In this episode of The Employee Advocacy & Influence Podcast, hosts Lewis Gray and Elliot Elsley welcome Verena Camesasca, Digital Creative Content Lead at Philip Morris International (PMI). Verena was instrumental in orchestrating the complete rebrand, relaunch, and global scaling of PMI’s employee advocacy program, “InsideOut.”
By tuning into this conversation, you’ll discover how to transition from low participation to widespread advocacy across global teams. Verena breaks down how creating legally compliant content hubs, securing executive backing, leveraging live event activations with branded merch, and eliminating login friction via Single Sign-On (SSO) enabled PMI to generate millions in organic reach. You’ll also learn practical strategies for scaling non-English content and keeping long-term engagement high.
3 Key Takeaways
Build a Legally Compliant "Safe Space" for Regulated Sharing
In heavily regulated industries, employee hesitation often stems from fear of non-compliance rather than a lack of interest. Verena explained that PMI overcame this barrier by creating a centralized digital hub stocked with pre-approved captions, clear do’s and don’ts, and green-lit media assets.
When employees know that content carries a literal “green tick” from legal, their confidence to share increases immediately. For marketing and brand leads, removing ambiguity around compliance is the single most effective way to kickstart participation in conservative sectors.
Give Your Advocacy Program a Distinct Brand Identity
Treating an employee advocacy program as an internal corporate initiative often results in low enthusiasm. Verena highlighted how PMI deliberately designed a unique, aesthetically engaging brand identity called “InsideOut” rather than tying it strictly to the corporate umbrella.
Announcing the brand across global town halls and digital signage turned the program into an empowering internal movement rather than just another software deployment. Giving your program its own identity fosters community pride and signals to staff that their individual voices matter.
Eliminate Access Friction to Maximize Long-Term Adoption
User friction is the silent killer of platform adoption, especially when asking employees to perform tasks outside their daily scope. During the rollout of InsideOut, Verena noted that requiring traditional logins created a immediate barrier to consistent daily usage.
Implementing Single Sign-On (SSO) dramatically simplified access, allowing staff to authenticate seamlessly and stay logged in. For social media and program managers, streamlining the user experience is just as vital as curating high-quality content.
Ready to start your own employee advocacy program?
Whether you’re exploring employee advocacy or considering DSMN8 as your platform, we can help you get started with confidence.
Learn More About Employee Advocacy:
Lewis Gray
Senior Marketing Manager at DSMN8. Lewis runs DSMN8's own employee advocacy program, putting the platform into practice from the inside, hosts The Employee Advocacy Podcast, and launched the Employee Advocacy Certification Course. His background in sales informs his approach to demand generation and B2B content strategy.
