Last week, the German PR Award (Deutscher PR-Preis) of the DPRG was presented in Berlin. We are very pleased to have been recognized together with HDI Global in the category of Internal Communication. The award went to the case study “Participation 2.0: How HDI Global Is Reinventing Participation with AI and Creativity.”
Our approach: a creative, AI-supported survey format that fosters dialogue and actively involves more than 2,000 employees from 24 countries in the values process. This led to the development of a jointly created values framework that sustainably shapes the corporate culture.
Reinventing Participation with AI and Creativity
Traditional values processes involving interviews, workshops, and focus groups are often time-consuming and resource-intensive. Therefore, the goal was to develop a format that enables participation without causing overload—while also being perceived as an engaging experience.
In short: the survey had to be reimagined. Employees were specifically invited to work on the survey together as a team. Visually designed stimuli (“think boosters”) supported engagement with values in the day-to-day work context and encouraged reflection. In this way, the survey became the starting point for a genuine cultural dialogue. A supporting network of change ambassadors encouraged participation.
From Input to Value Framework
The contributions from more than 2,000 participants were subsequently analyzed and structured using AI and translated into concrete behaviors. However, the final word remained with people: the results were discussed and validated in focus groups. This resulted in a value framework that was introduced through a communication campaign and integrated into key HR processes.
Winning the German PR Award underscores the impact of this approach: a lean, efficient values process that has created a lasting cultural reference framework from a one-time survey.
Katharina Klahold
Associate Director
[email protected]
Photo credit: berlin-eventfotograf.de