With a limited HR budget, three creative strategies were implemented. The first was to commission global economic analysis, calculating the economic benefits of bringing career-break women managers back into the workplace. If all such women worldwide could secure manager-level employment, we wanted to find out the value of the additional economic activity generated and the cumulative financial boost for those women’s households.

The second was to turn dry, economic findings into a short, shareable and creative animation that could communicate the message effectively across consumer media, with content translated into more than 10 languages for Vodafone’s markets.

The third was to create a narrative so strong, the conversation would continue for weeks. Activities were held across Vodafone’s markets in the days following the announcement, including a live panel in London which brought chief executives together with political thought leaders to discuss ReConnect and why businesses should retain career-break women.

The announcement and economic findings were drafted into a news release and shareable animation.

A global media toolkit was created for the 26 ReConnect markets.

The BBC, CNN, Bloomberg, Al Jazeera, FT and Daily Telegraph were given the release, animation and interviews a day ahead. Vodafone’s Chief Executive, Vittorio Colao, one of the United Nations 10 corporate HeForShe impact champions, did an embargoed interview with the BBC’s Today programme.

On 3 March, four working days before International Women’s Day, Vodafone released the news to more than 2,000 global Tier 1 media.

Over two weeks leading up to the announcement, a selection of leading business leaders and MPs, from Harriet Harman to Sir Philip Hampton, were invited to join Vodafone’s International Women’s Day panel on the 7 March to discuss ReConnect and ways that business could #BeBoldForChange – using the IWD hashtag to gain maximum campaign exposure.

• Tier 1 media coverage achieved in 190 countries.

• 1600+ news and broadcast pieces. Most online Tier 1 outlets used the animation

• Pre-recorded interviews with Serpil Timuray, Sharon Doherty and Vittorio Colao ran across Tier 1 media as the announcement was released, including the BBC Today Programme, BBC World News Radio, Al Jazeera and Bloomberg with a live CNN broadcast interview with Sharon the day before International Women’s Day.

• 210 million people reached through earned media.

• In the first five days after announcing the programme, Vodafone received 2,400 applications to join ReConnect from women on career breaks with management experience and above (applications doubled to 5,000 in 3 weeks).

• In an independent post-campaign survey of 2,000 people across five markets (UK, Turkey, India, Spain and Greece), 90% felt more positive about Vodafone as an employer and 92% felt more positive about Vodafone as an employer of women

• CNN reported ‘We need more programmes like this. If you’re on a career break you’re going to want to check that initiative out.’ The London Evening Standard reported ‘Vodafone boosted its credentials as forward thinking, family-friendly employer today with plans to recruit women on career breaks’. The Telegraph reported ‘Vodafone supports women back to work after career breaks’

In 2015, Vodafone launched a pioneering global maternity policy. Two years later - in a further effort to increase the number of women in management positions - Vodafone launched ReConnect, a global recruitment programme spanning 26 countries, aimed at recruiting female managers back into the workplace from a pool of 96-million skilled women on career breaks. This initiative will increase the number of women in management roles, with around 10% of Vodafone external management hires to be recruited through the programme by 2020. The global campaign announcing ReConnect reached 210m people through earned media, with 2,400 applications in five days.

Timing was critical, so the communications team created a campaign to launch one week ahead of International Women’s Day. This ensured that ReConnect was front and centre of global business news and Tier 1 consumer broadcast and lifestyle media.

The communications team followed 50 women in 11 markets over nine months who took part in a pilot programme, media training some.

The company’s most senior women: Serpil Timuray, Vodafone’s Chief Commercial and Strategy Officer, and Sharon Doherty, Global Organisation and People Development Director, were media trained for global Tier 1 media interviews.

News lines were created from the economic analysis, revealing an estimated 96 million skilled women aged 30-54 are on career breaks worldwide, of whom an estimated 55 million have management experience.

Approaches were made to the BBC, CNN, Bloomberg, Al Jazeera, Financial Times and Daily Telegraph, arranging embargoed interviews with spokespeople one day before the announcement was made.

Many women take career breaks, particularly when they have children. However, a lack of training, part-time roles and flexibility prevent them from re-entering the workplace at a senior level. Under ReConnect, up to 500 women on career breaks will be recruited into management roles over the next three years, accounting for around 10% of Vodafone external management hires over that period. Additionally, Vodafone will recruit up to 500 women on career breaks into front line positions.

The challenge was how to turn this recruitment drive into a global media conversation, setting a benchmark for businesses and getting career-break women from every industry applying.

To understand the situation, Vodafone surveyed career-break women across five countries. More than 80% said more support is needed for women wishing to return to the workplace and for those with family and care responsibilities. 61% said they wanted the option to work flexibly, 51% part-time.