[Episode Fifty-Nine of ‘The Employee Advocacy and Influence Podcast] 🎧
In this special episode of the Employee Advocacy & Influence Podcast, join hosts Lewis Gray and Elliot Ellsley as they sit down with Catherine McFarlane from Barclays to explore their Creator Club, a standout early careers initiative making waves on social media. Catherine shares how Barclays launched their creator club and the reasons behind it.
Barclays focused on employee advocacy by giving employees creative freedom and a platform to share their voices, which has helped redefine their employer brand. This has provided employees with the creative tools, confidence, and autonomy to craft content that resonates.
This episode explores how employer brand teams can transform their people into powerful storytellers. Don’t miss this behind-the-scenes look at how one of the world’s biggest banks is reshaping social content from the inside out.
How Barclays' Creator Club is Changing the Game in Employer Branding
A major highlight in this episode is Catherine’s discussion on Barclays’ innovative viral strategy: the Creator Club. What started as a campaign has quickly evolved into a dynamic content model that draws attention within and beyond the industry. The Creator Club isn’t just about amplifying the employee experience; it’s revolutionizing employer brand content.
Instead of speaking on behalf of employees, Barclays let real employees, specifically grads and apprentices, take center stage. This shift in approach profoundly impacted engagement, bringing authentic stories to the forefront and making people truly care.
The Power of Employee-Generated Content
Catherine shares a standout takeaway from Barclays’ shift in strategy: the power of employee-generated content. When the company moved away from polished corporate videos and embraced content created by their employees, engagement skyrocketed by an impressive 1200%.
Lewis and Elliot agree that people connect with people, not corporate personas or carefully crafted messaging. Allowing employees to take the lead provides real behind-the-scenes insights, and who else knows a brand better than the people who work there?
Authenticity is Now the Core of Creative Strategy
Another pivotal theme in this episode is the concept of authenticity as the foundation of Barclays’ content strategy. Catherine explains how the Creator Club taps into the human side of branding by giving their employees a brief and then giving them full creative control.
This strategy doesn’t just capture attention, it drives deep engagement. Authenticity isn’t optional; it’s what sets content apart. By shifting away from traditional corporate messaging, Barclays proved that when brands embrace honesty and relatability, they create content that feels more like a conversation than an advertisement. This has proven to be significantly effective for talent acquisition.
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Learn More About Employer Branding:
Selina Sher Gill
Selina has a Master's Degree in Marketing and Brand Management, and is DSMN8's Digital Marketing Executive. She's a pro at creating and editing video content, using these skills to create short-form social media videos and edit the Employee Advocacy and Influence podcast.
