When I found out I’d be interviewing the employer branding team at Pfizer for our LinkedIn Live series, I knew instantly it was going to be an inspiring conversation. Pfizer isn’t just a company driving innovation. It’s a global force transforming healthcare, redefining what’s possible in modern medicine and improving lives on an extraordinary scale.
Take a moment to watch this moving video capturing the impact of Pfizer’s work.
We’re proud to partner with Pfizer on their employee advocacy journey, helping amplify the authentic voices behind the brand. I knew the insights from their program would deliver immense value to our audience, especially those looking to humanise their brand and build trust through people-led storytelling.
In preparing for my conversation with Anne Kennedy Dotson, Head of Global Employer Brand, Recruitment Marketing and University Relations, and Clarence (Chance) Stephens IV, Marketing and Employer Brand Associate, I immersed myself in the purpose-driven, heartfelt and reflective content their employees publish with #PfizerProud hashtag and this only deepened my anticipation.
And what a conversation it was. We spoke about trust, purpose, and people, and how one of the world’s most respected pharmaceutical brands is elevating corporate storytelling by showing the human side of science.
Putting trust at the heart of employer branding
Candidates today have more options than ever, with 86% researching a company and its reviews before applying (Glassdoor). They expect far more from employers when it comes to culture, flexibility, and values alignment (Randstad), and are increasingly unwilling to tolerate brands that fail to deliver on their promises, with only 33% of employees saying their organisation lives up to its employer brand (Gartner).
Anne summed it up perfectly. “There’s still a huge trust crisis,” she said. “We need to be able to tell our story of what it's like to be an employee from the voice of people who are actually in that same position.”
It’s something I see time and again in the work we do at Tribal. Real trust isn’t built through campaigns and polished content . It’s built through people. As Chance explained, culture and growth are what people really care about. They want to work somewhere they can grow, where they trust their leadership and where wellbeing is valued.
Investing in advocacy as a route to culture and trust
That’s where Pfizer’s employee advocacy programme comes in. What started with 100 colleagues quickly grew to more than 500 in just a few months, representing almost every business unit across nearly 30 countries. From LinkedIn beginners to top voices, the programme brings people together across roles, teams and countries.“We take colleagues where they’re at,” said Chance. “Whether someone doesn’t have a LinkedIn profile, uses it occasionally or is already really active, we want to give everyone the skillset to build their personal brand and help people externally to understand why Pfizer is a great place to work."
Meeting employees at their current experience level is an approach we always teach our clients. One of the ways Pfizer supports this is by having a private LinkedIn group where they can practise, share ideas and get comfortable before posting externally. It reminded me of public speaking in many ways. Sharing your thoughts online takes confidence, and that safe space helps people find their voice before stepping out onto the more public stage.
Stories that show the real Pfizer
It’s the authenticity that makes this programme stand out. Rather than resharing branded posts, employees are encouraged to find their niche and tell their own stories.Anne explained that this approach works even in a highly regulated industry, where people often assume there’s little room for storytelling. “This isn’t meant to be a press release about what’s happening behind closed doors,” she said. “It pulls back the curtain on what it's like to be here.”
It’s a simple but powerful shift in mindset, focusing less on what the company does and more on what it feels like to be part of it, much like the emotional connection I felt with Pfizer through my own experience with the brand. Those everyday moments and personal reflections are what make culture real, and it’s those stories that build trust far more effectively than any corporate statement ever could.
Using AI responsibly in employer branding
Like many companies, Pfizer is exploring how AI can support its efforts, but with a clear focus on balance. “AI can be a great starting point,” Anne said. “But it should never replace the human voice. You can tell when content has been written by AI. It all looks the same.”
Pfizer uses AI for translation, data analysis and internal efficiencies, but always keeps human creativity at the centre. Chance even created an AI-powered workflow to manage the rapid growth of the programme. “Every message is written by me,” he explained, “it’s just sent automatically so colleagues get everything they need instantly.”
It’s a perfect example of how technology can remove friction without losing the personal touch.
Measuring the impact of employee advocacy
For leaders, impact matters. And as Anne explained, that’s where having the right partner has made all the difference.
“One of the questions we always get from business leaders is about return on investment,” she said. “That’s where having a trusted partner like Tribal Impact comes in. We didn’t have the internal resources or experience to track and report ROI in this way, and Tribal has it down to a science.”
At Tribal, the data-driven approach sits at the core of how we enable our clients. Working together, we built a framework that helps Pfizer demonstrate tangible business value from advocacy. The framework goes beyond surface metrics like follower counts and translates employee advocacy into measurable outcomes, from increased employee social maturity level and influence to paid media-equivalent reach.
Anne shared how this lands with senior stakeholders. “If we get enough people out there talking about Pfizer, that’s the equivalent of a several million dollar media spend and more effective because it’s coming straight from a colleague. That perks people’s ears up.”
Pfizer also uses our Social Maturity Matrix to map how colleagues grow through the programme. The matrix helps track progress from awareness to activation, showing the shift from passive to confident social advocates. For Pfizer, this has provided clear evidence that advocacy builds both confidence and capability.
Anne told us, “We don’t need everybody to be at that top right quadrant, but it is a very fulfilling thing to see that our colleagues are moving to the next level and growing their networks, growing their content, and ultimately having an impact”.
Just do it by leaning into the human aspect
As our conversation came to a close, I asked Anne and Chance what advice they’d give to others starting out. Anne’s response was simple. “Just do it. Start small, find the right partner and take those first steps.”Chance added. “Lean into the human aspect. AI is powerful, but people connect with people. That’s what builds trust.”
Together, their advice highlights the formula for lasting impact: take action, choose the right partner, and keep it human. That’s how advocacy turns into influence and influence into measurable business value.
