Published on February 25, 2019
We recently worked with our client, West Midlands Trains, on an internal communications strategy with the objective of creating communications to generate excitement and positive feelings around their new uniform launch.
The strategy we created was to be utilised across different media so as to engage the audience in different ways at different points in time. We wanted to make the communication as simple and informative as possible because people are more likely to get on board and be proactive about a project if they have a clear understanding of the 'hows', 'where', 'whys' and 'whos'. It was also important to convey the 'What’s in it for me?' so that the staff were able to see how the changes were going to benefit them and to help to continue to foster a positive relationship between the staff and the brand.
We created a range of digital and offline media to be rolled out at different points on the communications plan. The content we created was based on research and studies into the psychology of uniform wearing and the effect it has on both the individual wearing it and the people around them. It was our objective to boil this information down into layman’s terms but in a really digestible way. These included, for example, mini-information packs, condensed into little folded pocket booklets so that the information, witty posters based on the brand’s personal-presentation standards and a range of articles for their intranet to provide further context and interest.
As part of the project, we needed to undertake a photoshoot of the new uniforms. We decided to use existing employees rather than professionals to model the uniforms and to bring them to life. The reason backing this decision was that it was felt this would be more relatable for colleagues, moreover, using recognisable people would make the collateral more eye-catching and memorable.
The communications plan was launched this January so we are yet to see the results. However, initial feedback has been favourable and we hope that the staff at West Midlands Trains enjoy receiving the communications as much as they do wearing their brand new uniforms!