Virgin Media O2

Collaborative is how the judges described Virgin Media O2’s corporate affairs team. All silos have gone. The team is one strategic unit, stretching from external and internal affairs to public affairs, sustainability, events and content – working as one to serve its audiences.

But it wasn’t always thus. Born out of the merger of two megabrands, the newly unified corporate affairs team was initially spread across different locations. Yet it wasn’t truly gelling. Virgin Media O2’s annual You Say survey revealed declining satisfaction.

The response to the question ‘Does VMO2 do a good job of communicating with employees?’ fell to 63, while clarity – understanding the team’s strategy, priorities and contribution – dropped to 72.

It was time to reset. This led to honest conversations within the team about their biggest challenges and a realistic, yet ambitious, vision of what it could achieve. Understanding that its purpose is to directly support VMO2’s wider business objectives – powering, protecting and growing – led to the definition of three strategic pillars to guide the work of the team.

Make it make sense
The team’s role is to turn complex business strategy into clear, compelling stories for every audience, whether that is employees, customers, media or the government. Internal comms was tasked with bringing clarity to 14,000 colleagues, while external comms and public affairs ensured consistency across the market and in Westminster.

Unite and engage
The team’s role was to rebuild the pride and sense of belonging that defined VMO2’s culture. The events team created memorable moments to bring people together, while its content and channels specialists made sure every touchpoint reinforced the unified culture.

Drive cultural relevance
The team needed to position VMO2 at the heart of national conversations, by tapping into the moments, movements and mindsets shaping modern Britain. But, more than that, Virgin Media O2 had to stand out.

These three strategic pillars were rooted in accountability. Measurement underpinned all the team’s work to demonstrate how each initiative contributed to clear business outcomes and stakeholder value.

Four stand out campaigns demonstrated the breadth and impact of the corporate affairs team’s work. 

Creating a cultural phenomenon
When customer fraud enquiries contributed to a rise in negative media coverage, it became apparent that the traditional warnings were not cutting through. Working across the spectrum, the team created Daisy, an AI-powered granny who held real-time conversations with spammers, wasting their time.

The septuagenarian, who liked nothing more than talking about her family and knitting, generated more than 2,000 pieces of news coverage, and more than one million YouTube views.

But Daisy was also used internally to explain the financial results to colleagues, while the public affairs team used her to demonstrate industry leadership to policymakers. While customer satisfaction with VMO2’s fraud detection rose ten percentage points in seven months.

Fighting for music fans
Virgin Media O2’s own research revealed ticket touts cost Britain’s music fans around £145 million every year, with 62 per cent not even realising they have overpaid buying through resellers.

The research was used as a hook to engage the media, politicians and industry experts, positioning O2 as an authoritative view, and cited when the government launched a consultation, while a Stamp It Tout campaign drove consumer responses to the initiative. Independent polling showed that the campaign changed perceptions around O2, and awareness of its fairer ticketing initiatives rose seven per cent.

Can Do campaign
Internal comms led a Can Do year-long campaign to rebuild VMO2’s culture as a company that cared about customers. A series of events, such as a Can Do Carnival and Can Do Quarterlies, coupled with a Shout recognition programme, created a genuine buzz throughout the business.

The Engagement Index rose ten points to 76, while colleagues’ opinion of communications rose seven points to 70. Leaders’ communications leapt 19 points to 72.

Creating its first HQ
Handling the consolidation of legacy offices into a new Paddington hub involved all units within the corporate affairs team, from the press office handling interest in VMO2’s property strategy to internal comms positioning employees as ‘collective project managers’, rather than passive recipients of change, to the events team launching opening ceremonies. Targeted Paddington bulletins generated 70 per cent open rates. Daily attendance at Paddington has risen from an average of 327 at the old Hammersmith headquarters to 517.

The entry articulated how Virgin Media O2 has built a team and a culture that reflects the society it serves, empowering everyone to think strategically and act boldly, while hosting placements to offer hands-on experiences and mentorships. Today, 94 per cent of the team say they are comfortable being themselves at work.

The judges described the team as a ‘really impressive example of strategic, creative and operational communications, delivering measurable business, cultural and reputational outcomes’, adding: ‘Their ability to combine creativity with operational, excellence and employee engagement, was stand-out.’