DraftKings is a textbook example of why employer branding can be so important for a company. When DraftKings began their partnership with Bayard in 2018, they were fighting against poor brand reputation as an employer with a misaligned company EVP. My team and I were quickly able to identify the root of their problem; they were marketing their employer brand the same way they were marketing their products. Their products of Daily Fantasy Sports and Sportsbook appeal to the “mega fans,” the sports enthusiast, the people who don’t miss a game, and of course, those who are interested in gambling. Focusing on their same product-audience, they were inadvertently alienating whole groups of employee candidates, including women and “nerds” – basically any non-sports fanatic. So we knew we had to change both their positioning and their narrative.

After conducting interviews with employees across the company, we quickly learned that you really didn’t need to be a sports lover to work there. First and foremost, DraftKings is a technology company (with Daily Fantasy Sports and Sportsbook simply being the product they make/sell). They were looking for talented candidates who were excited to be part of an extremely fast growing industry. Taking cues from leaders in the tech and start-up space, I created an approachable yet clean employer brand. I created custom iconography and directed a multi-location photo and videoshoot to capture authentic assets to use throughout their various recruitment marketing campaigns and careers website. Maybe most importantly, the video content highlighted their inclusive workplace culture and debunked any preconceived notions of DraftKings being an environment of keg stands and frat bros.