Social network bolsters peer recognition at U.K. firm

O2’s award-winning Facebook-derivative network encourages ‘applause’ for colleagues who fulfill the ‘customer promise’ and burnish the brand

It won an award, has the support of 95 percent of its employees and engages a large number of staff on a weekly basis. It’s a simple tool called Fanclub, created by the innovative minds at O2 for a workforce of 11,500.

“Simply put, it is an internal social networking site that offers an experience around a single purpose—to create personal fans,” says Jenny Burns, head of internal communications at O2.

At the heart of O2’s strategy is the “customer promise” charter, which aims to deliver the best consumer experience and draw loyalty to the brand. O2 came up with the idea of launching a microsite so peers could acknowledge one another’s efforts. Thus Fanclub was born, recently winning the award for best internal communication campaign in the Corporate & Public category at the PRWeek awards.

A user-friendly structure