Campaign Inspires Owners to Explore Employee Ownership
The Kendeda Fund asked us to create a campaign encouraging small-business owners to explore employee ownership, a business model in which employees own all or part of the enterprise.
But many business owners saw employee ownership as overly complicated, and not meant for everyday businesses. Messaging about the topic focused on benefits to workers, not employers.
Our research found owners who might be open to the idea couldn’t see themselves in the message—or the messengers. Winning Words message-testing found the most powerful language spoke to the owner’s aspiration to run a great business.
Our EO= campaign framed employee ownership was a tool to help them achieve their goals—Excellent Operations, Exit Opportunity, Enduring Organizations, and more.
The campaign highlighted business owners as messengers, sharing information in user-friendly formats on podcasts, webinars, videos, and conferences across the small-business media ecosystem.
A website welcomed busy entrepreneurs with quizzes, case studies, and a workbook that made it easy to explore EO. More than 600 owners responded to the call to action—tripling the campaign goal.
Campaign Website / EO= Workbook
Interested in advocacy messaging and campaigns? We’d love to talk with you! info@hattaway.com.
