UCLA’s ‘Employee News’ proves print still has a place in a digital age

 

Internal communicators talk constantly about the challenge of reaching employees who don’t spend their days at a computer. While mobile is certainly one solution, another incredibly effective tool is one most communicators have abandoned in the digital age: print. UCLA Health is one organization that gets great value from a print publication aimed at its employees—winning it first place in the “Internal Communications” category of Ragan’s 2016 Health Care PR and Marketing Awards.

“Employee News” educates, entertains and inspires employees to embrace the organization’s values (delivering compassionate care) and to build engagement. Content is also available online for those employees who can access it there, with subsites dedicated to specific groups (e.g., nursing, wellness, etc.), all of which submit content regularly.

The publication is so popular that much of its content is based on stories and ideas submitted by staff. Employees nominate colleagues for a monthly employee spotlight feature, which has become one of the most popular features of “Employee News.” 

Readership continues to rise, as do the metrics for the “Employee News” content shared via social media platforms. But what’s especially impressive about this print newsletter is its short, well-written articles, effective use of graphics and bright images. 

Congratulations to Tiffani Quach Mendinueto, Shadee Ashtari, and Judi Goodfriend