Citation gave employees ownership in developing their new benefits program called DAVE from the beginning. They recruited a focus group and had employees vote on the name. DAVE was promoted using social media like Twitter which helped boost morale. Ladbrokes reversed a downward trend in engagement by creating a relaunch of their benefits program called RewardArena using personalized tickets and digital posters. Markit launched a global employee platform called MyPerks to provide consistent benefits worldwide. They used employee champions, posters, emails and Facebook in localized messaging to reach their global workforce.

1. 1
The Employee
Communications
Playbook
Internal communication strategies that have
been proven to be effective, simple and
just a little bit wow.
V1.6, June 2016

2. Employee communication can be a minefield – and one that is surprisingly difficult
to navigate at times. The dictionary defines communication as “The imparting or
exchanging of information by speaking, writing, or using some other medium”.
It sounds simple but for many of us making sure that our message is received is harder
that you might expect.
I’ve referred to it as a battle before, which might sound a bit strong, but when you
consider the amount of media, advertising and general junk our people are bombarded
with every day the term really isn’t far off. We need to find a way to break through
the noise barrier and make sure the message we put out is the one that sticks, above
every other email, every other meeting and every other Tweet they are sent that day.
Communication is no small task.
However, as with any great battle, breaking down your challenge into strategic objectives
and wins will help you reach your goals. It is my belief that a few simple steps can be
utilised to help you on that road to communication success:
• Set your objectives early, so you know what you’re trying to achieve
• Build your messaging around your objectives
• Work out both your strengths and your weaknesses
• Don’t forget the underdogs – your hard to engage employee groups.
This book will be your guide to some set strategies, or plays, that have been tried, tested
and proven to work in different organisations, both big and small. I hope you like it and
find it as inspiration for your own communication projects.
This is not the end, though, as when it comes to communications the list of options can
be endless! If you’d like more help looking at great communication strategies for your
organisation then we’re only a phone call away.
Best wishes,
Lisa
Lisa Turnbull
Communications Manager at Reward Gateway
@LisaMTurnbull
lisa.turnbull@rewardgateway.com
Give them a say: Citation
Roll out the red carpet: Ladbrokes
Create consistency across your world:
Markit
Play to your strengths: Welcome Break
Take them on a journey: AXA
Build up some suspense (and have a
little fun!): JUST EAT
Create some allies: Cummins
Create an identity: TfL
Embrace a theme: Premier Foods
Keep it relevant: Marston’s
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Hello! Contents
1

3. Citation were launching a new benefits programme after
a series of significant changes to their organisation and
they wanted to use the opportunity to boost morale. The
new CEO wanted to look at ways to create a positive
impact on company culture with one very simple goal:
happy colleagues = happy clients = happy profits.
It was also important to find ways to promote the new
benefits platform to all staff while sticking to a fairly low
budget and catering for the 50%+ of the workforce who
often worked from home.
Citation gave employees ownership of
the programme from the very beginning,
encouraging them to name it and take part in
its creation.
They also recruited a focus group prior to launch
who were able to put forward ideas on behalf of their
colleagues. This created ground level support for the
initiative before it even launched and created a new
energy in the office that kept staff in excited anticipation
until the launch date.
The winning name was “DAVE” which stood for
“Discounts and various exclusives”. DAVE has become
far more than simply an image or a logo, he is himself a
promoter and advocate of the programme. DAVE was set
up with his own Twitter account, which was used to push
out news updates and promotions to colleagues on social
media, and he also has an account on Chatter, the internal
social media tool linked to the CRM system all employees
use every day. The idea of creating a mascot with a
personality has brought the entire programme to life in
a way that is more powerful than other more traditional
communications plans.
The launch of the DAVE programme at Citation was a
huge success with incredibly high take up from day one,
with 92% of staff signed up within the first 3 months.
Staff surveys post launch have also shown a big boost in
morale. One employee said, “I didn’t used to get involved
with company initiatives. I was involved in creating DAVE
and my ideas were adopted. We’ve seen a real change
since then. We offer ideas now people feel like they are
really listened to.”
The elements of Citation’s campaign were simple but
effective thanks to the approach of actively involving
the employees in the creation of the programme. The
key message throughout the campaign emphasised that
they rewarded employee loyalty and that everyone can
have a voice. The functionality of using social media
allowed Citation to continue using DAVE as a whole new
communication channel for further initiatives in the future.
Company Name
Citation
Male:Female Ratio
53:47
Online: Offline
60:40
Average Age
42
No. Locations
2
Sector
Legal services
No. Employees
333
Programme Name
DAVE (Discounts
and Various
Exclusives)
Launch Date
May 2013
Services Provided
Employee discounts and
other staff perks
Give them a say
Citation use the promotion of their benefits &
rewards to spark a cultural revolution.
Key tools used: Social media
(Twitter and Chatter)
32

