The book: Employee magazines optimally implemented
The branding and communications agency Schneiter Meier Külling has published a book on internal communications. In «Employee Magazines: Best Practices—A Practical Handbook,» authors Philip Meier and Stefanie Funkat present successful strategies and trends in both online and offline employee publications.
In the first chapter, the authors focus on the significance and function of employee magazines. They also discuss various conceptual approaches and the production process of a magazine. Finally, three employee magazines are used to explain what makes a good employee magazine. The magazines Lufthanseats of Deutsche Lufthansa, the SBB-Zeitung and "Üsers Fänschter" of the Glarner Kantonalbank serve as illustrative examples.
Printed magazine most often
In the second section, reference is made to the results of an online survey in which communications managers from Swiss companies were questioned in 2007. As the survey showed, the printed magazine is currently still the most common medium at 63 percent. Around 40 percent of employee publications appear as online or PDF editions, while 20 percent are printed in newspaper format. These figures reflect the fact that many employee publications are published simultaneously in printed and online form. More than half of all employee magazines are published quarterly. The majority of publications comprise between 12 and 24 pages.
In the final chapter, the authors make recommendations for optimizing employee magazines. Among other things, the needs and expectations of readers are discussed, as is bringing in specialists. The advantages of online-offline versions, new concept approaches and internal branding are also discussed. (ii)
