Česká spořitelna is no longer “just” a traditional bank. In recent years, it has jumped on the wave of digital transformation and, with nearly 1,500 IT specialists, is now one of the largest technology companies. The goal was to make this transformation visible not only to the general public, but especially to the IT community itself. For the bank’s further development, it was essential to gain a reputation as a modern and progressive IT employer and to attract new technological talents. 

 

DATA AS THE BASIS OF THE STRATEGY

At the beginning of the project, a survey was conducted to find out how Česká spořitelna is perceived by the IT community, what the main needs of people working in IT are, and what barriers they associate with working for a bank in general. The results of the survey provided insight into the community, identified goals and key areas that need to be focused on and changed in communication.

 

It turned out that we would have to build Česká spořitelna’s IT image from scratch:

• No one associated Česká spořitelna with an IT company and employer.
• Only 31% of respondents expressed a willingness to send their CV to the bank.

 

CHALLENGES WE FACED

When preparing the strategy and communication, we also had to take external obstacles into account. The Czech market has been struggling with a shortage of IT specialists for a long time. According to expert estimates, there is currently a shortage of approximately 20,000 specialists. Companies are literally fighting over technological talent. Corporate communication and image building are therefore becoming key steps in staying competitive. The bank’s position in this case is even more complicated because it often faces many prejudices that can make it less attractive as an employer in the eyes of the IT community. As part of our strategy, we therefore had to focus on breaking down established stereotypes.

 

CLEARLY DEFINED GOALS

Based on the insights, the following campaign goals were set:

• Increase the perception of Česká spořitelna as an IT employer within the IT community by 2%
• Increase the willingness of IT professionals to send their CVs to Česká spořitelna from 31% to 36%
• Transform the perception of the company and profile it as a leading technology company on the Czech market
• Support the bank’s IT recruitment

 

IT TRENDS AS THE CENTRAL THEME

IT trends became the key idea behind the entire communication campaign. The theme not only connects various areas of technology, but also resonates with society and experts, and is in tune with Česká spořitelna’s transformation into a company that implements the latest trends.  We chose a mix of communication tools combining traditional and new media, as well as owned, paid, and earned channels. Another important element was the strong ambassadors from among the bank’s experts, who spoke the language of the IT community and had great potential to reach the target group. The campaign also included media relations, podcasts, an online campaign, events, and Česká spořitelna also filled outdoor space. The ITtrendy.cz website was created for the entire project, covering all communication, and the company’s own social networks were used, as well as the personal profiles of the main ambassadors.

 

Our solution:

• Mix of channels: traditional, new, and owned media, strategic partnerships with key titles, social networks, podcasts, events, and outdoor advertising
• Strong ambassadors from among Česká spořitelna’s experts who spoke to the IT community
• New website ITtrendy.cz as the central hub for all communication

 

PUBLICITY ACROSS MEDIA

Our team’s main task was to ensure media coverage of the campaign. We set the topics, prepared the content, and identified suitable media outlets. We focused on strategic partnerships with key titles and formats that could reach both the IT community and the wider public.

1. Articles and interviews in leading media outlets with a wide reach
2. Social media networks that naturally expanded the campaign’s reach
3. Wired – we took advantage of the launch of the Czech online version of the legendary magazine and secured the publication of an article in this title. This allowed us to bring the topic to a relevant audience and support it with communication on the magazine’s social media.

 

ČESKÁ SPOŘITELNA PARTNER OF THE COMMUNITY

To further activate the community, Česká spořitelna joined the established Facebook group Programátoři začátečníci (Beginner Programmers), which is a unique move in the communication of Czech companies. At the time of joining, the group had 13,000 members. The bank became its partner and actively participated in the community. Posts were published on an ongoing basis, followed by free webinars for group members, and a new community website was also created where users could find key information about what was happening in the group.