Totem

Year

2016 – 2018

Role

Chief Product Officer

Find out more

TL;DR

At Play we built a new culture platform from the ground up to change the way colleagues communicate and recognise each other. We grew it into a successful business rolling out to 50+ paying companies and with industry leading retention and engagement.

Background

From the beginning of Play our plan was to grow the consultancy side of the business to be profitable but most importantly to help us understand the biggest problems facing businesses today. After the successful launches of Boost and Digital Fitness we were taken by how the biggest impact was actually cultural, creating communities in businesses that helped individuals succeed. We decided there was an opportunity to build a platform specifically designed to empower individuals and teams by improving company culture - Totem was born.

What we did

Selling without a product

While we really believed in Totem but we wanted to validate our ideas with customers from the offset. To this end we pitched the product to Hakkasan, hoping to get our first client without actually building anything. Fortunately, they were as passionate about Totem as we were and became our launch partner. This enabled us to get feedback through development, talk to our future users and have our initial rollout planned out.

Startup-ception 🔮

Totem is a essentially a startup within a startup, but with the benefit that Play can fund Totem in the early stages to help to grow into a profitable business in its own right. We used all the learning from running the consultancy: how to build scalable B2B products; ways of working; and what mattered to businesses and baked it all into Totem from the offset.

Test and learn

Totem was launched in Hakkasan in May 2016, marking our first independent launch as a company. From there we focused on continuing to build our the product adding new features and optimisations based on feedback from customers and usage data - releasing updates every sprint (2-weeks).

Product

Totem is a B2B product designed to empower teams to do their best work. The core client is available on iOS and Android, and a web-based CMS (Content Management System) supports admin users.

The power of team culture

The Totem newsfeed allows everyone in their teams to share what’s happening at work but also in their lives. The private feed creates a safe space to share with teams, allowing team members to form powerful, genuine connections to their teammates and business.

Recognition

Totem is a powerful tool for sharing the little acts of awesomeness happening everyday within businesses. Build a culture of authentic peer-to-peer recognition - drive positive behaviours and understand how embedded organisational values really are.

Empower colleagues with data

Put essential real-time data in teams’ pockets - and see them take ownership and optimise business metrics.

B2B with character

We believe work doesn’t have to be so boring. Totem is designed to not feel like work, with playful designs and fun mascots to change the dynamic.

Results

Since 2016 Totem has grown massively, rolling out to huge companies like Vodafone and PwC - changing the way colleagues interact and recognise each other. I can’t wait to watch as Totem continues to grow and improve workplace culture 🙌

Key successes:

Rolled out to 50+ companies
10,000s of paying users
After rollout avg 90% of staff use Totem
80% of users use Totem daily
4.7 average sessions/ day
80% week 4 retention

Totem Birthday

Totem users celebrating 1 year with Totem - can you imagine anyone dressing up for Yammer?

Teams love Totem

Incase the picture above wasn't proof enough

"Sometimes a day can pass by so fast that you don't take stock until it's over. Totem has given us a platform in our pocket to reflect and to say 'thank you' in a meaningful, quick and simple way for the things that make every day great. This has become contagious and now showing gratitude is the norm."

Clare Parsons

Engagement Consultant

"Totem is a really simple, effective way of keeping in touch with the people I work with. I can be out of the office for days at a time, visiting clients or tutoring courses, and so can my colleagues. I like the relative informality of Totem and I certainly feel a lot less isolated!"

Janet Robertson

Account Director

"I really enjoy the fact we can use it to communicate and thank each other seriously, but also that we can also use it to share things that make us smile. Totem has been a game changer for me!"

Diane Dibley

Director of Services

"Totem is an awesome way to share your good experiences, photos and success with those who you may be seeing only once or twice a year. It's an excellent tool for collaboration and team building. I am loving it!!!!!!"

Ahtsham Sheraz

Senior Customer Service Advisor

"Totem helps me to engage with my team, share updates about upcoming events and to congratulate my team on a job well done. We share a lot of jokes through Totem and it reminds us to congratulate the team on passing key exams, which boosts morale and keeps the team united. I'm so glad as a company we have introduced Totem and everyone loves it here."

Zayi S Luyeye

HR Manager

"Totem has transformed the way I engage with my colleagues. Our leaders are increasingly visible through the app and are communicating with us as a team in a more engaging manner than ever. Totem has certainly given me an increased sense of team belonging and I'm now connected to all of my team, wherever they are in the world!"

Jack Towers

Associate

"Totem keeps me in touch with my colleagues and what's happening in their lives at work and sharing successes. A very positive interactive business tool that deserves heaps of Kudos!"

Tom Brannigan

Chairman

"Totem is a fun, visual and interactive forum to share our 'lives' and to remember that we all are people with lots going on in AND outside LBS"

Chris Ord

Regional Manager

"Totem has provided us with a platform to connect with colleagues that we don't necessarily come into contact with on a regular basis, while finding out what else is going on outside of our business area."

Ciara Brannigan

Resourcing Consultant

"As a manager it's nice that the recognition I give my staff can be seen by all - I can recognise and reward others in my area, not just my own team."

Alison Cottle

Branch Manager

"It's a great way to get some lightheartedness out there while you're having a cups or lunch and it helps with team building. It's great for giving a little 'shout out' or thank you."

Laura Roberts

Mortgage Manager

"Totem is an excellent way to keep everyone on the team aware of upcoming events from socials to volunteering days, and to share pictures from events not just with members of your team but also with other colleagues across the organisation. It's good to be aware of what's happening with your colleagues even when you're working from home or on holidays."

Maria Fernandez Manteiga

Senior Credit Risk Modeller

"I use Totem regularly to advise staff of upcoming events, training and entertainment for our residents to enjoy. I share celebrations and photos of achievements, special days, family events and happy times. I think Totem is a great way to get the message round to people and a way to keep people in the loop even when they are not at work."