Project Overview
Justworks is a human resources and benefits management platform tailored for small to midsize businesses (SMBs). With a mission to help businesses grow by simplifying the HR process, Justworks emphasizes transparency, innovation, and humanity in its approach to business. Ditto was brought on board to position Justworks as a cult brand and a leader in advocating for SMBs. Ditto's communications strategy focused on elevating Justworks as: A pioneering advocate for SMBs. A brand on a mission to empower people and businesses. A transparent, tech-forward company that prioritizes human empathy and business success. Through a comprehensive PR plan, Ditto aimed to expand awareness of Justworks’ initiatives like JustThrive, Guidepost, and Justworks Foundation, while positioning leadership as thought leaders in the HR space.
Approach
1. Core Themes: Leading by Example Ditto structured its plan around three key themes, focusing on distinguishing Justworks from its competitors:
Transparency: Using data insights and corporate transparency to build trust. The goal was to move beyond simply narrating stories and to showcase real action.
Humanity: Emphasizing Justworks' commitment to people, positioning its services as tech-forward but human-first, and fueling conversations around work-life balance and advocacy for SMB employees.
Innovation: Highlighting Justworks as an innovative disruptor in the HR and benefits management space, focusing on their unique services and approach.
2. Advocacy Initiatives Ditto proposed an advocacy plan that would showcase Justworks' dedication to key issues affecting SMBs and employees, including family leave, fertility assistance, and equal pay. A coalition of SMB advocates, including Justworks’ ERG and DEIB leaders, would host tailored events and discussions on pressing topics, streamed via LinkedIn Live and Twitter Spaces for broader engagement.
Key Activities:
Client Surveys: To identify the top issues affecting SMBs, allowing Justworks to align with relevant themes and advocate for solutions.
Small Business Advocacy Coalition: Engaging ERG leaders and SMB customers through in-person meetups, panel discussions, and local events in key markets.
3. Corporate Transparency: To reinforce Justworks' commitment to transparency, Ditto recommended releasing key internal resources to the public, such as DE&I playbooks, hiring trends, and salary data. By making these resources accessible, Justworks could position itself as a business support leader.
Key Activities:
Releasing Playbooks: Creating strategic content around Justworks' internal resources and pitching them to relevant journalists.
Culture Unwrapped: A podcast and live event series called “Startup Stories,” focusing on employee experiences at small companies, showcasing Justworks’ commitment to its culture and community.
4. Research Program: Leveraging its access to significant SMB data, Ditto suggested Justworks establish a structured, repeatable research program to build thought leadership and trust with customers.
Key Activities:
Salary Index: Annual salary data by role and market to generate media stories about high-paying jobs and shifting career trends.
Mental Health Survey: An annual employee mental health survey to drive narratives during Mental Health Awareness Month.
Benefits Survey: A yearly study focused on employee benefits management and satisfaction.
SMB Trends Report: A year-end report detailing SMB growth, entrepreneurship trends, and demographic shifts in the business landscape.
5. Justworks Ambassador Program The final component of Ditto’s strategy involved creating a Justworks Ambassador program, driven by ERG leaders and SMB customers, to build communities and foster a public voice for key spokespeople in Justworks’ core markets.
Key Activities:
ERG Meetups: Hosting regional meetups with ERG leaders and local SMB clients to discuss critical issues such as family leave and building an inclusive culture.
Events and Partnerships: Collaborating with organizations like Axios to promote and amplify the events and conversations.
PR Rollout: Key Topics
DEIB initiatives, including Pride Month and Juneteenth. Ditto planned to offer Justworks leadership for media commentary and thought leadership on diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) topics.
Emphasis on employee retention, wellness, and work-life balance. Ditto planned to leverage National Workaholics Day and stories around “quitting culture” to position Justworks’ leadership as thought leaders in the HR space.
Working parents and family issues, aligned with the back-to-school season and Women’s Equality Day. Justworks would highlight the Family Matters ERG and support working parents navigating their return to the office.
Ditto set clear OKRs to measure success, including:
Increased awareness of Justworks’ offerings through media relations and content output.
Amplified thought leadership opportunities for Justworks’ leadership team.
Established positioning of Justworks as a leader and advocate for SMBs ahead of its IPO.
Result
This structured approach ensured that Justworks not only gained visibility but also reinforced its values of innovation, transparency, and humanity—key elements in transforming it into a cult brand and SMB advocate.
Media highlights: 50 media placements, 31 Tier 1 publications
The New York Times: New Laws Force Honesty About Pay. Companies Are Catching Up
Fortune: Why Justworks’ head of people says manager training will be the last thing to go in the event of a recession
The Wall Street Journal: Why You Could Lose Your FSA Savings at the End of December
CNBC: Experts predicted Covid would normalize the sick day. It’s done the opposite
Business Insider: Unlimited vacation is a scam unless managers fight burnout culture
Cumulative Media Impact:
Total UVM: 530M+ (sum of the UVMs from all reported publications).
Significance: The media hits reflect a strong presence across key business, HR, and mainstream outlets, reaching core demographics such as SMB owners, HR leaders, and business professionals. Justworks’ association with high-visibility topics like compensation, employee wellness, and DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) solidifies its role as a thought leader.
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