Digital publication was produced for agency employees

B2B marketing agency Stein IAS had undergone a merger and realized that its existing employee newsletter required a significant overhaul. The replacement publication, the Post-Modernist, has earned first place in the “Digital Publication” category of Ragan’s 2018 PR Daily Awards.  

A survey had shown that only 55% of employees could name three of the company’s five values, only 20% could identify strategic imperatives and only 32% understood key elements of the global staffing structure. Recognizing modern standards for internal communications, the company made sure its objectives were business-focused: raising awareness of company values, strategy and operational procedure; supporting company integration and the “one global agency” mission; engaging millennial staff members; and promoting smooth workflow through awareness of who in the organization does what.

The agency’s chief creative and values officer oversaw the creation of the new publication, with help from leaders in digital, creative, HR and strategic planning. Production guidelines were established, and the decision was made that the publication would speak with the voice of a new member of the Stein IAS family named Alan.

As a new employee, Alan could guide learning in a collaborative and non-patronizing way because everything was new to him. From a technology standpoint, Alan is compelling: He is not a person, he is the Stein IAS artificially intelligent website host and chatbot. The publication design employs emojis, GIFs and comps that blend real-world work imagery with pop culture.

The Post-Modernist is an online publication promoted via email from CEO Rob Morrice. Engagement with the publication has far exceeded its predecessor. More important, since its launch, 73% of employees can now name three values, 42% can name all five, 35% are able to identify strategic imperatives and 58% understand key elements of the global staffing structure.

Congratulations to all the staff members responsible for the success of the Post-Modernist.