In this edition of VMJPod's Employer Brand Series, hosts David Macciocca and Brie Mason sit down with Natasha Sweatman from Telstra's Employer Brand and Marketing team to unpack how to build and scale an authentic employee ambassador program.

Natasha manages nearly 200 Telstra brand ambassadors, what she calls "Telstra influencers", and shares the surprisingly simple systems that make it work. No fancy platforms, just a Teams channel where she posts "casting calls" for content needs and ambassadors self-select to participate. The approach is deliberately light-touch and informal, respecting that people have day jobs and shouldn't be nagged into creating content on top of their real work.

The conversation reveals how Telstra's program has evolved from a rigid content calendar to a flexible brand advocacy model where ambassadors engage, amplify, and create content aligned to Telstra's EVP pillars: belonging, opportunity, flexibility and technology. Natasha shares her approach to incentives (merch, internal recognition points, and early access to campaigns), how she tracks performance through monthly "top post" competitions, and why the hardest part isn't building the program – it's maintaining engagement while respecting people's time.

For organisations starting out, Natasha's advice is clear: don't take it too seriously, align content to your EVP, segment your ambassadors by key talent groups, and make it fun. The goal isn't just recruitment marketing, it's empowering employees to share their stories and build their personal brands.

Key Topics:
03:30 – Why authentic employee stories outperform corporate messaging
05:20 – The simple Teams channel system managing 200 ambassadors
07:40 – Balancing strategic content needs with employee authenticity
10:30 – Incentives that work: Recognition, merch, and early campaign access
14:00 – The personal branding pitch: What's in it for employees?
18:00 – Managing the reality of employee turnover in branded content
22:00 – Monthly "top post" competitions that gamify engagement
26:00 – Measuring ambassador program impact through recruitment campaigns
30:00 – Personal branding workshops: From grads to executives

If you want to learn more about activating your employer brand strategy and EVP then you can check out podcast.videomyjob.com for a library of industry perspectives and how-to's.

Now, if you’re ready to level up your activation strategy then you need an employee story video platform and that’s what we do! Go to videomyjob.com/demo to book a walkthrough with one of our video specialists.

Lastly, we’d love for you to help us spread the word about the VMJPod to attract new experts and practitioners to share their activation strategies, so please take a screenshot and post it on LinkedIn, don’t forget to tag us at VideoMy, we are so grateful when you do that!

In this Sydney edition of the VMJPod’s Employer Brand Series, hosts David Macciocca and Brie Mason are joined by Manuel Lopes, Employer Brand and Communications Lead at CPA Australia, to explore how employer brand is built, sustained and protected inside a member-based organisation.

Manuel shares how CPA Australia approaches employer brand through internal alignment, communication and credibility, and why trust must be earned internally before it can be amplified externally. The conversation unpacks the close relationship between employer brand and internal communications, the role of consistency in shaping perception, and how storytelling helps bring strategy to life.

Together, they discuss navigating complexity in purpose-led organisations, aligning leaders and employees around a shared narrative, and why employer brand work is as much about influence and clarity as it is about content.

This episode will resonate with employer brand, communications and people leaders focused on building trust, consistency and belief across large, values-driven organisations.

Key Topics:
01:10 – Manuel’s role spanning employer brand and communications in a member-based organisation.
03:00 – How employer brand shows up differently inside purpose-led organisations.
05:00 – The link between employer brand and internal communications.
07:10 – Why credibility must be built internally before being projected externally.
09:20 – Aligning leaders and employees around a shared narrative.
11:30 – The role of clarity and consistency in shaping perception.
13:40 – Using storytelling to connect strategy with everyday employee experience.
15:50 – Navigating complexity and competing priorities in large organisations.
18:00 – How employer brand supports trust, engagement and belief.
20:10 – Partnering across teams to influence employer brand outcomes.
22:20 – The challenges of maintaining consistency at scale.
24:30 – Why employer brand is as much about influence as it is about content.
26:40 – Measuring impact beyond outputs and activity.
28:40 – Avoiding performative employer branding and staying authentic.
30:40 – Embedding employer brand into communication rhythms and behaviours.
32:40 – Advice for teams balancing strategy, storytelling and execution.
35:00 – Reflections on trust, alignment and long-term employer brand impact.

If you want to learn more about activating your employer brand strategy and EVP then you can check out podcast.videomyjob.com for a library of industry perspectives and how-tos.

Now, if you’re ready to level up your activation strategy then you need an employee story video platform and that’s what we do! Go to videomyjob.com/demo to book a walkthrough with one of our video specialists or click on the pricing page to learn about our new 60-day pilot program.

Lastly, we’d love for you to help us spread the word about the VMJPod to attract new experts and practitioners to share their activation strategies, so please take a screenshot and post it on LinkedIn, don’t forget to tag us at VideoMyJob, we are so grateful when you do that!

In this episode of the VMJPod’s Employer Brand Series, hosts David and Brie sit down with Rachel Mehlan, Talent Acquisition and Management Lead (ANZ) at AstraZeneca, to explore what it really takes to step into an employer brand role and drive impact from day one.

Drawing on more than two decades in recruitment and talent, Rachel shares practical advice for employer brand professionals, particularly those stepping into newly created or standalone roles. She unpacks the importance of understanding business strategy, navigating stakeholder relationships, and demonstrating value through outcomes rather than outputs.

Rachel also highlights the realities of working within global organisations, including balancing global brand assets with local authenticity. From building internal trust to leveraging employee storytelling and aligning with marketing and communications teams, this episode is packed with actionable insights for employer brand, talent and HR professionals looking to establish credibility and momentum quickly.

For anyone starting a new employer brand role, or looking to sharpen their internal influence and strategic alignment, Rachel offers a grounded and practical roadmap for success.

Key Topics:
02:05 – Understanding industry, economic and business strategy before building employer brand initiatives.
03:00 – Conducting internal listening tours and meeting stakeholders to uncover challenges and opportunities.
03:50 – Why employer brand is often misunderstood internally — and how to communicate its value effectively.
05:10 – Shifting conversations from content outputs to measurable business outcomes like hiring quality and speed.
06:40 – Building strong partnerships with hiring leaders, marketing, and corporate affairs teams.
08:40 – Leveraging internal influencers and marketing allies to advocate for new employer brand ideas.
10:00 – Using global brand assets while maintaining local authenticity and relevance.
11:00 – Capturing real employee stories and imagery to strengthen credibility and engagement.

If you want to learn more about activating your employer brand strategy and EVP then you can check out podcast.videomyjob.com for a library of industry perspectives and how-tos.

Now, if you’re ready to level up your activation strategy then you need an employee story video platform and that’s what we do! Go to videomyjob.com/demo to book a walkthrough with one of our video specialists or click on the pricing page to learn about our new 60-day pilot program.

Lastly, we’d love for you to help us spread the word about the VMJPod to attract new experts and practitioners to share their activation strategies, so please take a screenshot and post it on LinkedIn, don’t forget to tag us at VideoMyJob, we are so grateful when you do that!