44’s Hannah Montgomery shares how our company values influence our stable of internal newspapers and magazines…
At 44, we have five key values: Friendship, Awareness, Creativity, Excellence, and Teamwork.
And when it comes to producing award-winning publications for our clients, we spend a lot of time working with them to make sure that each of their company values is evident in the content.
Whether that’s championing those who are living the values, embedding them in new processes, or joining the dots between culture, strategy and delivery.
Getting these publications out of the door on time and in the hands of the audience is a finely tuned exercise that requires us to reflect on our own values too. Here’s how…
Friendship
Friendship is all about trust – and according to ResourceGuru, transparency and accountability are some of the core principles of a client-agency relationship.
This is why we pride ourselves on having open and honest conversations. If something isn’t working, we tweak it. If there’s an issue, we flag it. A good friend doesn’t just say yes, either. So we’ll have those conversations when we need to say no or push back when it’s necessary.
It also means we take feedback in the way it’s intended – as a way to improve the outcome for the internal audience. Only by working together can we overcome challenges, share learnings, and implement positive changes.
Awareness
A key element to making any publication successful is conducting market research, says QinPrinting. Defining the niche by understanding the audience will result in content that appeals to readers. Sensible enough, but how can this be achieved?
We’ve used focus groups, surveys and meetings to gain insights, digging into the details of what people want and need from their internal publications, and using the findings to not only shape new products, but improve existing ones, too. This is why the employee voice is so important.
Creativity
Keeping things fresh is a must when it comes to content. Sure, it’s great to establish a recognisable format that works, but we also want to excite and surprise. That comes with us throwing our creative heft behind ideas to mark a special issue, and regularly reviewing design treatments to breathe new life into established structures.
Innovative ideas helps brands stay relevant with their consumers, says Power of Print. Reinvention engages people – and it’s always fun to try something different!
Excellence
Naturally, when working on any project, the end result needs to be quality to ensure it’s well received. But how can you make a publication really great?
Modern Litho suggests you give it a personality – help create a rapport by making the content personal to the targeted readership. And, as an internal comms agency, we specialise in tailoring our services to the individual needs of our clients.
This means the newspapers and magazines we work on are developed in alignment with their requirements, and each product has its own identity, with editorial materials – such as proofing checklists and style guides – created to help cement and convey key points and messages.
Teamwork
It goes without saying that teamwork is essential when working on a publication for an internal audience. Brilliant Ink says it’s important to embrace collaboration, and that communication between an agency and its client should be a ‘two-way street’.
And when we work on our publications, we ensure it’s a dual effort, with catch-ups and service reviews scheduled to maintain regular contact. We strive to get to know our clients, so that we can put their best interests at the heart of what we do.
And this falls in line with our company motto – that we strive not to be the biggest internal communications agency, but the best to work with.
If you’d like to learn more about our publications offering, get in touch today.
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