Novozymes inspires pride and direction with fresh internal purpose campaign

Novozymes is a global, market-leading biotech company, producing a wide range of enzymes, microorganisms, technical and digital solutions. It has a market share of around 50% of the global enzyme market and has an annual revenue of around DKK 1,500 million. The company is headquartered in Bagsværd near Copenhagen but has operations across 37 locations in 19 countries with a total of 6,500 employees worldwide.

In 2021 Novozymes launched a new strategy, “Unlocking growth – powered by biotech”. In connection to the strategy launch, their original purpose statement “Together, we find biological answers for better lives in a growing world. Let’s Rethink Tomorrow” was visually updated to reflect the new strategy.

Challenge

Every employee knows Novozymes’ purpose, but the company wanted to create a new internal campaign that could re-activate it, as many employees have started since the last internal launch of its purpose in 2015. Due to corona and a long period of separation among employees, the new campaign had an even stronger purpose – to reconnect Novozymes employees and strengthen internal community spirit. The campaign had to reach employees across all 37 Novozymes locations in 19 countries, and try to embrace and activate all 6,500 employees, from offices to production.

It was important to Novozymes that the purpose reactivation was done in a playful and engaging way – and differed substantially from more traditional corporate communication.

Solution

After exploring several different ideas of purpose reactivation in close collaboration with Novozymes, Sunrise landed on the campaign idea: “Drawing with purpose”.

The idea was to not only inform employees what Novozymes’ purpose is, but also to let every employee contribute with their own unique take on what the purpose means to them. We gave each individual the opportunity to draw on a simple piece of paper with the outline of the Novozymes purpose diagram printed on it. Employees were then invited to decorate it however they saw fit. In the end, each drawing became a frame in a film compiling all the different interpretations of the purpose from around the world. Every employee’s drawn contribution was collected and edited into a single purpose campaign film, with various employees from around the world put under the spotlight to explain their drawing.

Result

Sunrise and Novozymes collaborated in making a campaign that told the purpose of Novozymes and engaged 6,500 employees across the world. It created a unifying and social activity for the employees, as well as an opportunity to reflect on and share their thoughts on the purpose.

The final result was a strong purpose campaign that engaged employees and reportedly initiated strong feelings of pride throughout the workplace.