I am me
One of East Midlands Railway’s core values is We Embrace Diversity, and to bring that to life, the company launched a 12-part, year-long video and e-newsletter campaign entitled I am me featuring colleagues explaining their challenges or experiences, hoping that these would influence or help others.
To ensure that its diversity and inclusivity campaign was not seen as tokenistic by its 2,500 plus employees, East Midlands Railway sought volunteers to participate.
It embarked on an internal campaign, promoting the opportunity to take part via its companywide newsletters and social channels, as well as engaging with its six Employee Network Groups, which represent more than 1,500 colleagues.
More than 40 colleagues volunteered to be interviewed. Each interview, which was filmed by AV IT Media, followed a similar structure but the theme and subject matter were inspired by each interviewee’s personal story.
East Midlands Railway’s existing internal communications channels are branded We are EMR, which inspired the campaign’s name. Each interview ended with the words I am me. We are EMR.
The videos, which were released each month, as part of an I am me e-newsletter, focused on themes such as faith and religion, race equality, hidden disabilities, being a carer and LGBTQ+. Each directed viewers to accessible support and resources.
The timing of each video’s release often linked to a relevant event, such as Race Equality which coincided with Black History Month, or faith and religion coinciding with Easter and Eid.
With 57% of working-age people experiencing a bereavement in the past five years, it is perhaps not surprising that the most popular video was one that addressed bereavement. More than 280 employees subsequently accessed bereavement and mental health resources through East Midlands Railway’s SharePoint, while 67 people updated their next of kin information.
The final video, which showcased all 12 interviews, was prominently displayed on more than 57 digital screens in staff rooms and offices, playing more than 100,000 times in one month.
In March 2024, East Midlands Railway achieved Gold Standard in the context of the Inclusive Employers Standard, a globally recognised workplace accreditation, becoming the first rail operator to do so. Its I am me campaign was recognised as an exemplary model of inclusive internal communications.
Participants in the video series said they had been touched by the response of their colleagues while many others shared their own personal experiences on the company’s Facebook group. The campaign also prompted many colleagues to seek additional information from the resources made available.
The judges ‘loved’ the way East Midlands Railway extended the We are EMR strapline to include I Am Me, and were similarly impressed ‘with the extent to which the team took a truly inclusive approach to reaching all colleagues’.
They concluded that the campaign ‘was well thought out, planned and executed, with demonstrable results to prove measurement of impact’.