-quarter growth, underscores BOA's integral role in cultivating a thriving corporate culture that resonates with our workforce.
