CorpComms Magazine

Glamorous cover pictures, gossip and heartwarming true life stories may sound like the usual contents of a glossy magazine found on the shelves of a local newsagent, but increasingly such articles are being found in staff magazines.

Boring statements on policy from the managing director are out as today's employee magazines are filled with exciting features that are aimed squarely at their focus groups.

But just how relevant are they in the 21st century, when most companies communicate with their employees via the company intranet? Are the magazines a worthwhile expense for companies? Do employees actually read the company magazines or are they discarded as another annoying communication from the management?

Tim Buckley, marketing director of AB Publishing, which produces staff magazines for several blue chip organisations, including the Post Office, British Transport Police and London Underground, says: 'A staff magazine only works if it is honest and properly reflects the people it is aimed at. A good employee magazine creates a sense of community.

'For example, many of London Underground's staff just don't have easy access to the Internet and a magazine is the easiest way to communicate with them.'

But staff magazines are not simply a way for the company to get the chief executive to drone on about his or her favourite topic. Buckley says: 'It's so important that you understand what the staff want and what issues they want aired or you are wasting your time. We are in companies talking to them and the staff the whole time so that we know what they want and need in their magazine. You have to be relevant or you won't be read.'

That is a view echoed by Gemma Houltby, new business manager at Summersault Communications, which produces staff magazines for many organisations including National Grid, Hays and McDonald's.

She says: 'You need to have a relationship with both the staff and the management. There needs to be a key contact in the business and you also have to be aware of what the staff's needs are.'

Summersault does this by sending members of its team to work with a client's staff. 'We go and work on the frontline - for example, for McDonald's a member of that team will go and flip burgers in a restaurant for three to five days each month,' says Houltby. 'That shows them what the crew members have to deal with every day, and thus the kind of issues they will want to read about in their staff magazine.'

Content is key

So what makes a good staff magazine? Firstly, the cover needs to be attention grabbing. Pictures of the headquarters or the chief executive smiling while sitting behind his desk are most definitely out. But other smiling employees - as long as they are relevant to a story inside the magazine - are a good incentive to make staff read the copy. Content is key.

In some larger organisations, it is pointless trying to appeal to all levels of staff. Management will, after all, hopefully know what is going on while the shop floor needs to be kept in the loop. As a result, some organisations, such as Royal Mail, have different magazines for staff sectors. Others have one magazine but use the intranet to add on extras more targeted at specific kinds of staff.

Professionalism is important. 'We apply the same values to our editorial as other news organisations,' says Houltby. 'Staff magazines are more media-savvy these days. We want magazines to have the same appeal to employees as any other publication. That means they have to look good and also be interesting to read.'

Banking behemoth Lloyds relies on its staff magazine Talk to communicate with 120,000 staff across all divisions. And, says editor Oliver Robinson, it has played a crucial part in the bank's recent history.

'Our magazine helps to turn staff into advocates of the group. It provides a platform for leaders to talk about our business goals. It keeps staff informed of the latest organisational changes, successes and products and it strengthens people's pride in working for the group. Launching a new magazine in 2009 was also a symbolic gesture - it has a role in integrating our two banks, Lloyds TSB and HBOS.'

Lloyds has an editorial panel comprising representatives from each of its five divisions. Every representative feeds in ideas and stories to ensure every division gets a voice.

Robinson says that the magazine has a different, though complementary job, to the company intranet. 'Straight news and essential information is best communicated via our staff intranet. The magazine on the other hand explores topics in greater depth and gives the group's leading figures a chance to flesh out their thoughts.'

John Lewis has one of the oldest staff magazines. Its weekly magazine, the Gazette has been published continuously since 1918. The glossy, 24 page publication has a circulation of 30,000 but its readership among many John Lewis partners is much higher; it is also available online internally. As well as the Gazette, there is also the Waitrose Chronicle, specifically for those who work at the supermarket and in addition, each John Lewis branch has its own Chronicle - these are all weekly and there are more than 30 different versions.

A teamwork building tool

All the magazines are produced by professional journalists who are also partners, or part owners, in John Lewis Partnership. The chronicles have more direct input from partners because they are produced by smaller teams and so need more contributions. Any partner can write a letter, anonymously if they wish, which must be answered by a director or the relevant manager within 21 days. Letters are only rarely edited or withheld.

Managing editor Steve Forfar says: 'We have good internal communication via the intranet and are constantly exploring new ways and new platforms to make this even better, but partners still like to have physical magazines to read, particularly as many don't have access to a computer and also because they like to read them outside work time.

'All the magazines have a very strong partner and business focus in keeping with the long traditions of our journalism. The Partnership's founder [John] Spedan Lewis saw it as vital to keeping partners fully informed about the business they co-own and in holding those who run it to account.'

Insurer RSA's magazine Upfront drops on the desks of its 7,500 staff every two months. It is written and edited in-house - and even though its staff are desk bound and can access the intranet, the insurer is keen on the magazine as a teamwork building tool.

Jeremy Phillips-Powell, UK communications and engagement director, comments: 'The magazine features lots of good news stories from staff that are flagged by people within the company, whether charity events or work for the company; which is a really important aspect to any organisation. It can also be useful in explaining in greater depth, key initiatives or changes that are taking place within the company.'

While all these magazines are popular and generate interest among employees, it is too simplistic to narrow staff communication down to just magazines, says Andy Holt, creative director of Words & Pictures.

His company produces employee magazines, newspapers, digital magazines and is working on bringing the intranet to life. The next stop is an iPhone application.

Holt's firm produces two newspapers for Asda, one for all staff, Everyone Matters, and one for logistics staff called Miles. Both link to its intranet site, the Green Room.

Words & Pictures also just digitalised T-Mobile's staff magazine to rapturous reception from company bosses and staff. 'We did a survey among T-Mobile staff and found that 37 per cent of shop floor workers said they used information they'd got from the digitalised magazine to help with their sales. Showing that it can help the bottom line keeps the company happy.'

Looking to the future

The Asda newspapers are unashamedly populist, says Holt, 'particularly Miles'. They contain stories about staff and their career paths, or features such as Asda heroes - a recent edition told how five Asda drivers also work as voluntary firemen. 'You've got to find the human face,' says Holt.

So what does the future hold? National newspapers are having an awful time with several predicting coverage will in a few years' time be confined to the Internet. 'I think there will always be a place for the staff magazine. Not everyone works at a desk. You just need to look at the shelves in WHSmith to see that magazines are doing well,' says Holt.

But that is not to say the virtual world will not prove to be important. Even if you want to get away from work, there may soon be heartwarming stories of fellow employees' endeavours on your phone - possibly whether you like it or not.

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