02 November 2011
Internal magazines witnessing a resurgence
More than half (61.4%) of internal communicators believe internal magazines are making a comeback.
It seemed inevitable. With the rapid rise of digital media, including social tools, in the last few years, we've seen a steady decline of print media in the internal, as well as the external.
Employee magazines in many organizations have been replaced by online versions, or simply "killed off" in favour of the intranet, email, and social media channels, such as blogs, and video podcasts.
However, according to a recent Melcrum poll, it appears as if internal magazines are witnessing a resurgence in popularity among employees.
More than half (61.4%) of internal communicators surveyed believe internal magazines are making a comeback, with one of the reasons being that "people simply enjoy reading something the can physically hold".
Although, for some, the channel is seen as irrelevant, with 31.6 percent of communicators citing employee magazines as "a thing of the past".
But just how relevant are internal magazines in the 21st century?
When most companies communicate with their employees via the company intranet, are magazines a worthwhile expense for companies? Do employees actually read the company magazines or are they discarded as another annoying communication from the management?
For some, the channel is seen as irrelevant, with 31.6% of communicators citing employee magazines as "a thing of the past"
In my view, in our efforts as communicators to remain at the cutting edge of an ever-developing field, we can sometimes forget the basics. We want to be seen by our peers and potential employers to be early-adopters of new technology in our field. And there’s nothing wrong with that. But where it becomes an issue is when we try to shoe-horn a new method of communicating into our organizations.
There are many benefits of employee magazines. A tool that can turn staff into advocates of the brand, the channel also provides a platform for leaders to talk about our business goals; keeps staff informed of the latest organizational changes, successes and products; and strengthens people's pride in working for the organization.
And it's worth remembering print readers retain more information than those who read online, according to findings from a study entitled Medium Matters: Newsreaders’ Recall and Engagement With Online and Print Newspapers, by Arthur D. Santana, Randall Livingstone, and Yoon Cho of the University of Oregon.
Have your say
Are internal magazines part of the communication mix in your organization? What are your views on employee magazines? Share your thoughts below...
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