Content strategies for workplace digital signage

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Thursday, February 2, 2012
Digital Signage Expo

Once again, I will be moderating a panel at Digital Signage Expo on digital signage for corporate communication. We've got a slightly new structure for this year's session based on feedback from last year's attendees. 

At industry event like this one, internal signage doesn't have the same "sex appeal" as signage for retail and other external means. But I know we are grateful that the DSE organizers continue to give us a platform to highlight these "hidden" networks. 

If you're attending this year's Expo out in Vegas, I'd love to see you come to...

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Not 19, not 21, but 20 guiding principles for employee communications (guest post by @paulbartonabc) #internalcomms

Posted by:
Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Paul Barton, ABCThis post originally appeared on Paul Barton's "Just My Type" blog and we received full permission to re-run the content on this blog. 

Over the years, Paul Barton has become a great friend of mine. We originally "met" via Twitter, but have since reconnected several times at IABC World Conferences.

In this post, he pulled together 20 objectives for employee communicators that I thought were simply brilliant. I'd like to see if anybody can put up an argument against any of them. Check out Paul's 20 guiding principles for employee communications....

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That audience you see every day (guest author @johnbthomas) #internalcomms

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Monday, January 23, 2012

This content originally appeared on JTPR's Spread the Word and has been reposted with permission. 

It happens over and over. We ask new clients about the audiences they need to reach in order to achieve their objectives, and they quickly zero in on potential clients and customers. Then they talk about collaborators and marketplace influencers. Then, as an afterthought, they might mention employees.

Usually, this isn’t because there is some desire NOT to communicate with employees. It’s just that, when these clients focus on making sales and...

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The fiction behind employee communications #internalcomms

Posted by:
Thursday, January 19, 2012

I rarely read fiction books. And when I say "rarely," I mean never. (Unless of course I'm reading to my kids at night.)

As it turns out, people are better off for reading fiction. I've always held the belief that there are so many great non-fiction (real life) stories out there that I shouldn't waste my time reading "made up stories." (Those are my words.)

Read fiction booksBut a new study in Scientific American discusses how fiction can hone social skills. But they aren't talking about Twitter, Facebook and so forth. It's about relating and interacting with...

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MediaTile *hearts* #CES

Posted by:
Thursday, January 19, 2012

If you thought Las Vegas couldn’t jam more blinking lights into its city limits, the Consumer Electronic Show (CES) has news for you – Vegas can and did.

In arguably its biggest show ever, CES allowed consumers and companies alike to see what the future holds in the consumer technology marketplace. From Ultra-flat panel 3D TVs to Justin Beiber, CES delivered the goods.

MediaTile was prominently featured in both the Verizon Wireless and Alcatel Lucent booths in the form of The GameTime Media Table. After winning the 2012 DIGI Award for "Best New...

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Are you a fan of employee engagement surveys? #internalcomms

Posted by:
Monday, January 16, 2012

I'm not.

I've admitted that here on this blog. But in a lot of large corporations, employee engagement surveys can be a necessary evil for employee communication professionals. You can only fight them for so long. 

So if your company is bound and determined to conduct an engagement survey, here are some tips from CustomInsight to improve the response rate. 

  1. Ensure anonymity. 
  2. Secure an endorsement from senior management. 
  3. Keep the survey brief. 
  4. Explain the benefits to all employees. 
  5. Explain the next steps. 
  6. Follow through on your promises. 
  7. Offer...
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Do corporate communicators make resolutions?

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Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Happy New YearI'll be the first to admit that I do not make New Year's resolutions. But people making promises and commitments to themselves is a good thing. Melcrum published a piece about 8 New Year's resolutions for internal communication pros. 

Some are weak, but some also have a lot of value. I added my two cents in italics. Here we go...



  1. Think of outcome, not output

    Focus on business outcomes, not simply on producing communication collateral. Use communication as a means to an end, not an end in itself. There’s a big difference between saying “who’s got...
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Crazy Eight: Our top blog posts from 2011

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Tuesday, January 3, 2012

We put a lot of work into our blog (and I hope those that read it find our posts helpful). I thought I'd go back and find the top eight most-read blog posts from the past year. Why eight? Because it was a crazy year. 

I hope you enjoy. 

  1. If you're in employee communications, watch this video now
     
  2. The top holiday gift ideas for internal communicators
     
  3. What impact did Twitter have on the IABC World Conference? 
     
  4. Digital signage and the Powerpoint problem
     
  5. Repetition is key to successful internal communication
     
  6. Another incredible milestone for the...
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And the DIGI AWARD goes to #MediaCast Video Presence

Posted by:
Friday, December 30, 2011
digi award goes to mediatile 2012

What a great way to kick off the New Year. Digital Signage Magazine awarded MediaTile the coveted 2012 DIGI Award for our innovative MediaCast Video Presence system.  

MediaCast Video Presence, which powers the revolutionary HumanKiosk solution, has received a first place award for Best New Product in the New Content Management Software/Web Based (SaaS) category.  


From the Digital Signage Magazine website: “The DIGI Awards recognize the resellers, integrators and service providers who have gone the extra mile to ensure success for their...
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Top holiday gift ideas for internal communication professionals #icgifts

Posted by:
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Presents for Internal Communication professionals'Tis the season of giving. But do you have that hard-to-buy-for employee communicator in your life and are struggling with what to get them for Christmas?

To help you with ideas, I reached out to several of my employee communication friends on Twitter to see what they thought every communicator needs on his or her Christmas list. Some were serious. But most were not. 

Dana Leeson A suit of armor to protect you when delivering honest feedback to the CEO about their approach to an employee briefing to deflecting missile launched laptops when you...Read More »