Communication
Internal marketing requires a communications campaign to build awareness, provide information or achieve other objectives. Corporate magazines and newsletters written for employees are common nowadays, and many larger organisations employ a staff intranet which can rapidly provide new information. These can be good methods of communication and provide an opportunity to promote market ideas, missions and strategies. Employees can see achievements and initiatives that encourage a sense of community within the organisation.
Activity 6 Developing internal communication
This activity encourages you to reflect on your own experience in internal communication. Record your responses to the following questions:
- What type(s) of internal communication have you experienced?
- Do you find this/these internal communication(s) effective/ineffective? And why?
Feedback
Internal marketing is intended to encourage collaboration between functions and reduce interdepartmental conflict. Ballantyne (2003) describes ‘border crossing’ as a key component of successful internal marketing. This involves internal communications, and recognising that organisations usually have legitimate hierarchies but that these can often impinge on the flow of communication. It may be necessary to make internal changes that enable equal access to channels of communication and influence at all levels of the organisation.