Digital staff magazines and future-proof corporate communications

In recent years, this question has been a key concern for the internal communications departments of global corporations as well as those of medium-sized companies operating internationally. Against a backdrop of growth, internationalisation and digitalisation, clearly defined objectives have come to the fore: ‘one company, one voice’. As cross-functional working expands, collaboration platforms and the cross-media use of all internal channels are becoming increasingly important, whilst cost-efficiency is also coming more sharply into focus for decision-makers thanks to new technical possibilities.

Staff magazine

In recent years, this question has been on the minds of internal communications departments in global corporations as well as those in internationally active medium-sized enterprises. Against a backdrop of growth, internationalisation and digitalisation, clearly defined objectives have come to the fore: ‘one company, one voice’. As cross-functional working expands, collaboration platforms and the cross-media use of all internal channels are becoming increasingly important, whilst cost-efficiency is also coming more sharply into focus for decision-makers thanks to new technical possibilities.

The intriguing questions, however, are: ‘What else can an employee magazine achieve?’, ‘What opportunities lie in the need for open communication and participation?’, and ‘Does the medium really have to be a purely internal channel, or can it also contribute to building the company’s image?’
Let’s set aside the advantages of print – such as its feel, visual appeal and ability to foster engagement – for a moment and look at the benefits a purely online version offers for internal communication:

Staff Magazine 2.0 – Integration into the intranet

All information on one channel / from a single source
Increased reach at no extra cost
Flexible flow of information and publication frequency as required
Opportunities for participation and dialogue through comments and interactive elements
Promoting staff identification through emotional engagement (employer branding)
Multilingual implementation supports internationalisation and, consequently, integration processes
Modern, responsive design across all devices, available globally
Cost-effectiveness through one-off implementation of a CMS
Straightforward updating and customisation via updates
Integration of modern multimedia content (e.g. video, audio, animations)
High flexibility with text and multimedia content
Easy measurement through analytics tools

Internal Communication 3.0 – Opening up to the outside world

It is only a small step from digitising the staff newsletter and publishing it on the intranet to publishing it on the company website or as a stand-alone solution on the internet. Nevertheless, this option is still rarely seen. There are too many concerns that confidential internal information might be leaked to the outside world. However, this concern is generally unfounded:

Hardly any staff magazine contains truly confidential information.
All topics that have made it into the magazine have generally already been published elsewhere, e.g. via press releases.
Whether displayed in the reception area or read at home, even printed staff magazines do not remain exclusively within the internal sphere of influence.

On the contrary, publishing your staff magazine presents a significant opportunity, as open access creates a powerful channel for proactively engaging key stakeholders: customers, partners, shareholders and, of course, (potential) employees.

We would be happy to support you in digitising your staff communications, to enhance your appeal as a modern employer and perhaps even as a business partner, and to unlock the untapped potential of your communications infrastructure.