scotiabank

Bronze winner for live client pitch at Miami Ad School for Scotiabank

October 2021

 

A Live Client Brief is a month-long competition that mirrors agencies–it brings together students in art direction, copywriting, and creative strategy. Together, teams develop a creative pitch to answer the client’s ask.

summary

It’s fair to say “The New Normal” for the workforce post-COVID still lacks true meaning and will be defined differently for every single person.

For the employees of the Marketing department at Scotiabank Toronto, it is no different.

The sudden, unexpected shift from working in-office to working from home was a forced exercize in adaptability. But despite the challenges the impacted workforce faced, lemonade was made.

Employees created workspaces in their homes, modified their workflows, maintained and, more often than not, surpassed productivity expectations, finding a way to make it work.

However, with the return to office plans imminent for many organizations, employees are feeling the pressure to once again face a massive course change into the unknown of what office life will look like - and how they fit into it - after the pandemic.

Scotiabank has a unique opportunity to work with its employees, to truly learn who these individuals have become, and what will equip them with the best tools to feel confident and comfortable when faced with the anxieties of returning to the Scotiabank office.

the background

In 2019, the world was turned upside down due to a global health crisis. Scotiabank Marketing – as with much of the world – has been working entirely remotely for this time.

During this time, there have also been numerous changes to the Scotiabank team: new hires and the shift of a new team under the marketing organization. There is also a population of employees who have never set foot in the Scotiabank Marketing offices.

For many, personal circumstances have changed over the almost 2-year period, including moves to suburban communities and new additions to families.

Returning to the office is on the horizon. This is creating a level of anxiety amongst the team.

the challenge

Working from home has been comfortable for employees because they can freely express their personalities in their own space.

 

why are we so connected to our homes?

  • we feel safe

  • we have choices

  • we express ourselves

  • we feel comfortable

the problem

The number of reasons to be anxious about a return to office after 2 years of remote work are many. But as organizations begin to open their doors again to new hires and returning employees, it’s difficult to quell all of the stresses surrounding yet another change in their lives.

the objective

Allay anxieties and create excitement for returning to the office for the entire Scotia Marketing team.

the insight

 

the returning workforce is not the same one that left

the idea

What if we cultivated an environment that spoke to these personalitiEs?

Our Solution

To help returning employees, Scotiabank will transform its office into a space that supports a dynamic, growing culture centered around employees feeling at home.

the inspiration

Thanks to some heavy deep-diving research led by the Director of Strategy at Thinkingbox, Helen Androlia and her thorough research on the effects of COVID on the workforce, we know that there are specific personality archetypes that have emerged out of the unique tensions, anxieties, and experiences of the pandemic. Helen’s research can be found here

By supporting the individual employee archetype, we can tap into their unique growth potential and craft an environment where they feel valued and truly at home.

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The archetypes

 

  • “Stressed yet blessed” - they picked up the daily yoga practice and they love routine. They crave balance. They have adopted the understanding they have gained more than they’ve lost.

  • The networker, the hustler, the readers and sharers of news. They are looking for signs of security, stability, reassurance and comfort - they are looking to be given a distinct role and they love to communicate, so let’s let them become the office message makers through copy and art.

  • At home, these people enjoyed escaping the noise, the news, and the endless conversations. Quiet, soothing spaces felt comfortable and calming to them as they helped them think and reflect.

  • At home, the Challenger is the mover and shaker - the organizer. They enjoyed attending online workshops, leaned into LinkedIn networking, and relished making plans for the future.

  • At home, this archetype represents the hyper-productive enthusiast who saw the pandemic quarantine as an opportunity to truly transform their skillset and pick up new hobbies.

 

the execution

is your home self your real self?

 

  • Employees are anxious about returning to the office and are all probably expecting some boring emails including endless questions and forms that need to be taken care of.

    The first email Scotiabank sends out will ask an important question:

    Is your home self your real self?

  • The employee is taken to a quiz where answers range from strongly agree to strongly disagree, allowing us to see which way they are leaning and which archetype they personify.

  • The Home Self quiz will help determine the archetype specific to each employee and provide employees with the chance to feel seen and understood as they approach a new phase of their office life.

 

home-to-office kit

 

  • A personalized office kit containing:

    Branded sweatshirt

    Slippers

    Personalized pins for your personality

    Office map

    Archetype-specific subscriptions

  • The kit includes colour-coded badges, slippers, and a hoodie that corresponds to each particular archetype.

    The Kit also has a map of the office and a subscription to SkillShare to satiate every Comebacker’s tendencies.

  • We want to communicate that not only do we value their individuality and growth but we also want employees to proudly display and celebrate it when they return to the office.

 

discover your zone

 

  • Archetype-based zones identified in the office

    The supportive, personalized zones are reminiscent of home

  • The colour-coded map from the kit will act as a guide to different areas that would be ideal for certain archetypes, providing a customized homing-from-work experience.

    For example, the green zones are perfect for a Reflector - isolated and quiet. For a Comebacker, the pink break room could be a great place to showcase new snack-making skills.

  • Everyone now has the space to be their home selves and the merch to feel like their home selves when at work as well.

 

meet the ambassadors

 

  • Scotiabank will give employees the opportunity to elect some Archetype Ambassadors.

  • These people will further define this new home from work culture and help it grow within the office.

  • They will act as a point of contact for everyone, organizing events for individual archetypes, bringing the different groups together, and encouraging people to learn from each other and grow.

 

the team

 

  • Heather Baynham

    Erin Fahey

  • Deryek Sandhu

  • Exilia Han

    Keshia Enns

    Silvana Infantazzi

  • Emma Hein