4. Ladbrokes have been a client of Reward Gateway since
2008 but, until 2015, had only focused on employee
discounts. They decided to implement Reward Gateway’s
SmartHub® technology to relaunch their central benefits
hub, RewardArena, to give employees better access to.
The key focus of the campaign was to let employees
know about the new and improved RewardArena,
especially focusing on the new benefit that allowed the
site to be accessible from anywhere on a smartphone,
tablet or laptop. The challenge was that Ladbrokes
have a large population of retail workers and
existing communication channels were limited. Most
communications were delivered via a weekly brief – which
primarily contained business-critical information – so they
struggled to encourage their retail staff to engage with
other incentives in the organisation, including employee
benefits.
They decided it would be important to use the
messaging within the communications to create
a feeling of both privilege and excitement.
They also wanted to embrace a theme of sports and
events, to tie in with the company’s core business, and so
the idea of creating an invitation to visit the “new arena”
became the focus of the campaign.
Ladbrokes decided to move away from the existing
comms channels and utilise digital posters, the staff
magazine and team briefings. Digital posters were
displayed on TV screens in all locations and also used
on their existing intranet to maximise coverage while
minimising distribution and production costs.
Pre-launch, all communication channels displayed
messages explaining that a new platform was coming
soon, such as ‘RewardArena is under construction’ and
‘A new and improved destination for all your benefits
is on its way’. The launch day itself was promoted with
invitations designed to look like tickets for
a sporting event, and this was followed
up with discussions in team meetings and
promotions in the staff magazine.
Post-launch, the new RewardArena hub
became a whole new communications
channel for Ladbrokes, meaning they were
able to reach their employees in ways
they hadn’t before. Engagement prior to
the launch of RewardArena had dipped,
but has now risen again to a healthy 45%
– a figure that continues to rise month on
month. Ladbrokes are working with Reward
Gateway to maintain RewardArena as a
core communication tool, with regular
updates and new features to keep it fresh.
Company Name
Ladbrokes
Male:Female Ratio
70:30
Online: Offline
80:20
Average Age
40
No. Locations
2209
Sector
Betting & Gaming
No. Employees
14,000
Programme Name
RewardArena
Launch Date
September 2008,
relaunched
summer 2015
Services Provided
Complete SmartHub®
with various benefits
and company news.
Roll out the red carpet…
Ladbrokes reversed downward trend in engagement
levels with inventive programme relaunch
Key tools used: Personalised
tickets backed up with digital
posters 0
550
1100
1650
2200
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40
Unique Logins
Total Logins
future
progression
future progression
No.Users
Weeks
Before relaunched comms strategy New strategy
54

