As a communications expert, I love to observe how external communication has evolved into something more natural and fresh. Who hasn’t seen those ads that bring a tear to our eye (or at least a sigh) as they tell stories that touch us all? Social media has played a key role in this, naturalising the spontaneous and the authentic. However, I have to confess that, much to my regret, internal communication is still…. well, stale and unfunny. And here I come to vent a little about why this happens.
Authenticity in External Communication
These days, external communication is all about being real. It’s no longer worth putting on an actor with a toothpaste commercial smile to sell us something. Now, consumers want to see real stories, with real people, with situations that make us feel identified. Advertisements no longer sell us products, they sell us experiences, emotions, and often, a pack of tissues to dry our crocodile tears.
Think of those ads that go viral: the puppy that finds a home, the grandmother who learns to use the internet to congratulate her granddaughter, or the friend who travels halfway across the country to surprise his partner in crime. They touch our hearts, make us laugh, make us cry and, above all, make us feel. That is the magic of a good story well told.
It is true that some creatives have been touching hearts for many decades. I well remember the first nougat adverts that said: ‘Come back, come home for Christmas…’ or the advert that warned that cocaine is a drug that directly affects the brain and showed a worm entering the nose of a person… What a bad joke… but effective, gentlemen! The message got through, which is the first objective of communication.
Social Networks: The Kingdom of the Spontaneous
Social networks have been largely responsible for this revolution. Naturalness and spontaneity are the norm. A video recorded with a mobile phone in the kitchen at home can have more impact than a million-dollar production on a Hollywood set. Instagram, TikTok, and other platforms have shown us that authenticity sells, that the everyday can be fascinating and that everyone has a story worth sharing.
How many of us, young and not so young, follow an influencer on social media, whether it’s about politics, cooking or any other subject? Do you find any differences between the way these influencers communicate and TV and radio presenters? Clearly yes, and in some cases, their audience has nothing to envy to the audience of the more traditional media.
And then there’s internal communication…
Why, despite all this progress towards authenticity and naturalness, is internal communication still so… dull? Let’s be honest: internal newsletters are still the same dog with a different collar (we put a little colour here, a new logo, an animation and that’s it…) but the reality is that I would like to know what percentage of employees are looking forward to reading it, like Lady Whistledown’s column in the Bridgertons (which, by the way, if you haven’t seen the series, I advise you to watch it), but I would also like to know what percentage of employees are looking forward to reading it, like Lady Whistledown’s column in the Bridgertons (which, by the way, if you haven’t seen the series, I advise you to watch it).
Results presentations often take real effort to keep your eyes open, and management messages sound as inspiring as a lift speech….
Why does this happen? My theory is simple: lack of time and resistance to change. Continuing to do things the way they have always been done saves time. No thinking, no innovation, no risk-taking. Just copy and paste, and that’s it. And of course, when time is a luxury, creativity and innovation take a back seat.
A Call for an Internal Revolution
But, my friends, internal communication doesn’t have to be like that. We can (and should) inject a bit of life, freshness, authenticity: why not tell real stories of our colleagues, why not make short, spontaneous videos of the team’s achievements, why not humanise our leaders, showing that they are also people with dreams, fears and a collection of memes on their mobile phones?
I work in audiovisual communication at Telefónica, a company where I have been allowed to let my creativity run wild. I have made videos for the area of occupational risk prevention where we depicted an accident at work that we can prevent if we comply with the PRL. Something that, at first glance, may seem a bit boring (although a priority in any company), turned out to be a production that not only made my hair stand on end, but also brought a tear or two to my eye.
I have done success stories turned into epic, moving documentaries and kick-off videos in the purest Hollywood style.
What is serious and important does not have to go hand in hand with what is boring; this way we all enjoy it: those who develop it and the final viewers.
Internal communication needs to evolve. It needs to break out of that old-fashioned, unfunny mould. Because, at the end of the day, we are humans communicating with humans, and we all deserve communication that inspires us, motivates us and, why not, brings a smile or even a tear to our eye.
So, next time you’re about to send that boring corporate email, stop for a moment and think: how can I make this more authentic, more real, more human? Because if there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years of communicating, it’s that authenticity always wins.
