Equality is so much more than just a buzzword. It’s a solution. Companies who don’t make the effort to push for inclusivity, are rarely sustainable.

This was the case for the client; as a consultancy, championing a diverse culture within their own team meant they could better reflect their own clients. But an enduring ‘old boys’ network meant that women and other minorities were often ostracised.

They needed a significant culture shift. Not only because it made business sense, but because of the long-standing issues of harassment, abuse of power and bullying. The long-term strategy to tackle these issues was called THINK.ASK.ACT.

The client called on us to help them change the way their people thought about these issues, and remove the barriers around the conversation. They then wanted to follow through with a more direct approach, and encourage them to go beyond just talking about these issues.

We can all see change in the headlines. But it lives in our conversations, and our everyday interactions. With widespread issues of gender inequality and injustice under the microscope on a worldwide scale, it’s unfortunately all too easy to look past what this means for us in our own environments.

For the client, these smaller interactions were causing the larger issues. The aforementioned ‘old boys’ network naturally created an environment where the women, along with other minorities, didn’t feel welcome. And as a French company, it wasn’t typical business etiquette to address these issues head on, let alone talk about them.

This problem wasn’t just rooted in the organisation, it reflected society as a whole. Even though this campaign would be internal, the client’s efforts to address their own culture couldn’t be isolated from these issues.

For ‘Active Inclusion’, we featured real stories told by real people. We let the voices take centre stage (each one was supported by a unique visual language), and they all had a story to tell.

We steered away from the typical head-and-shoulder shot entirely. This removed the bias we place on gender, sexuality and race, and let the words be the hero.

https://vimeo.com/pinksquid/review/396926455/8bcb233c6b

https://vimeo.com/pinksquid/review/270628185/5072dfbf73

Then for Break The Silence, we realised that to get people to change their mindset about intervening in uncomfortable situations at work (harassment, bullying, discrimination), we needed to make them feel uncomfortable.

We shot a range of scenarios from a bystander perspective, most of which were based on true stories. Every shot is unflinching, and hard to watch. The diverse cast ensures every issue is represented appropriately.

https://vimeo.com/pinksquid/review/365298055/6546eed0f8

Through several sessions and interviews, we ensured that the honest reality of the day-to-day experience of their culture was reflected throughout the strategy THINK.ASK.ACT.

These sessions also made us realise that one swift cultural change from above would likely fall flat. This campaign needed constantly refreshing to ensure it was always relevant, and it needed to avoid sounding like it was from HR. ‘Active Inclusion’ laid the foundations for this approach, and brought these issues to the front of everyone’s minds.

The results showed that people were willing to open a dialogue and think about their actions. On the back of this, we then dialled up the campaign and became more direct with ‘Break The Silence’. Now that their people were both thinking more and making the effort to ask, it was time to act.

THINK.ASK.ACT was a long-term approach. ‘Active Inclusion’ laid the foundations, but we had to ensure that it gained the attention of all 200,000 employees. However, with the majority of their people working agile and off-site, it wasn’t straightforward.

Through a video campaign on the client’s intranet, we had the opportunity to inspire and educate employees both in the UK and abroad, through a series of targeted stings.

Break The Silence was presented as part of their D&I workshops, to help the training they were receiving really resonate and hit home. After gaining a huge amount of internal traction, Break The Silence gained the attention of the client’s UK board. This went on to influence a company-wide push.

Finally, in a revolutionary step for the client, they’ve started to take this campaign externally and deliver this initiative to their clients.

Part 1:

376 attended D&I Workshops

185 employees have since completed mental health training

70% now believe Capgemini embraces people

71% feel a sense of belonging

By the end of the first phase, 30 employees have come forward to share their experiences

24% increase in access to support

Part 2:

186 more attended D&I workshops

50% more registered to take part that year

16 Respect and Inclusion Ambassadors at senior level were chosen to push a company-wide shift

There’s still a long way forward. But with an approach grounded in gender-equality, THINK.ASK.ACT. has been a huge push towards creating a culture where bias is ignored and barriers for women and minorities are broken.

Instead of just standing by like they used to, they’re standing up. They’re actively carving the change in the world they want to see, and paving the way for similar companies to follow.