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Compass Group is a global business that provides food and support services to millions of people. The company faced a challenge that all businesses face: how do you convince employees to take cybersecurity seriously?

At a time when businesses are being hit with ransomware attacks incurring incalculable reputational and financial damage, this is a critical issue.

The goal: educate employees about cybersecurity best practices, including how they can be the first line of defence.

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The Challenge

Compass Group partnered with IDX on a fresh approach: educate colleagues on the potential cybersecurity risks to the business and the consequences of not being personally responsible.

In the era of TikTok and YouTube, no medium can create a powerful emotional connection like video. But we knew an instructional video on the vagaries of password protection would be too dry and boring. So we instead dramatised the risks of employee cybersecurity lapses through four high-concept videos created with professional standards worthy of Hollywood.

Each video, shot in a single take, told a compelling story about what happens when employees let cybersecurity standards slip. Through short vignettes, the videos showed how easy it is for busy employees to cut corners (such as writing down passwords on paper and leaving them in a visible place) – and the potentially serious consequences (a hacker gets access to confidential financial data). The narrative structure captured the gravity of the errors as they unfolded.

The campaign used a multi-channel approach to reach the diverse employee base effectively. Compass Group leveraged internal communication platforms, including the intranet, email newsletters, and collaboration tools, to disseminate the short films.

Crucially, we distributed the videos on one of the most popular external platforms for employees: LinkedIn. The timing with Cybersecurity Awareness Month in October gave Compass Group a natural entrée to share content over a period of weeks.

The Solution

The videos delivered gritty you-are-there storytelling by giving the viewer a glimpse inside the lives of everyday Compass Group employees – from frontline chefs, to facilities management teams, to back-office desk workers. It was important that the videos be authentic – employees needed to see themselves and their workplace – so we shot the videos at Compass’s global headquarters.

Employees also needed to feel the palpable danger posed by an abstract concept: having your data hacked. So we humanised the threat by presenting the scenarios from the vantage point of a hacker (who reappeared as a villain in multiple videos), who eventually addresses the camera and discusses how lax security helps a hacker. And hurts people and businesses.

The realism delivered a much-needed message: one mistake is all it takes.

The use of short films with a single long take and character-driven stories was a creative breakthrough. This format lent authenticity to the narratives and captivated viewers, as they could put themselves in the characters shoes. In two of the videos, the decision to reveal only half of the conversations in the films heightened curiosity and engagement, prompting viewers to reflect on the unfolding scenarios. This unique approach differentiated our campaign from traditional cybersecurity communications, capturing attention in a new and compelling way.

Additionally, we used a tagline, “One mistake is all it takes”, to encapsulate the campaign’s essence, driving home the critical importance of cyber vigilance with a sense of urgency. By combining emotional storytelling, dramatic visuals, and a relatable theme, our strategy creatively addressed the challenge of cybersecurity fatigue.

The Results

The videos created a strong emotional impression and caused a ripple effect across the organisation, as evidenced by 35,000 impressions and 50 reshares from some of the Group’s most senior leadership on LinkedIn. More importantly, Compass Group experienced a notable culture shift. From the C-suite to frontline teams, people played them. Paid attention to them. Remembered them.

This was a major change in employee engagement with cybersecurity content, resulting in more engagement and understanding. Furthermore, post-campaign surveys and feedback mechanisms revealed a significant improvement in employee understanding of cybersecurity risks and the actions required to safeguard sensitive information.