Altria Client Services

Altria Client Services

Code of Conduct Research & Launch Campaign

Challenge

Altria’s Compliance & Ethics Function needed to introduce their newly refreshed Code of Conduct. Before launching any assessments or marketing initiatives the Executive Management Team wanted to better understand the landscape and culture of the organization. Contracted by k-nekt communications, we began conducting qualitative employee research to assess how the existing Code resonated with employees.

Our research quickly revealed that the challenges went far beyond the Code itself. Through in-depth interviews and strategtically selected focus groups, we uncovered deep cultural issues affecting morale, trust, and employee engagement with the Code and the company. These findings were so significant that Altria’s Executive Leadership invited us back twice to present our cultural insights directly to the CEO and senior leadership team.

Research Insights

Our employee research highlighted three critical areas—Climate, Code of Conduct, and Communications.

Slides from Insights and recommendations presentation

  • Climate:
    • Employees expressed nostalgia for the company’s past reputation and a sense of “family” that feels diminished today.
    • Many described their relationship with the company as more “contractual” than cultural.
    • Restructuring, layoffs, and regulatory pressures had left employees stressed, overworked, and skeptical—but still searching for a reason to believe in the company again.
  • Code of Conduct:
    • Many viewed the Code as distant, rule-bound, and disconnected from daily work.
    • The Code was competing with too many overlapping “values” messages, leaving employees unsure which guidance mattered most.
    • There was a clear need to make the Code simple, human, and accessible—something employees could see themselves in.
  • Communications:
    • Employees wanted face-to-face, human-scaled communication, not “cold” desk drops or corporate memos.
    • Supervisors and managers were seen as critical to delivering credibility and helping employees understand how the Code applied to them.
    • Messaging needed to feel personal, grounded in people and stories—not abstract compliance language.

Employee sketches – when asked to draw a picture of Altria’s relationship with the existing Code of Conduct for our research team. The majority of employees we interviewed had similar reactions – basically stating there was a chasm or divide between Altria and the Code of Conduct. Most felt there were outliers to the Code. With one person saying he was the “peasant in the cottages outside of the castle (upper right).

Our Approach

With the Code already written and designed, Altria asked us to help bring it to life—using our research insights to drive engagement and adoption.

We developed a multi-channel internal campaign designed to re-energize employees, restore pride, and make the Code meaningful:

The new Code of Conduct was so well received by the executive management team that Altria’s Chief Compliance Officer asked us if we could us it for the Compliance and Ethics function.

  • Tagline Creation: OUR PEOPLE. OUR VALUES. OUR SUCCESS. OUR CODE.
    • A unifying message that became the rallying cry of the campaign.
    • Loved so much by the Chief Compliance Officer, it was later adopted as the tagline for the entire Compliance & Ethics Department.
  • Campaign Deliverables:
    • Posters & Tent Cards placed in distribution centers and the commissary to spark visibility and conversation.
    • CodeTalk Booklet distilling the Code’s key messages into approachable, everyday language.
    • Flashcards for Managers to help supervisors lead interactive discussions during compliance meetings.
    • “Our Code” Pocket Guide – a 5-page accordion guide employees could carry and reference anytime.

Code of Conduct posters used in Altria’s manufacturing facilities.

OurCode Pocket guide.

CodeTalk “look book” which helped employees at a high level understand the new changes to the Code and to help them focus on the major topics of the Code.

CodeTalk “flash cards” for first line managers to use with their direct reports during team meetings and small gatherings.

Pillar and tent cards for use in cafeterias and lobby areas. Served as a daily reminder of the Code in practice. Each focused on various themes within the Code of Conduct.

Impact

The campaign brought clarity and humanity to a topic often seen as rigid and distant. By grounding Code messaging in employee values, face-to-face dialogue, and everyday accessibility, we helped Altria launch its Code of Conduct in a way that resonated with employees across the organization.

And while the creative work was successful, one of the most important outcomes was unexpected: our cultural research became the real story. Senior leadership was more energized by what we revealed about the employee experience than by the Code rollout itself—proof that great communications begin with deep listening.