Why should external comms and marketing have all the fun?
Imagine a room buzzing with excitement. Marketers, brand managers, and agencies tossing around bold, out-of-the-box ideas to craft a campaign that captivates audiences, skyrockets sales, and puts the brand front and centre. Sound familiar?
Now, here’s the real question – why isn’t internal comms given the same level of creativity, energy, and investment? While things have improved over the years, with more organisations across different industries realising the benefits of internal comms, there’s still a major difference. Too often companies pour resources into external marketing while internal campaigns are left to feel like an afterthought.
According to Forbes, Watson Wyatt research has demonstrated numerous times that when companies embed effective communications practices, they have 47% higher total returns to shareholders.
Organisations must maximise the unique skills and impact of internal comms pros. Organisations have a captive audience of employees who are ready to be engaged with the brand and vision. Inside your organisation and your internal comms is the perfect space to experiment, play, and push creative boundaries. The opportunity is there, you just have to see it and seize it!
The power of internal comms
Internal communication isn’t just a box to tick, it’s the heartbeat of your organisation. It fuels connection, engagement, and alignment among employees. When done well, it turns your team into brand ambassadors who live and breathe the company’s mission, ensuring your message resonates inside and out.
As Rachel Miller puts it, “What happens on the inside is reflected outside.” You can launch the most compelling external campaigns, but if your employees don’t feel invested, the impact stops short. Engaged employees bring energy and passion to their work, which naturally spills over into their interactions with customers, prospects, and stakeholders.
Unlocking the full potential of internal comms
Many organisations still treat internal comms as a one-way street with announcements, policy updates, and newsletters that barely spark a response and don’t help employees feel involved or connected. But what if internal comms were designed to inspire, motivate, and connect employees on a deeper level?
Move beyond generic messaging and start crafting campaigns that feel personal, engaging, and unforgettable. Pitch it to your leaders as an opportunity to:
- showcase your company’s vision and purpose in a compelling way.
- recognise and celebrate employees, making them feel valued.
- build a workplace culture where communication isn’t just informative, but it’s motivating.
Injecting creativity: the game changer
Why should creativity be reserved for external campaigns when your internal audience (your employees!) are the ones shaping the customer experience daily? When internal comms is done with creativity and care, it transforms from mundane updates into powerful storytelling that builds enthusiasm, morale, and loyalty.
Here are a few thoughts to spice up your internal comms:
Externally inspired
What would your next internal campaign look and feel like if it had the same spotlight and buzz as your biggest brand launch?
Changing up the tone
What if your next leadership update borrowed the tone of a bold brand ad? Could it spark more curiosity, clarity or connection?
Inspire in the everyday
What everyday moments inside your organisation could become creative opportunities to engage, inspire or even surprise your people?
Embracing play
Could a sense of play, challenge or surprise be the missing ingredient in creating internal comms that people want to interact with?
Look inside
What stories, ideas or energy are already living within your people and how could you spotlight that in your comms?
Creative channels
What would change if you treated your internal channels as your most creative playgrounds?
Reprioritise your audience
If employees were your first audience, not an afterthought, how would your message, medium and energy shift?
Visual storytelling
Could your visual content work harder, borrowing techniques from ad campaigns, social media or brand storytelling to stand out?
Ready to transform your internal comms?
How are you currently engaging your employees? Could your internal comms use a dash of creativity?
At Alive, we help organisations rethink and reshape their internal comms. Our creative workshops and campaigns truly resonate and drive tangible outcomes. If you’re ready to make internal comms as dynamic, thoughtful and engaging as your external campaigns, let’s chat.
Remember, your employees are your brand’s greatest advocates. Let’s give them something worth talking about!
