insideout

As the UK's largest holiday company, TUI UK works in a rapidly changing industry. The decline in traditional package holidays and a shift towards Internet bookings and 'DIY' holidays meant TUI UK needed to review its image, strategic direction and offerings.

A new mission - to be the UK's number one web-based leisure travel provider - was launched and the challenge was on to engage its retail, resort-based, airline and back office employees in the new-look company. But in reviewing its internal communications, it felt the former offerings didn't reflect the company's dynamic new direction and commitment to web technology.

We created an innovative umbrella brand called 'inside'. The brand gives all internal communications a clear and cohesive identity, covering strategic messages but remaining inclusive and approachable for employees. The accompanying four strategic channels give TUI UK the opportunity to deliver its many messages in different ways to engage its diverse audience. The channels cross-reference each other and are branded with information points that lead employees to wider reading.

The channels are: insideout (the magazine that comes with a front-line supplementary magazine, smile); insideclick (company intranet); insideedge (an electronic newsletter for senior managers); and insidestory (an HMTL templated email for ad hoc communication). An awareness campaign built understanding and interest in the branding, with the result that each channel works hard to engage the audience in strategic messages and builds the identity of TUI UK's internal communication, with the buy-in of employees.

Following inside's launch, we conducted a thorough research programme to gauge the channels' effectiveness and found that many employees, including senior managers, had felt a positive change in internal communication, with engagement levels across the business hitting the 75% mark and above.