Exciting news! Primark and Poppulo have won the Gold Award in the Best Innovation in Employee Engagement category at the Reworked IMPACT Awards 2026. This recognition celebrates an ambitious transformation of the employee experience for tens of thousands of frontline workers.
A clear ambition: connecting every employee, everywhere
With more than 80,000 employees across 17 countries, Primark faced a major challenge: engaging a predominantly frontline workforce without corporate email addresses or access to traditional digital tools. The objective was simple yet ambitious: to create an inclusive, accessible, and engaging employee experience for everyone, regardless of role or location.
While ZING, Primark’s employee app powered by Poppulo, had already been deployed, initial adoption challenges limited its impact. The experience therefore needed to be completely rethought.
Turning a tool into a daily habit
The transformation was built around three key pillars:
- Accessibility: making engagement possible for everyone
Poppulo introduced a secure, email-free authentication system, enabling every employee to log in easily using personal identifiers. The result: full digital inclusion, even for teams without access to a professional device.
- Utility: giving employees a real reason to connect
The key innovation was the launch of the Employee Pass, a personal barcode integrated into ZING that allows employees to use their in-store discount directly from their smartphone. Within weeks, this feature became a daily habit, accounting for 69% of total platform activity.
ZING is no longer just a communication channel — it has become an essential everyday tool.
- Engagement: building a participatory culture
Beyond technology, success relied on strong on-the-ground activation:
- Deployment of a network of ZINGfluencers in every store
- In-store workshops and ongoing support
- Engaging campaigns and employee-generated content
- Precise tracking powered by Poppulo analytics
Result: a living, participatory platform fully centered on employees.
Measurable results at scale
The impact of the project has been rapid, large-scale, and sustainable:
- 92% of stores exceeded onboarding targets within 3 months
- Up to 98% adoption in some locations
- +45% monthly active users
- +94% likes and a strong increase in employee-generated content (UGC)
- 69% of activity driven by the Employee Pass
Employees are no longer just recipients of information — they are active contributors.
Redefining frontline employee engagement at scale
This award confirms a strong belief: frontline employee engagement can be achieved at scale by combining accessibility, utility, and culture.
With ZING, Primark has successfully:
- Connected its entire workforce
- Fostered a culture of recognition
- Created a truly inclusive employee experience
Rollout continues internationally, with new initiatives already underway, including recognition programs, wellbeing campaigns, and training modules. ZING is now far more than an app; it is a strategic pillar of Primark’s employee experience.
Congratulations to all teams involved in this outstanding project. And special thanks to the Primark teams for their trust and collaboration. This success is the result of a shared vision and collective commitment.
If you’d like to learn how Poppulo can enhance your internal communication and drive lasting employee engagement, contact our team for a personalized demo.