5. 76
Markit has a global workforce who are all connected
online, so it is important for them to be able to show that
employees in different locations receive the same value
from the company as their colleagues. When launching
their employee discounts programme, this offered a
challenge as the offer is naturally going to be different in
each country.
To do this, Markit needed a platform that would bring all
of their employee benefits together globally. They also
needed to make sure that they used the communication
channels that would have the biggest impact on the day
of the launch and continue the ongoing momentum.
Communications had to focus on saving money with
the relevant retailers chosen for different areas of
the business. Markit decided that the most effective
communication channels for them to use would be
Employee Champions, posters, emails, computer screen
savers, and Facebook.
Communications are branded harmoniously
across the organisation to create unity, but
messaging is segmented to make sure that
each employee only received communications
relevant to them.
With such a large, global workforce, Markit used the one
constant in every location to spread their message – their
own employees. They did this by using Reward Gateway’s
Champion function that is built into their SmartHub®
benefits platform. It allowed selected employees from
each territory to become advocates, with early access to
the platform giving them everything they needed to know
prior to the launch.
On the launch day, the Champions discussed the great
rewards with their colleagues and gave expert answers to
any questions they had. A Facebook campaign was also
launched, using Markit-branded images that advertised
the different discounts available to all employees.
Markit’s benefits hub saw immediate success. More than
34% of employees in India signed up within first three
months, as did 47% in the US, 61% in the UK, and 67%
in Australia. Markit’s employees have also found Reward
Gateway’s retail discounts hugely relevant, as spend
through the global benefits platform has been incredibly
high – especially on key day-to-day retailers and big-
ticket items such as electricals and holidays.
After seeing such positive results in such a short a space
of time, Markit now plans to launch a further employee
platform for those in the Republic of Ireland. A second
communication strategy is also being designed to
promote the strongest benefits in each territory based on
Reward Gateway’s in-house statistics.
Company Name
Markit
Online: Offline
100% online
Average Age
Wide range
No. Locations
Employees in
10 differenct
countries
Sector
Finance
No. Employees
3000
Programme Name
MyPerks
Launch Date
August 2015
Services Provided
Employee discounts
Create consistency
across your world
Markit launches employee platform to harmonise
benefits offering globally
Key tools used: Screen
savers, posters, Facebook
and Champions

6. 98
Welcome Break operate motorway service stations at
multiple locatations across the UK. Their workforce,
including retail, site management and support staff, are a
typically difficult demographic to engage - their previous
benefits provider had only achieved a 15% take-up of their
offering after 2 years of trying. An employee survey had
revealed negative feelings towards their previous benefits
package, with 77% of staff either unaware of its existence or
actively disliking it showing something had got to change.
After deciding to implement a new benefits programme,
Welcome Break knew that communication was an important
factor.
They knew that more traditional communication
channels often had little effect on their staff
so they needed to create a communication
strategy built around the tools their staff would
engage with the most.
It needed to catch the eye while also seamlessly fitting in to
the schedules of their employees.
Messages were delivered via TV screens in staff break
rooms so that the information was easy for all employees
to access while promotional links were built into the
homepage of the staff intranet. Welcome Break also use
an internal social media network, Jam, to push out regular
communications that all staff can then view, comment on,
like and share, creating a conversation around the initiatives
they are promoting.
An important part of the process was the recruitment,
training and use of a group of advocates for the platform.
In total, 60 of these advocates were recruited, so there
were at least two representatives at every site. They
created a personality for the platform, increased trust
and recognition of the site, as well as pushing particular
messages at relevant times.
Messaging was designed to fit in with workplace events and
activities, to involve the family and to specifically target
senior managers. Employees get a special notification
when they are due to go on maternity or paternity leave,
reminding them of their eligibility for Childcare Vouchers.
The messaging system also promotes specific retailers at
relevant times of year – for example, their Christmas grocery
offers.
The result of Reward Gateway’s work with Welcome
Break was a three-year plan that achieved more than 84%
engagement with their platform – surpassing all internal
targets that had been set. Their employee engagement
survey also revealed that 93% of employees say they really
value the benefits offering. Welcome Break are now working
with Reward Gateway to extend the MyWelcomeBreak
platform into a full benefits SmartHub®, complete with
relaunched branding to highlight their new HR personality.
Company Name
Welcome Break
Male:Female Ratio
40:60
Online: Offline
10:90
Average Age
32
No. Locations
35
Sector
Hospitality
No. Employees
4000
Programme Name
My Welcome Break
Launch Date
September 2011
Services Provided
Employee discounts and
salary sacrifice benefits
Play to your strengths
Welcome Break re-engage their workforce
after the failure of a previous incentive by
embracing digital media
Key tools used: TV screens
and internal social media

