CREATED A CATEGORY-LEADING PLATFORM FOR ASTRAZENECA
WHICH TOPPED THE FTSE 350 WEBSITE RANKINGS 

Value we created (the results)

• The completed AstraZeneca website climbed 63 places to top the FTSE 350
  for corporate websites.  
• Perception of AstraZeneca as a science-led company (KPI) increased by 23%
• Average session time increased by 27%
• Threefold increase in traffic to the careers section
• Reduced homepage bounce rate by 14%
   

The business problem we solved

AstraZeneca launched a new brand identity, positioning itself as a company led by science. The AstraZeneca website, which receives 2.7 milllion visitors each year, needed to reflect this new positioning and stand out from its competitors within the pharma industry. It also needed to engage a number of different stakeholders including investors, partners and potential employees alike. We set out to create a new global corporate website for AstraZeneca that acts as a gateway to their wider digital eco-system, differentiates them from other pharma companies and positions them as a science-led organisation that is pushing the boundaries of science.

What we did

Through a series of intensive workshops we helped AstraZeneca to understand and fine tune their digital ambitions. During an extensive research phase we interviewed members of the site’s core audiences to find out how we could change their perception of working for or with AstraZeneca. We realised that we needed to prove to the outside world that AstraZeneca was a different kind of pharma company.

The finished website climbed 63 places to top Radley Yeldar’s FTSE 350 Standout Digital Survey. Radley Yeldar’s survey focuses on corporate website performance, looking at best practice among the FTSE 100 and FTSE 250. Last year AstraZeneca were placed 64th. This year they finished top.

How we did it

We developed a website that was a storytelling canvas. It was evident that we needed to adopt a ‘show, don’t tell approach’ to demonstrate that AstraZeneca is a different type of pharma company that can enhance careers and deliver life-changing medicines.

We worked closely with some of AstraZeneca’s best scientists to bring to life a variety of cutting edge scientific stories and engaging content – using video, animation and other rich content - ensuring we gave an insight into the science and the culture. We also recruited 20 employees to act as brand ambassadors. This resulting rich and deep content is a clear departure from the previous brochure-style content found on many pharma websites.