At Social Discovery Group, we believe the most powerful brand stories come from within. In this article, Veronika Likhnis, Head of PR at Social Discovery Group, explains how we created the “SDG Jedi Order” — a Star Wars-themed program where employees level up by creating content, speaking at events, and authentically representing our brand online. In this article, Veronika Likhnis, Head of PR at Social Discovery Group, explains how we created the “SDG Jedi Order” — a Star Wars-themed program where employees level up by creating content, speaking at events, and authentically representing our brand online. Social Discovery Group Social Discovery Group SDG Jedi Order Everyone talks about employer branding — how important it is, how strategic it is, how it drives recruitment, retention, and culture. But no shiny promo video or clever copywriting will ever tell your story as powerfully as the people who live it every day. At Social Discovery Group, we decided to stop telling and start showing. We launched the SDG Jedi Order, our internal ambassador program that empowered employees to speak up, share their expertise, and represent our brand authentically across real and digital stages. Social Discovery Group Social Discovery Group And what started as an experimental initiative quickly became a culture-shaping movement. And what started as an experimental initiative quickly became a culture-shaping movement. And what started as an experimental initiative quickly became a culture-shaping movement. Why bother if we can hire a content manager? Traditional employer branding operates on a fundamental assumption: that companies can control their narrative through corporate communications. But today’s workforce — especially top talent — sees right through polished marketing speak. They want to hear from real people doing real work. Candidates want to see stories and cases from people inside the company. top talent top talent At SDG, we spent considerable time thinking about how to create a simple and understandable motivation system for employees. One that would help them understand how to express themselves, what to talk about, and what they would receive in return. Most skilled professionals have valuable experiences to share, but they aren’t experts in writing or public speaking. They need a clear path to follow. After various attempts, we came up with the idea of the Jedi Order. Most of our colleagues, working in the tech industry, are Star Wars fans, so we decided to stylize the program around the Jedi Order. For each action, an employee grows within the Jedi system from Youngling to Jedi Master. May the force be with you Together with our design team, we created a unique style and developed visuals for each character: Youngling, Padawan, Jedi Knight, and Jedi Master. We established a dedicated channel to post Jedi achievements and rank progressions. We even created special emojis of these characters and branded gifts customized for the program. The Progression Model: The Progression Model: Youngling: Expert posts for social media
Padawan: Long-form content creation for blogs and case studies
Jedi Knight: Speaking at industry events and webinars
Jedi Master: Comprehensive thought leadership across multiple channels Youngling: Expert posts for social media Padawan: Long-form content creation for blogs and case studies Jedi Knight: Speaking at industry events and webinars Jedi Master: Comprehensive thought leadership across multiple channels This gamified structure addresses two critical challenges in employee advocacy: clarity and motivation. Employees know exactly what’s expected and what they’ll receive in return. Each rank has its own corporate bonuses. This gamified structure addresses two critical challenges in employee advocacy: clarity and motivation. Employees know exactly what’s expected and what they’ll receive in return. Each rank has its own corporate bonuses. Outcomes to share Outcomes to share Since the program’s launch, it has delivered impressive results: over 40 published articles and more than 20 speaking engagements at industry events worldwide. Thanks to the authentic content created in collaboration with our employees, we’ve doubled our community size across channels and significantly increased brand awareness among our target specialists. Lessons for Employer Branding Professionals Start with Infrastructure, Not Inspiration
Many companies try to inspire employee advocacy without providing the infrastructure to support it. We built the system: content calendars, topic suggestions, editing support, and clear communications about the opportunities.


Provide Dedicated Support
An allocated manager helped guide employees through the process. Most professionals know what to share and have valuable cases — they just don’t know how to frame them effectively. So we arranged meetings, interviewed people about potential topics, and helped them write and prepare for their speaking.


Embrace the Multiplier Effect All the content can be repurposed across multiple channels. A single conference presentation becomes a LinkedIn article, a podcast interview, and social media content — maximizing the ROI of your investment in employee advocacy. Start with Infrastructure, Not Inspiration
Many companies try to inspire employee advocacy without providing the infrastructure to support it. We built the system: content calendars, topic suggestions, editing support, and clear communications about the opportunities. Start with Infrastructure, Not Inspiration Start with Infrastructure, Not Inspiration Many companies try to inspire employee advocacy without providing the infrastructure to support it. We built the system: content calendars, topic suggestions, editing support, and clear communications about the opportunities. Provide Dedicated Support
An allocated manager helped guide employees through the process. Most professionals know what to share and have valuable cases — they just don’t know how to frame them effectively. So we arranged meetings, interviewed people about potential topics, and helped them write and prepare for their speaking. Provide Dedicated Support Provide Dedicated Support An allocated manager helped guide employees through the process. Most professionals know what to share and have valuable cases — they just don’t know how to frame them effectively. So we arranged meetings, interviewed people about potential topics, and helped them write and prepare for their speaking. Embrace the Multiplier Effect All the content can be repurposed across multiple channels. A single conference presentation becomes a LinkedIn article, a podcast interview, and social media content — maximizing the ROI of your investment in employee advocacy. Embrace the Multiplier Effect All the content can be repurposed across multiple channels. A single conference presentation becomes a LinkedIn article, a podcast interview, and social media content — maximizing the ROI of your investment in employee advocacy. Embrace the Multiplier The transformation of your team to influencer hub isn’t just about content creation. It’s about recognizing that your employees are already your brand ambassadors — and your job is to give them the platform, tools, and motivation to succeed. Your brand’s most powerful story isn’t waiting to be written in a marketing meeting. It’s already being lived by your employees every day. Are you listening? Are you listening? Are you listening?

This story contains new, firsthand information uncovered by the writer.

Corporate Influencer Hub: Turning Employees Into Brand Ambassadors

About Author

Comments

TOPICS

THIS ARTICLE WAS FEATURED IN

Related Stories

Untitled Story

AI in Customer Success: How to Balance Automation and Personalisation

How to Use Multiple GPUs with TensorFlow (No Code Changes Required)

This AI Model Doesn’t See the Line Between Text and Images

a16z Thinks Controversial Startup Cluely Is the Future of AI

Exploring Taiwanese Start Up Culture

AI in Customer Success: How to Balance Automation and Personalisation

How to Use Multiple GPUs with TensorFlow (No Code Changes Required)

This AI Model Doesn’t See the Line Between Text and Images

a16z Thinks Controversial Startup Cluely Is the Future of AI

Exploring Taiwanese Start Up Culture

Light-Mode

Classic

Newspaper

Dark-Mode

Neon Noir

Minty

HN StartUps