From Help Desk to Strategic Force

positioning
internal communications
board pitch
ai adoption

How a 5,000-person IT organization stepped out of the shadows and into the spotlight.

The Backstory

In one of Europe’s largest information services companies, a $28B multinational software and publishing enterprise, the internal IT organization was doing big things quietly.

With over 5,000 employees powering global infrastructure, enabling hybrid work, and deploying zero trust architecture, this team wasn’t just maintaining systems. It was actively shaping the company’s future.

But internally?

It was still seen as “the Help Desk.”

This legacy perception didn’t just undermine their influence, it limited their ability to lead. Their voice hadn’t kept pace with their impact. And their story wasn’t being told.

Man smiling while working on a laptop in a dimly lit server room with red light reflecting on his face.
Hand holding a glowing red light strip in darkness, illuminating part of a face.
Two professionals smiling while reviewing data charts on a computer monitor in a dark office.

The Turning Point

Yellow Pebble was brought in not just to communicate differently, but to help IT, Security, and DevSecOps see (and show) themselves differently.

What began as internal messaging quickly evolved into a full narrative reframing.

The goal:

  • Shift internal perception from backend support to strategic leadership
  • Build an identity that teams could rally around
  • Secure buy-in, visibility, and future investment
Digital billboard inside modern office shows a man holding a laptop with the text 'Unleash You' and red light effects, while three blurred people walk in the background.

Our Work

01:  Uncovering the Human Story

We led qualitative research across stakeholders using insight interviews, creative prompts, and message stress tests—including our signature “IT T-Shirt” exercise.

The insight:

While the team was powering transformation, its internal voice was stuck in the past.

We needed to change that.

02: Designing a Strategic Identity

We created a bold, human-centered platform built around the concept:
 “Unleash You.” This positioned IT as the force that enabled people—not just platforms—to thrive.

Key deliverables included:

  • A hero manifesto rooted in empowerment and possibility
  • A modular brand architecture for six internal “towers” within IT
  • Creative activations like a companion app concept and kinetic sculpture ideas to bring the narrative to life

03: Extending the Impact

We carried this strategy into two adjacent teams:

  • Global Security:
    We developed a cinematic, townhall-ready video to humanize their Zero Trust framework and celebrate a milestone achievement: unifying 78 domains under one secure access strategy.
  • DevSecOps:

    We introduced “Pure Performance,” a high-energy brand concept expressed through F1 racing metaphors, helping the team communicate speed, reliability, and precision across internal stakeholder groups.

These weren’t decks.

They were rallying cries.

Modern laptop on a perforated metal table showing a screen with a woman and text about unleashing potential and DevSecOps benefits.
Tablet displaying a webpage with a side view of a sleek black race car and the headline 'Pure Performance'.
Laptop on a metal table displaying an overhead image of a racing pit crew working on a car with an infinity loop graphic overlay and text about DevSecOps speeding towards value.

The Results

Metric

Outcome

$85M Investment Secured

Narrative helped unlock a 3-year cloud transformation program.

+19% NPS for IT Org

Human-centered storytelling rebuilt trust and increased cross-org adoption.

Zero Trust Activated Globally

Strategy cascaded through secure, non-fear-based messaging.

DevSecOps Adoption Accelerated

Team gained buy-in and tool usage through powerful new storytelling.
Smartphone displaying a social media post with a person holding a red neon light in a dark server room.
Man wearing a black shirt with 'WE DRIVE CHANGE' typing on an illuminated keyboard in a dim room with a computer screen showing data charts.

Why It Matters

This wasn’t a brand update. It was a cultural unlock.

By elevating the internal identity of its IT, Security, and DevSecOps teams, the company gave its tech leaders the tools to lead, not just serve.

With Yellow Pebble’s help, a 5,000-person function once seen as back-office became a catalyst for transformation, innovation, and enterprise trust.

When you change how people see you,
you change what they believe is possible.

Man standing in a dark corridor between reflective surfaces holding a glowing red light bar at chest level.
Tablet displaying a racing car and text about putting the company on the right track, lying on a perforated black metal surface.

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Let’s Build What’s Next

We partner with the thinkers, builders, and innovators shaping the industries of tomorrow. Together, we turn ambition into brand power, and ideas into influence.

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