At Otis, the world’s leading elevator company, the communications team had been sold on the benefits of employee advocacy for some time. Employee voices travel further, land better, and feel more authentic than anything pushed out through brand channels.

But the real question wasn’t why advocacy mattered, but how to do it well enough to get the whole organization involved.

When their previous tool sunsetted, that question became urgent. People still wanted to share. Communications still wanted structure. Leadership still wanted proof. What they didn’t have was a platform that could bring all of this together on a global scale (see: Haiilo Advocacy).

The challenge

1. A global brand without a global way to share

When LinkedIn Elevate was discontinued, Otis lost the one place colleagues could reliably find content. Interest stayed high, but guidance disappeared. Employees asked:

• What’s safe to share?
• Where do I find approved content?
• How do I build my personal brand on LinkedIn?
  

Without structure, advocacy became inconsistent. Or just stopped altogether.

2. Tools that didn’t fit the scale

Otis tested other platforms, but few balanced ease of use, analytics, and global readiness. For a workforce spread across many regions and languages, that combination wasn’t optional.

3. Hesitation and mixed confidence

Many employees weren’t sure what was permitted when it came to sharing on social media. Others worried about “getting it wrong,” says Erika Heyer-Watts, who leads social media and their advocacy efforts at Otis. Without coaching or clarity, engagement was uneven – and a little fearful.

The solution

A global advocacy space colleagues actually want to use

Haiilo immediately solved one of Otis’ biggest blockers: language.

Content uploaded once can now be read and shared everywhere. No manual translation. No regional headaches. Just a global programme that finally felt global.

Analytics leadership can act on

Otis didn’t just need activity numbers. They needed proof of impact.

With Haiilo, the team can now show:

• Who’s sharing
• What content performs
• How far organic reach extends
• How advocacy is growing month by month
  

For the first time, leadership can clearly see the ROI of employee advocacy.

Some teams even used analytics as the spark for friendly competition amongst their teams, with monthly leaderboards built into the platform.

Content that’s organized, not overwhelming

Instead of one long feed, Haiilo lets Otis structure content by theme, topic, or region. People find what they need quickly. Admins can curate strategically, while everyone’s experience feels smoother.

Sharing that feels safe, quick, and rewarding

Haiilo removed the fear factor completely for Otis employees. Everyone now knows:

• Content is pre-approved
• They can’t accidentally post something risky
• Scheduling takes seconds
• They can build their own voice while supporting the brand
  

To give one small example that had a big impact, a simple mobile video of a mechanic’s 3D-printed mini elevator went viral across employee networks. It was human, proud, and unmistakably Otis. The kind of story advocacy is made for.

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Training that builds confidence, not just competence

‍Aside from the Haiilo platform itself, Otis trains employees on modern social media behavior, personal brand building, and best practice copywriting.

Sessions typically cover:
- How social media works at Otis
- How to set up a strong LinkedIn profile
- What to share (and what not to)
- How to mix Otis content with third-party content
- How to avoid looking like an “ Otis marketing machine” on LinkedIn

For example, the team suggests that for every Otis post shared, employees should consider sharing two or three pieces of third-party content. And simple tips like this can make advocacy feel authentic, not corporate.

Even colleagues who were initially sceptical – even openly dismissive – became active advocates once they saw how easy and flexible Haiilo was, especially with multiple caption options for every post.

The impact

Three years in, Otis’ advocacy programme is:

• Bigger, with higher adoption rates (we added 100 users this year, reaching 2.5 million more users on LinkedIn vs 2024)
• Clearer, with a shared understanding of what “good” looks like
• More confident, with colleagues posting in their own voice
• More measurable, with analytics that prove real brand impact ( +1.5K engagements and 400+ shares from employees vs 2024as well.)
  

According to Heyer-Watts, the biggest shift is cultural:

“Haiilo helped remove the social-sharing hesitation that once held Otis back.”

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Now employees aren’t just allowed to advocate, they’re excited to do so – with obvious benefits for the organization.

What's next?

Looking ahead, Otis plans to continue:

• Expanding advocacy into more regions and functions
• Empowering more peer-led coaching
• Supporting more authentic, colleague-led storytelling
• Embedding advocacy as an everyday habit across the business