Making ‘boring’ payroll a Quantum success

Our challenge

My Digital, a SaaS supplier for the temporary labour market, streamlines accounting and tax processes for recruiters, umbrella companies, pension providers and insurers.

From recording a single minute of work on a timesheet, to paying contractors and HMRC reporting, My Digital’s technology powers the financials of the gig economy.

Positive was approached by My Digital to completely transform their company from yet another “tired, boring” accounting software firm, to a trusted and leading voice in the gig economy.

Using the principles of category design, Positive worked with the My Digital board to conduct a thorough review of the competition, lead intensive brainstorming sessions and created an out-of-the-box PR-led strategy for My Digital.

Our response

Positive guided My Digital with PR-led positioning, laying the groundwork for the rebrand of the company and the evolution of its communication, redefining My Digital as a leader in reforming the gig economy to the benefit of workers.

Enter Quantum Employment Design (QED), technology to support work broken into its smallest parts. Pioneering this nascent category, Positive crafted key messages relating to the temporary labour market, leveraging My Digital’s in-house expertise on topics including:

• Employment tax changes – Positive led a campaign on the IR35 changes – a major tax reform for the temporary labour market – by creating an e-book to share with prospects on LinkedIn, infographics for social media, and opinion pieces placed in key press targets from the business and accountancy press.
• The Job Retention Scheme – The Chancellor’s landmark ‘furlough scheme’ captured the media’s attention. Positive shared My Digital’s CEO, John Whelan’s, opinion on the scheme and the wider context of today’s UK job market.
• The Labour Market Overview report – Positive used the monthly Office for National Statistics (ONS) report to comment on how the job market was revolutionising and what employers could do to keep up with these changes.
• Partnership announcements – Positive shared how My Digital’s fellow forward-thinking technical partners were championing QED, with relevant media to capture the attention of their customers.

The results

My Digital transformed from just another payroll provider, thanks to this innovative PR-led strategy. The IR35 reform campaign boasted a 47% connection rate from prospects, with over a quarter, 26%, of prospects engaging with the CEO.

My Digital’s rebrand saw an uplift of 850% on web traffic. The landing page alone achieved nearly 1,000 page views on launch day, compared to an average of 117 daily views pre-launch.

Positive secured My Digital coverage in key press targets. The CEO briefed and appeared in Management Issues, diginomica and Accountancy Today. Positive’s work sharing My Digital’s vision also resulted in national coverage in the Daily Express.

My Digital’s vision of Quantum Employment Design (QED), a phrase no-one had heard, resonated strongly with the media. Over two-thirds, 78%, of My Digital’s articles included mentions of QED, with 94% mentioning either QED, ‘Quantum Employment’ or the ‘Quantum Workforce’. Not bad for a “boring” payroll provider.

“There is no doubt our brand has more awareness than ever. The team loves the Strike concept and we are looking forward to growing the business with more help from Positive” My Digital CEO, John Whelan.”