7. 1110
Following Reward Gateway’s launch of SmartHub®, AXA
wanted to take the opportunity to build their benefits
platform into a central point, where employees could
access all the HR applications they needed at work. With
the programme being renamed MAX, they needed a fresh
communications strategy so that their employees would
see this as a new and important tool, while also finding
ways to maintain the value that employees saw in the
already popular discounts model.
The objective was to take staff on a journey
where the relaunched benefits product was
seen as a new and exciting tool, but the big
problem was finding the time for each staff
member to receive that message.
They decided to embrace video media to explain all of
the benefits and features, which could be used both on
the new SmartHub® platform but also via all other digital
communication channels.
They also wanted to create a bit of WOW factor and so
decided to invest in bespoke video stands which could
be displayed in each of AXA’s offices. The stands offer
a self-guided tutorial for the MAX programme, and so
remove the need for a manager or HR rep to explain the
platform in person while also allowing the employee
to go on that journey in their own time. They are eye
catching and unusual, so spark conversation amongst
colleagues, and the stands also contain information flyers
and discount cards for the employees to take away. The
video can be updated easily by HR on each site via a
simple USB link, and the flyers are refreshed seasonally.
Messaging was produced around the phrase “MAX: My
AXA Applications”, with updated visual branding to
correlate with the new function. The messages placed
particular emphasis on accessing all of the platform’s
tools via mobile.
As an employee discounts platform had been an
established benefit within AXA, it already had a healthy
70-80% engagement, which everyone had thought it
would be hard to improve on. The efforts put into this
new campaign however saw programme usage rise to
90%, while weekly logins have also shot up. This shows
that MAX has become an established part of the culture
within AXA’s UK operation with a lot of thanks to the use
of video media.
Company Name
AXA
Male:Female Ratio
46:54
Online: Offline
100% online
Average Age
Workers 17 - 65+
No. Locations
4 key business
functions split over
35 locations
Sector
Insurance
No. Employees
9000
Programme Name
MAX
Launch Date
September 2009,
relaunched on
SmartHub® 2015
Services Provided
SmartHub® providing
information on all
benefits, learning tools,
pensions and more.
Take them on a journey
AXA keep communications fresh
with use of video media
Key tools used: Video
POS stands

8. 1312
To fit their existing quirky and creative corporate culture,
JUST EAT needed a communication strategy that would
really stand out. They were keen to make their staff feel
valued, with employee benefits that would have an impact
on their day-to-day lives.
Careful consideration of the communication strategy was
very important to JUST EAT, as they needed to spread the
word to both their office-based and remote workers.
All information had to be accessible online as
well as offline, so no one missed out.
They used email and the intranet predominantly, as well as
desk drops/ mail home, online promotions and interactive
competitions.
After choosing to name their platform ‘Just Treats’, a theme
was created for their launch communication plan which
centred around a five-week teaser campaign. Each week a
new cryptic clue was left on desks or sent out online, teasing
staff about what was to come. This included bespoke
Refresher bars, powerful visuals, fortune cookies and other
goodies - all low budget items that could easily be mailed
to staff out of the office yet still had enough of an impact to
make people start to ask “What is going on?”.
This culminated in a special announcement sent to all staff
by the CFO. The note addressed staff formally and asked
them to watch a short video that would explain an important
staff announcement, however when the employees clicked
through to the YouTube video it was not quite what they
expected. Rather than a serious business update, they were
greeted by a fun video of dancing sweets and the message
“Just-Treats is coming March 2012”. It left them excited,
intrigued and perhaps a little confused, but definitely aware
and gossiping about what the new programme would be.
Throughout the teaser campaign, the only
information shared was the launch date and
programme name resulting in a powerful
suspense that had everyone eager to attend
launch day activities for the final big reveal.
On launch day, a sweet shop was set up in the board room
of each office, where presentations and workshops on
the new benefits took place – rolling the programme out
with a bang. Excitement was maintained post-launch with
online competitions that related to the benefits on offer.
Employees can log into the site to take part in activities
such as online bingo, a Mr & Mrs quiz and creative story-
writing. Just Treats also hosts an annual birthday event –
the office sweet shop is set up again on the anniversary of
the platform launch every year, with the aim of sweeping up
new starters.
JUST EAT have achieved incredibly high take-up in terms
of registered users and eCards sent. 90% of employees are
actively using the platform on a regular basis. Feedback
from employees has been outstanding, and the Just Treats
platform remains one of the most popular staff rewards
across the entire JUST EAT group.
Company Name
JUST EAT
Male:Female Ratio
50:50
Online: Offline
50:50
Average Age
25
No. Locations
2 offices plus large
number of ‘remote’
workers
Sector
Online retail
No. Employees
500
Programme Name
Just-Treats
Launch Date
March 2012
Services Provided
Employee discounts,
cycle to work, reward
system ‘e-cards’
and additional HR
information such as
season ticket loans
Build up some suspense…
(and have a little fun with it too!)
JUST EAT uses creative teaser campaign to
whip up excitement pre-launch
Key tools used: Email,
YouTube, online games,
desk drops

