Otter Products case study with YuMuuv

Otter Products Case Study: 25 Million Steps in Six Weeks With a Volunteer-Led Program

Otter Products, the company behind OtterBox, has a workforce spread across several countries. When the pandemic ended most office-based activities, a volunteer Sports and Social Committee turned to YuMuuv to keep colleagues connected and active. YuMuuv CEO Jakob Remmel spoke with Grainne Collins and Niamh Dempsey about the journey – including a company record of 25 million steps in six weeks.

Table of Contents

At a Glance

  • Company: Otter Products
  • Using YuMuuv since: April 2020
  • Run by: a volunteer Sports and Social Committee
  • Highlight: 25 million steps in six weeks (early 2023)
  • Favorite formats: continental walk challenges and themed photo weeks

The People Behind the Program

  • Grainne Collins – Executive Assistant to the Managing Director and member of the Sports and Social Committee, who led many of the wellbeing initiatives.
  • Niamh Dempsey – member of the HR team and the Sports and Social Committee, who helped align the program with company goals and employee needs.

Background

Before the pandemic, Otter Products relied mainly on office-based engagement activities. When that suddenly changed, the company needed a new way to support wellbeing and keep a dispersed team connected.

The Journey With YuMuuv

Otter Products started using YuMuuv in April 2020. The program grew from individual goals to ambitious collective milestones, and participation grew with it – reaching a record 25 million steps in six weeks by early 2023.

Challenges That Worked

  • Continental Walk Challenge. Teams competed to cover distances equal to walking across continents, giving the program a global feel. See 10 virtual journeys for teams.
  • Diversity and Inclusion Week. Employees shared photos around weekly themes, celebrating the cultures and personalities across the company and building bonds beyond work.

What Made It Work

  • Leaders who take part. Managing Director Barrie Collins joined the challenges alongside everyone else – a strong signal that wellbeing matters.
  • Smart calendar planning. Grainne planned engagement activities around key company events, so challenges fitted naturally into the year.
  • Celebrating milestones. Niamh highlighted the value of celebrating both big and small moments to create a sense of belonging.
  • A volunteer committee. A grassroots team made challenges feel owned by employees, not imposed from above. See how to improve wellness committee engagement.

Lessons Learned

  • Watch for challenge fatigue. After years of challenges, fresh themes and formats are needed to keep energy high. See 52 wellness challenge ideas.
  • Device integrations matter. Connecting some wearables was a pain point, and improving compatibility across devices has been an ongoing focus for YuMuuv.
  • Include non-step activities. The team asked for better ways to include activities beyond steps and for clearer visual progress, while respecting privacy.

Key Takeaways for HR Teams

  1. Get leaders involved – a managing director on the leaderboard does more than any memo.
  2. Empower a volunteer committee to own the program.
  3. Use global formats such as continental walks to connect offices in different countries.
  4. Refresh themes regularly to avoid challenge fatigue – a yearly plan helps. See the wellness challenge calendar.

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