How To Use Experiential Events to Showcase Your Company’s Employer Brand

In July, fitness apparel brand Gymshark opened a temporary barber shop on Regent Street in London. A strange move for a clothing brand. One of the company’s goals was brand awareness, of course, which would hopefully translate to sales once the company installs its first brick-and-mortar store in the same location later this year. Deload, which is what Gymshark called the barber shop, was also intended to get men to talk about their mental health.

In an Instagram post, Nat “The Barber” Bury, one of the “celebrity” barbers who worked at the shop, said about the project: “50% of people would rather chat to their barber than to their therapist. As a barber, it’s part of the job. You’re a community worker.”

I wasn’t able to corroborate the 50% statistic he quotes, but I think the sentiment is likely true: Lots of people are comfortable talking to their barber (or hair stylist, what have you), and while many people may have access to a barber, even more don’t have access to mental healthcare, or are kept away by the stigma.

This isn’t the first time barber shops have been used as training grounds for health, particularly among men. The Confess Project trains barbers on mental health first aid, and The Black Barber Shop Outreach Program raises healthcare awareness among Black men and connects them to Black doctors.

The barber shop is part of Gymshark’s larger campaign for mental health, also called Deload, which the brand describes this way: “Deload exists to deliver a stream of positive information, guidance and entertainment, that boosts you when you’re at your mental best, and supports you when you’re not.”

The company says consumers can find Deload: “Everywhere. Whether it’s a podcast on our social media platforms, a seminar at We Lift The City, or a personal 1-2-1 with an expert, Deload is an outlet that covers everything mental health from Gymshark.”

This sentiment is reflected in Gymshark’s employer brand. The company has five values: be human, give a shit, do the right thing, find the Gymshark way, and put family first, and wellbeing is attached to its DEI strategy too. I’ve seen DEI and B (belonging), but never wellbeing along with this bunch. I like it.

A company’s employer brand gets a boost from this when the same ideas and values are specifically called out in employer branding materials. This is necessary for cultivating a consumer-grade employee experience. If you praise mental healthcare publicly, you should make clear the ways you support the mental health of your employees.

For example, Kimpton made Talkspace therapy available to its guests and its employees, sending the message that the same care and thoughtfulness the company gives its customers, it also gives to its staff.

In 2016, the YWCA used a similar strategy to make a statement on the victim blaming that women often get. The organization opened a pop-up store in Toronto for a fictional fashion brand called Blamé.

Photo Credit: Strategy

Products in the store were examples of symbols used to blame women for being attacked—short skirts, a cocktail shaker, red lipstick—tagged with horrifying quotes from tweets and even statements from judges in courtrooms.

On the street, the storefront was wallpapered with sexy photos of an anonymous woman with the phrases, Are you asking for it? And What are you looking for? 

As far as I can tell, in 2022 YWCA Canada doesn’t have any clear employer brand strategy, but is relying on its general reputation to attract talent. Nevertheless, its advocacy work is well reflected here.

Gymshark does, however, have an employer brand and seems to be deploying Deload as a way to position the brand as a mental health advocate—the more clearly Gymshark links this work to itself as an employer, the more effective it will be. We’ll be keeping an eye on how they continue to expand the Deload campaign.

Emily McCrary-Ruiz-Esparza writes about workplace culture, DEI, and hiring. Her work has appeared in Fast Company, From Day One, and InHerSight, among others.

ABOUT UNCUBED STUDIOS

Launched in 2016, Uncubed Studios is a full-service creative agency with a client list representing the most influential employers on earth along with the high growth tech companies.

The team that brings the work of Uncubed Studios to life is made up of award-winning experts in cinematography, journalism, production, recruitment, employee engagement, employer branding and more. 

Interested in speaking with Uncubed Studios? Email us at studios@uncubed.com