9. 1514
Cummins have one of the most widespread populations
of all the clients we work with at Reward Gateway
With the four different time zones they cover
and the offline nature of most roles, makes it
unsurprising that they often found employees
resistant to initiatives led by the central HR
function.
This however all changed after Cummins implemented
an employee “Champions” programme which achieved
staggering engagement levels following the launch of their
MyRewards programme.
Cummins wanted to combat the distance that existed
between them and their employees by having people on-
the-ground at every site. The best way to do this was to
recruit representatives from each area of the company to
be Champions – advocates for the new benefits platform.
People are much more likely to relate to something their
peers are already not only using but also raving about - it
creates a personal credibility far more powerful than any
marketing campaign.
In total, 200 Champions were recruited across the
business. Each Champion was supported in advance of the
platform launch with training provided by the specialist,
in-house team at Reward Gateway where they learnt about
MyRewards via webinars. They were also given access to
information and promotional materials through a purpose-
built Champions web portal. A forum was also created so
that the Champions could talk to each other about the
challenges they faced.
During the week of the platform’s launch, each of Cummins’
Champions was issued with a branded T-shirt which they
wore to work to make themselves easily recognisable to
their colleagues. They then toured their respective sites,
promoting the great new benefits available to everyone at
Cummins. Competitions were run and the Champions gave
out prizes within their business units. Champions were
given the freedom to promote the platform in whichever
way that they felt would best engage their colleagues,
as they work with them everyday. Champions still have a
strong voice within Cummins, and their stories have been
used post-launch to help with further promotions of the
programme.
A phenomenal 70% of employees engaged with the
platform after just six months of it being launched – one of
the highest rates ever seen in such a short space of time
for a workforce of this scale. As the success of Cummins’
platform continues, there will be continued support for their
Champions with the implementation of Reward Gateway’s
improved bespoke Champions function. It will give them
more visibility amongst colleagues and even more tools to
help them with their mission.
Company Name
Cummins
Male:Female Ratio
80:20
Online: Offline
10:90
Average Age
Wide range
No. Locations
Split across 48
states in the US
Sector
Manufacturing &
engineering
No. Employees
16,000
Programme Name
MyRewards
Launch Date
May 2015
Services Provided
Employee perks
Create some allies
Cummins use employee advocacy to break
all engagement records
Key tools used: Champions

