2014 Beacon Awards Entry
Contact Name:Chris Harrer, Director, Internal Communications
Company:Cox Communications
1400 Lake Hearn Drive
Atlanta, GA 30319
Entry Name:The Current – National Newsletter
Category:Internal Communications
Summary
In 2013 Cox Communications released the company’s first fully integrated national newsletter, The Current, which was a momentous leap toward establishing one interactive communications channel to link all Cox Regions and employees across the company.
Planning & Strategy
Last year was a significant transitional year for Cox Communications as the company focused on growing a more centralized organization with common structures and operations. Previously Cox functioned in a decentralized structure with seven regional silos each with their own internal newsletter. This was during a time when current market dynamics were driving the need for centralization. So in turn, it was time to break down the communication barriers and establish national communications tools and channels.
While an intranet tool already was in place, it was fragmented and inconsistent throughout the regions. Cox was in need of a communication vehicle that would successfully link employees across these seven regions to achieve greater centralization and cohesiveness. The Current, a weekly e-newsletter, created a user-friendly platform and a “One Cox” approach to communicating with employees, hence providing greater unity among this far-reaching national company. The Current was designed to keep employees abreast of important corporate messaging and information in a consistent style as well as promote awareness of relevant competitive products and industry news.
After much research, we determined that a scalable external email platform was the solution. By utilizing the new EmailOpen content management platform, we gained much needed robust functionality that provided us with full readership metrics, easily accessible landing pages with comment sections, survey tools and mobile capability.
Implementation
The building and launch of this national e-newsletter was an extensive collaborative effort. A task force was developed and included members from all the regional communications teams. Together they created the design functionality of the national newsletter ensuring everyone’s needs were accommodated. Immense partnership and coordination, and great thought and detail led to this intuitive design that successfully links all the regional communications into “One Cox”.
Additionally, in an effort to encourage employee participation and feedback, an employee naming contest was held to name the newsletter. The winner received a $200 gift card.
Results
Since launching The Current in mid-2013, it has been very well received and readership has been steady and exceeded our expectations. On average the e-newsletter has maintained an encouraging 68 percent readership (21,000 viewers weekly), while the national average for internal corporate newsletters is48 percent. We have had numerous comments on the effectiveness of the newsletter as a primary communications channel for all Cox employees.
Sample employee comments:
“I religiously read The Current and it helps me become better informed on the corporate direction, message, news, and it really gives me insight on how these things impact my world within the company.”
“I enjoy reading The Current. It is good to know what is going on in the field as well as with competitors.”
“I especially enjoy the “day in the life” segment. It’s helpful to hear what front line folks are saying about the business and their contribution. It helps me appreciate what they do and reminds me to connect with them more often in my area.”
“It is well-written, easy on the eyes, and informative.I also love the ability to select various links throughout the newsletter to access other content.”
By integrating all the local/regional newsletters in the banner section of The Current, we created a platform that provides complete communications transparency and consistency. We also established a valuable tool that is equipped with metrics to determine the communication needs of employees, which then allows us to tailor communications accordingly. It also has provided a platform for real-time interaction.
Due to the success of The Current, we have had the ability to expand our communication vehiclesincluding the creation ofan executive video series called “REAL TALK.” This series is delivered through The Current, and designed to provide candid, two-way real talk between employees and leaders, further supporting our efforts to bring employees closer to the Cox business.
In summary, The Current is providing a central channel through which our employees nationwide stay well-informed while establishing greater cohesiveness and the overall “One Cox” spirit we are striving to achieve.