I’ve been fascinated by the explosion of insights in the marketing industry in recent years. When I joined the communications field (more than two decades ago), “insights” were rarely mentioned in marketing or public relations conversations. You might have heard the terms “market research” or “ad testing” in passing, but in general, insights took a distant backseat to creative execution.
Today, however, organizations are investing heavily in dedicated insights teams that explore how consumers think, live, travel, shop, work and make purchasing decisions. This information, companies argue, makes them more competitive, because it allows them to better build trusted, loyal, long-term relationships with consumers.
As a metrics geek, this work inspires me. I wholeheartedly believe that the knowledge gained from research, ethnographic studies, surveys, intercepts, interviews and focus groups can give a company a competitive edge. Importantly, this information can help organizations surface issues they may be blind to themselves.
But while companies vocally and publicly tout the business advantage of external insights, we’re not seeing similar thinking and investments on the internal communications front. Why is that?
Time and time again, research has shown that engaged employees are a company’s most valuable asset. Engaged employees can make a company more productive and more profitable. They can be a company’s strongest business champions, are widely considered a trusted source of information, and they’re often willing and able to provide deep knowledge and insights on a moment’s notice. Why, then, are 60% of communicators not measuring internal communications?
Today, many comms pros still make the assumption that if leadership emails go out, they’re opened and read, or if content is shared, that it’s understood and embraced. Organizations frequently assume that if one employee responds to a post, the rest of the organization feels similarly. Or that if a manager receives information from leadership, it’s immediately cascaded to her or his team. Marketing insights folks would never make these assumptions when evaluating external audiences.
I’m baffled as to how organizations can embrace the value of deep insights for external marketing purposes, and yet not see the value of gathering insights for internal audiences.
As we dive into a new year, I challenge internal communicators across our industry to seek insights from employees. Find ways – both formal and informal – to learn what employees think, feel, and retain about your organization. Learn more about the sources they trust, read, listen to and visit. Find out how they get, consume and process information about your company, and what they want to hear more of, less of, and what they’re deleting or ignoring along the way. Then, ensure your strategic communications plan reflects what you’ve learned, and measure it.
Today’s companies believe external insights are a business driver. It’s our responsibility to show our business partners how internal insights can offer real business value.
With more than two decades of communications experience spanning agencies, Fortune-100 organizations, non-profits and academia, Kristi Hinck Mills today brings her passion for communications to CommsLede Consulting, where she delivers smart, targeted communications solutions for her clients – on time and within budget.
