Three organizations combine, igniting comprehensive internal communication program

Imagine finding yourself tasked to communicate big news to 7,000 employees while ensuring the announcement wasn’t revealed publicly. That’s the situation Hitachi communicators found themselves in when the organization decided to bring together three separate entities—Hitachi Data Systems, Hitachi Insight Group and Pentaho—to form a new organization, Hitachi Vantara, which would focus on helping leaders “find and leverage the value in their data to innovate and optimize their business outcomes in today’s internet of things world.” The team’s success has earned it first place in the “Rebranding Campaign” category of Ragan’s 2017 Employee Communications Awards.

The team started its efforts by setting up a process to keep leaders and managers in the loop and prepare them to fulfill a communications role. Employee ambassadors were recruited for a Change Ambassador Program, and messaging training sessions were conducted for more than 1,500 representatives from sales, marketing, services and HR. 

The team employed a variety of channels to get the word out, starting with a series of teaser emails distributed ahead of the launch. The intranet and internal newsletters linked to downloadable assets (like posters). A video featuring the executive team “conveyed to employees the significance of the new company’s creation and their role in shaping culture and customer experiences.” 

There was more: a brand anthem video, a brand portal, employee welcome kits and social media engagement. 

The results: More than 90 percent of employees said they understood the strategy, believed the organization had an exciting future, grasped the priorities, intended to stay with the organization and were proud to work for Hitachi Vantara.

Congratulations to the team of Mary Ann Gallo, Steve Fine, Kelly Shelburne, Michelle Johnson, Stella Mikelonis, Mari Jane Panek, Jami Moulds, Kaycee Lange, Kathleen Watson, Michelle Meyer and Doug Howatt.