‘Gentsters’ creates a bond between 10,000 employees of the city of Ghent

Since 1 January 2019, the city of Ghent, Ghent’s Public Welfare Centre (OCMW) and the municipal education authority (Stedelijk Onderwijs) have formed one integrated, local government organisation of 10,000 employees. How do you create a feeling of solidarity among such a diverse group?

The concept: everyone’s a Gentster

Together with the city of Ghent, we launched ‘Gentsters’, a concept that symbolises the common feeling that these 10,000 colleagues share: their pride and commitment to the city.

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3 covers van het Gentsters personeelsmagazine

A staff magazine reinforces the concept

The staff magazine ‘Gentsters’ became the particle accelerator to achieve this goal. In order to capture the spirit of the true citizens of Ghent, employees take centre stage in all the sections. The strong subject-driven character of the staff magazine allows us to present stories in a clear, concise and recognisable way. With surprising approaches, storytelling and spontaneous photography, we give everyone a platform to share their enthusiasm. In this way, the magazine quickly becomes a real ‘compagnon de route’ for its readers.

Een spread van het Gentsters magazine met de rubriek Gents gerief om personeelsleden in de kijker te zetten

A staff magazine reinforces the concept

The staff magazine ‘Gentsters’ became the particle accelerator to achieve this goal. In order to capture the spirit of the true citizens of Ghent, employees take centre stage in all the sections. The strong subject-driven character of the staff magazine allows us to present stories in a clear, concise and recognisable way. With surprising approaches, storytelling and spontaneous photography, we give everyone a platform to share their enthusiasm. In this way, the magazine quickly becomes a real ‘compagnon de route’ for its readers.

'Straf verhaal' als format in het Gentsters personeelsmagazine

A staff magazine reinforces the concept

The staff magazine ‘Gentsters’ became the particle accelerator to achieve this goal. In order to capture the spirit of the true citizens of Ghent, employees take centre stage in all the sections. The strong subject-driven character of the staff magazine allows us to present stories in a clear, concise and recognisable way. With surprising approaches, storytelling and spontaneous photography, we give everyone a platform to share their enthusiasm. In this way, the magazine quickly becomes a real ‘compagnon de route’ for its readers.

De Typische Gentster vormt ook een rubriek in Gentsters

A staff magazine reinforces the concept

The staff magazine ‘Gentsters’ became the particle accelerator to achieve this goal. In order to capture the spirit of the true citizens of Ghent, employees take centre stage in all the sections. The strong subject-driven character of the staff magazine allows us to present stories in a clear, concise and recognisable way. With surprising approaches, storytelling and spontaneous photography, we give everyone a platform to share their enthusiasm. In this way, the magazine quickly becomes a real ‘compagnon de route’ for its readers.

In ‘Gij Gentster Gij!’, we put employees in the spotlight who are committed to their surroundings or the city. Mohammed helps his neighbourhood by planting gardens. We also show this spirit in the photography.
In ‘Mijn Gent’, employees share their favourite spots, projects and achievements in the city. Or sometimes just inside tips.
The ‘Stelling’ invites everyone to join in the debate on the Gentster intranet page. With the “Martino or hummus?” proposition, we wanted to know whether the city should limit its choice of sandwiches to veggie only varieties. More than 100 colleagues gave their opinion. Now it is up to the administration to make a decision. To be continued…

Everyone’s a Gentster: online and offline

Gentsters is a fine example of a successful employer branding approach, with an always-on intranet group, rebranding of internal events and even ‘Gentsters’ merchandising, all of which contribute to the shared community feeling. 2 days after the launch of the first magazine, there were already 350 members on the Gentsters intranet group. 9 months later, the counter stands at more than 1,000.

Spontaneous reactions confirm the strength of the Gentsters brand:

Nice, contemporary, well-put-together magazine. Colleagues are nicely portrayed. Looking forward to the next issue!
Really great!
What an issue… the sparks are flying!
Hurray for the more-than-new staff magazine!
Even the kids are Gentsters fans!

Verschillende covers van Gentsters, het personeelsblad van Stad Gent

‘Gentsters’ creates a bond between 10,000 employees of the city of Ghent

The concept: everyone’s a Gentster

A staff magazine reinforces the concept

A staff magazine reinforces the concept

A staff magazine reinforces the concept

A staff magazine reinforces the concept

Everyone’s a Gentster: online and offline

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