Pfizer's Transformation of Its Internal Communications Platform

Online, November 16, 2011 (Newswire.com) - A recent survey on internal communication revealed that in 68 per cent of firms internal communications to employees takes place but is lacking in some areas. Only 18 per cent of participants indicated that it was comprehensive and complete, the OperationsInc and Performance-Solutions-Group, Inc. found.

Since Pfizer launched the PfizerWorld platform in 2009 to connect the entire organization to a single platform, the biggest transformation was that, "Our messages are far more aligned across the enterprise than they ever were before," said Bob Libbey, Senior Director, Global Colleague Communications.

"This was a major goal of the PfizerWorld Super Site Project - to speak with what we call a 'One Pfizer' voice," Libbey, a speaker at the upcoming marcus evans 7th Annual Internal Communications & Situational Messaging Conference added.

The platform had more than 60 million hits and over five million article views last year. "This has raised both the overall awareness of the importance of internal communication and the profile of the function itself."

Also a speaker at the 7th Annual Internal Communications & Situational Messaging Conference, Elizabeth Golden, Vice President, External Affairs and Worldwide Communications, at Pfizer said: "Another major advance is that we are providing a more timely and steady flow of news and information to our colleagues. Prior to the creation of the platform, content was being posted to the old intranet site on a weekly basis. We knew that we had to move to daily publication, and that is what we did."

There are now 39 editions of the site: one for each of the company's eight business units and for divisions and functions, regions, country organizations and locations all over the world, including sites in different languages. The platform is continually expanded and usage tracked. Mobile access was added in December 2010 and a social networking hub in February 2011 to bring together Twitter- and Facebook-type capabilities. Employees can also use the hub to filter their PfizerWorld news from among the platform's many editions. The MyWorld hub now has approximately 30,000 users.

"Knowing that our colleagues need tools and information to advocate for the company, we recently added a resource center that provides key business and policy information. This includes company talking points, FAQs and policy papers, to help them better educate and communicate on behalf of the company," Golden went on to say.

Every internal campaign now runs through PfizerWorld at some point. "The platform has helped us reach our colleagues with internal communications efforts across the board in a reliable, credible and easy-to-use way," Libbey said. Since some employees are less likely to be online, such as those in manufacturing roles, the platform is complemented by an e-signage system.

To ensure success in internal communications initiatives, it is important to know what employees want and to have a clear plan for mixing content they want with the content the business needs to get to them, Golden said. Having a reliable measurement system to track what is working and what might need adjustment is key.

Golden concluded: "Be patient. It takes time to build credibility, change employee habits and to establish new ones. Building an audience takes time."

The marcus evans 7th Annual Internal Communications & Situational Messaging Conference will take place 29 November to 1 December 2011, at the Omni Park House, Boston, Massachusetts.

For more information please contact Michele Westergaard, Marketing/PR Coordinator, marcus evans at 312-540-3000 ext. 6625 or [email protected].