PZ Cussons

Creating a culture of brand builders for growth

The Challenge

PZ Cussons, a global consumer goods business with a portfolio of beloved product brands, faced a critical inflection point. While its consumer-facing brands were strong, the corporate brand lacked resonance - both internally and externally. Internally, employees often felt more connected to individual product brands than to PZ Cussons itself. Externally, the employer brand was perceived as overly corporate and failed to reflect the vibrancy and community spirit that employees experienced day-to-day.

The business also recognized a need to:

  • —Attract and retain top talent, and appeal to younger generations

  • —Shift from a “family feel” culture to one that balanced authenticity with a performance edge.

  • —Align its internal culture with its strategic ambitions and global brand identity.

Our Solution

We embarked on a comprehensive culture and employer brand transformation. The approach was modular and insight-led, beginning with global immersion and primary research, and culminating in a clearly defined EVP and culture strategy.

Key elements of the solution included:

  • —Defining the Target Culture and EVP: We defined the target culture needed globally across the business, with a focus on innovation, entrepreneurialism and agility. A new EVP was created to set expectations, align people internally and attract the right people to realize the business strategy.

  • —Culture Playbook: the playbook captured the strategy in a practical guide ready for use by the People team and People Leaders, with hints and tips to start embedding the culture and EVP into the employee experience.

  • —Employer brand identity: A refreshed employer brand identity was created for a talent audience, introducing a new photographic style, colour palette, graphic device and ToV. The new identity was captured in a set of brand guidelines to aid usage and application across internal and external touchpoints.

  • —Activation & Measurement: A roadmap for embedding the EVP and culture across the business, supported by a measurement dashboard tracking talent metrics like retention, quality of hire, and engagement.

The Impact

While full post-launch metrics are still emerging, early indicators suggest strong momentum – teams are feeling a renewed sense of clarity and excitement for the future.