Internal vs. external communication - all one? 7 Questions for EUROPART

Our interviewee is Daniel Zinn, Head of Marketing at EUROPART. His long-term goal is to turn customers, suppliers, and employees alike into fans of the brand. To achieve this, EUROPART not only uses Flip as an internal communication channel, but also YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook - all with similar content and formats.

What tools do you use for internal communication?

Now, exclusively Flip's employee app. We didn't want a parallel world. If we use the app, then only the app. To be honest, the intranet didn't have any impact on the ground anyway. It was mainly used by those in the administration who were already well-informed. We made the switch with a hybrid staff event that could only be attended digitally via the app.

How has the introduction of the employee app changed internal communication?

We've always created good and innovative content but lacked a platform to distribute that content internally. We miscalculated: our plan to address our own employees via external channels didn't work. We thought everyone, including our employees, could see this content on YouTube and Instagram. We didn't want to fall prey to self-deception, so with the employee app, content is now also tailored and delivered to both employees and customers.

Is there still a boundary between internal and external communication?

There is still content that we only communicate internally, for example, staff events and information from our CEO. Apart from that, the boundaries are actually becoming blurred. We started incorporating moving images into our social media strategy about five years ago with "Fan News TV" to generate reach externally. We mirror this content in the employee app because we also want to turn employees into fans. If our own employees don't know what we're communicating to the outside world, then enthusiasm quickly dies down - and the customer knows more than they do.

Normally, employees should have a knowledge advantage over customers. Do you also achieve this through the employee app?

With videos and unique content, we want to offer added value to three target groups in equal measure: employees, customers, and suppliers. This should always be under the premise that the content is authentic and shows EUROPART as the creator. Internally, the videos are not intended to replace training material, but to promote it. Training with industry partners will continue to take place on-site.

If you want to use video, you need people who feel comfortable in front of the camera. Do you shoot your videos with employees?

Yes, and without training. It was a jump into the deep end with lots of heart palpitations and adrenaline. The nice thing is that everyone who stood in front of the camera in the last few months turned into a diva in the positive sense. The "stage fright" we had at the beginning is now long-gone.

Did you have any concerns before introducing the employee app with its open communication?

We worked together closely with the works council. Our decision was also based on the fact that there is an inhibition threshold in the business environment. Initially, we even worried that communication in the app would come across as cryptic and not so authentic. This has turned out to be the total opposite case, in a positive sense. People write what is on their minds at the moment. Someone may post in a weekend mood, but no inappropriate content has ever come up.