Company: J.M. Huber Corporation, Atlanta GA
Company Description: J.M. Huber Corporation is a portfolio of companies that enhances the performance of thousands of consumer and industrial products worldwide, including specialty engineered woods and materials.
Nomination Category: Corporate Communications, Investor Relations, & Public Relations Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Communications or PR Campaign of the Year - Corporate Communications
 Nomination Title: Vision 150 Campaign
- Which will you submit for this nomination, a video of up to five (5) minutes in length about the nominated PR campaign or program, or written answers to the questions? (Choose one):
Written answers to the questions
- If you are submitting a video of up to five (5) minutes in length, provide the URL of the nominated video here, OR attach it to your entry via the "Add Attachments, Videos, or Links to This Entry" link above, through which you may also upload a copy of your video.
- If you are providing written answers for your submission, you must provide an answer to this first question: Specify the date on which this campaign or program was launched:
April 2024
- If you are providing written answers for your submission, you must provide an answer to this second question: Describe the genesis of the nominated campaign or program: the reasons it was initiated, the challenges it was created to address, the problems it was developed to solve, etc. (up to 250 words):
Total 222 words used.
J.M. Huber Corporation is a portfolio of companies that enhances the performance of thousands of consumer and industrial products worldwide, including specialty engineered woods and materials. To continue the momentum of the last 140 years of success and grow in evolving markets, Huber set a bold new vision for the next 10 years, Vision 150. Communicating this vision clearly and effectively to a disparate, widely dispersed global workforce of 5,000 employees was mission-critical to success. Huber needed engagement beyond superficial or passive alignment. They needed genuine excitement.
We had three main key communications challenges at the outset of the engagement. First, we needed early and active participation from the Huber family and leadership to solidify communications before they could cascade throughout the organization. For Vision 150 to launch successfully, it had to be a top priority.
Second, we had to find a way to be inclusive of employees with vastly different roles in dispersed geographies speaking different languages. Each person needed to be able to see themselves in the unified communications delivered to all.
A third challenge emerged after the rollout of Vision 150: the sale of a Huber portfolio company that had been heavily represented in our communications. Huber's commitment and our highly coordinated roll-out plan were key to overcoming the challenges we anticipated and those we did not.
- If you are providing written answers for your submission, you must provide an answer to this third question: Describe the development of the campaign or program: the planning process, the goal setting, the creative and media development, the scheduling, etc. (up to 250 words):
Total 247 words used.
The internal Huber communications team collaborated with communications agency, Mountain View Group, to build a phased approach to the Vision 150 employee communications campaign around a pivotal Huber event: the Vision 150 Leadership Forum, a four-day conference held in Atlanta that brought together 200 leaders from across the enterprise, representing 11 countries and every major function and business. For each wave of messaging before, during and after the event, we designed communications on a cadence of aware, inform and engage.
From the get-go, the team decidedly chose to a concentrated and focused roll-out plan. Starting with buy-in and consensus from key stakeholders to rolling out with company leadership to cascading to business unit leaders and to all employees, this strategic approach enabled us to streamline communications and make efficient use of creative executions. Another strategic move was to include a diverse cross-section of employee voices from across all business segments and geographies. This pointed approach necessitated coordination across regions. In addition, Huber distributes employee communications in multiple languages and therefore, appropriate time needed to be reserved for translations, language confirmation, and distribution across channels.
The Huber communications team was fully committed to a successful launch and implementation of Vision 150 communications. Therefore, significant internal time was committed to this campaign. In addition, the company committed adequate budget dollars for external agency support for development of the messaging framework, visual ID, along with the execution of communication deliverables such as digital screens, the launch video, and creative assets.
- If you are providing written answers for your submission, you must provide an answer to this fourth question: Outline the activities and concrete results of this campaign or program since the beginning of 2023. Even if your initiative started before 2023, limit your response to activities and results since the beginning of 2023 only (up to 250 words):
Total 239 words used.
To date, socialization of the Vision 150 message anchored in campaign assets created by Huber and Mountain View Group has occurred across 23 employee meetings, including Town Halls, with a total of 3,297 employees in attendance.
We also held 8 sessions for managers in August and September that were attended by 314 employees.
Unique views and downloads of digital campaign assets created by Huber and Mountain View Group are 4,983 to date and counting.
The team established ongoing measurement through Huber's annual Employee Engagement Survey and more than 70% of all employees who participated were familiar with Vision 150, including 100% of VPs, 98% of directors and 85% of managers and senior managers.
The campaign launched officially at the Huber Leadership Forum. A post-event survey asked employees to rate how much more knowledgeable they believed they were about Vision 150 because of attending the Leadership Forum. More than 80% (8 out of 10) of respondents rated eight or higher.
Even more gratifying to the Huber organization is the enthusiastic response from employees like these:
“Vision 150 provides a lot of stability for the future. Knowing that the family wants us to remain family owned, knowing that we have got to the sixth generation and they continue to grow.”
“With Vision 150 leading the way, I think the future for Huber is very bright. As we focus on innovation, the opportunities that lie ahead are endless.”
- Optional: Reference any attachments of supporting materials throughout this nomination and how they provide evidence of the claims you have made in this nomination (up to 250 words):
Total 70 words used.
Huber Team:
Lea Volpe, VP of Communications & Community Relations
Drew Kelly, Manager of Design & Creative Services
Adam Simpson, Sr. Communications Specialist
Taylor Williams, Sr. Communications Specialist
Alyssa Casamento, Communications Specialist
Natasha Lindsey, Communications Specialist
Katie Hanley, Digital Platform Content Coordinator
Mountain View Group Team:
Senior Producer – Kris Johnson
Director of Photography – Tim Glover
Writer – Evelyn Creekmore
Production Manager - Nick Mills
Editor – Jimmy Milans
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