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Pay is one of the hardest decisions an employer has to get right. Payscale’s research revealed that 44% of organizations were using or considering standardized, across-the-board pay increases instead of rewarding individual performance.
But in a crowded HR technology market, another salary report would struggle to get attention. How could Payscale turn a complex compensation trend into a conversation HR leaders couldn’t ignore?
Introducing Peanut Butter Pay: the practice of spreading pay increases thinly and evenly across the workforce, regardless of individual contribution. It might seem fair, but it risks leaving high performers feeling undervalued and everyone else underwhelmed.
The simple visual metaphor transformed dense compensation data into an idea that HR leaders, business media and the wider C-suite could immediately understand – and Payscale could own.
We partnered with influential HR creators including the HR Besties and Hebba Youssef of I Hate It Here, bringing the conversation directly to the people making workplace pay decisions.
The campaign secured 31 pieces of coverage, 61% in Tier-1 titles including the New York Times, Fortune, CNBC Make It and CBS. LinkedIn featured it as one of its top news stories of the week, while HR commentators began using the phrase organically.
Crucially, it reached the right people: 86% of social engagements and up to 99% of newsletter opens and clicks came from manager-level audiences and above.
By naming the trend, Payscale didn’t simply join the conversation about compensation strategy. It created one – and became the brand synonymous with it.
