Immediately post-merger is a defining moment for any organisation. When Bally’s and Gamesys came together – two organisations with geographically and culturally disparate teams – they knew they needed to get their new shared culture right from the jump. After a process of research that took us from US casinos to EU tech hubs, we followed the red thread of shared experience to define a purpose, values and EVP that meant something to everyone.

When two major gambling businesses Bally’s and Gamesys joined forces, to form one organisation of more than 8,000 people in North America, Europe and Asia, the challenge was to bring together a diverse group of people, under one purpose and one DNA – creating an employer brand that would unify and inspire as well as attract new talent. Unusually, this was a project where we had to create the component parts of the Purpose and Values as well as the EVP.

We succeeded by giving a voice to people in all corners of the business, from colleagues on the casino floor to remote software engineers. We brought together a strong collective for the working group ; involving the CEO throughout, putting great design and experiences at the centre of the activation.

At the core of the project was the 18-person working group – a group large enough to represent the breadth and diversity of our far-reaching audience, but small enough to meet regularly. This group included the CEO, whose investment in this work was crucial, helping to positively influence the board.

It was also important to gather opinions from all corners of the organisation and we had the added pressure of a tight timescale. We conducted 17 virtual focus groups – one in each of the casinos in North America, plus groups across the interactive division in the US, Europe and Asia.

‘Born to entertain’ is the purpose which harks back to Bally’s 100+ year brand legacy and simultaneously points to the new vision of being an entertainment brand.

‘Engaging experiences everywhere’ reinforced their strategy – being digital, in-person, and all over the world.

As we developed the values set, we had to ask ourselves ‘does this work for everyone?’.  For example, ‘You make the difference’ was born out of the strong service culture at the land-based casinos, but is just as relevant to the online and business services teams.  Similarly, ‘love to lead’ comes from our sense of innovation and market leadership, which is a facet of both our online business, and a fundamental part of our land-based casinos.

The five strands of the new DNA are tied together with The Signature, a visual cue designed by the Bally’s team

The final part of our overall cultural and employer brand programme was the EVP, ‘Find your fun’, which was, and continues to be, a core part of their talent attraction.

To embed the new EVP, DNA, and purpose, we designed and delivered a range of assets, and advised on communication strategy:

• Leadership training programme
• Manager toolkit
• behavioural frameworks
• Onboarding brochure
• Recognition through Bally’s All Stars programme