10. 1716
TfL have a diverse employee group, with employees
from many different businesses, such as the London
Underground, the DLR and taxi regulation services. In
addition, they have a largely offline workforce, with
limited connectivity during the working day meaning that
they have to work extra hard to make sure messages they
communicate really hit home.
Their approach to engaging their staff with
benefits and other company initiatives is based
around maintaining a strong identity that is
unique to them as an employer.
Working hard on their benefits brand, to coordinate with
their corporate brand, means that when an employee
sees a piece of communication from myTfL they instantly
know that this is something for them.
Consistent branding affects the choices they make
on language, graphics and even layout. Their ongoing
strategy is designed to continuously re-engage their
existing staff as well as building awareness for new
starters. Each communication channel is carefully
evaluated to make sure that it is used to its full potential
and messaging is tailored to fit the needs of different
employee groups.
Communications are conveyed via various channels,
including PC screen displays, articles in the ‘On The Move’
staff magazine, payslip messages and posters in staff
breakout areas. Emphasis is placed on enhanced savings
and bigger discounts to attract staff to the wider benefits
available through myTfL. Money-saving tips are provided
in newsletters and articles, followed up by targeted emails
to employees according to their level of engagement with
the platform.
To date, myTfL has achieved a staggering 96%
engagement, and over the five years it has been live,
TfL has seen £54 million spent through their employee
discounts programme. Moving forward, TfL will continue
to highlight different benefits by utilising staff ‘savings
stories’, reminder emails and targeted campaigns for other
benefits such as Childcare Vouchers or Cycle to Work.
Company Name
Transport for
London (TfL)
Male:Female Ratio
60:40
Online: Offline
20:80
Average Age
40
No. Locations
100
Sector
Transport
No. Employees
24,000
Programme Name
myTfL
Launch Date
April 2010
Services Provided
Employee discounts &
salary sacrifice benefits
Create an identity
TfL uses multi-strand communications strategy with
a strong brand identity to maintain engagement with
their voluntary benefits
Key tools used: PC screen
displays, staff magazine,
payslips and posters

11. 1918
Embrace a theme
Creation of a new benefits brand re-invigorates
employee engagement at Premier Foods
Key tools used: Twitter,
roadshows and printed media
Premier Foods are one of the UK’s biggest food
manufacturers, looking after popular brands including Mr
Kipling, OXO, Homepride, Cadbury Cakes and Sharwoods.
They began a project in 2014 with the objective of
introducing more focused and company-wide strategies,
including a project to find better technology that would
keep employees connected to company news and services.
They used this opportunity to relaunch their benefits portal
as a full employee hub, and a new brand was needed to
help with this mission.
Premier Foods decided to relaunch their benefits under a
new name - The Hamper.
It was important to create a fun and engaging
umbrella brand for all of their employee
services that were connected to ‘foody-ness’,
encouraging employees to be proud of the
products they work on.
The brand was created using picnic imagery, which
was extended across their web platform as well as all
communication channels.
To launch The Hamper, a communications campaign was
designed to create build-up and buzz across all of Premier
Food’s sites. They began by linking the communication
to other business updates, which started to plant it
into people’s minds. Teasers were used at the monthly
team briefings, on Google+ and in the staff newsletter.
Anticipation was built up steadily in the run-up to launch
day events at all key sites, when employees were taken to a
picnic-themed area in the canteen.
Stands were set up where employees could ask questions
and learn about The Hamper. The ability to use Reward
Gateway’s SmartHub® platform on a smartphone or tablet
was heavily promoted. Activity on social media continued
with the #OpenTheHamper competition, where staff were
encouraged to share their stories of how they had benefited
from the programme. This had a great effect in maintaining
excitement about the new offering as well as making
employees feel included in the development of the new The
Hamper brand. Other key communication channels used
included monthly company briefings, the ‘What’s Cooking?’
staff newsletter and digital screens showing the daily news.
Engagement with the programme is high, with 45% of
employees logging in on a regular basis, and an average
of 2,500 unique logins every week. Following the official
re-launch, Premier Foods have continued with weekly
communications across all digital channels and include
references to The Hamper on employees’ payslips. A key
part of the success of their benefits programme is the use
of a strong and recognisable brand that employees can
identify with, learning to recognise and trust as the brand
is used continuously throughout their employee journey.
Company Name
Premier Foods
Male:Female Ratio
63:37
Online: Offline
20:80
Average Age
45
No. Locations
13
Sector
Food
manufacturing
No. Employees
3,800
Programme Name
The Hamper
Launch Date
February 2012,
relaunch April
2015
Services Provided
Employee hub

12. 2120
Keep it relevant
Marston’s uses targeted messaging to reach
all areas of a diverse workforce
Key tools used: Message
segmentation
Marston’s biggest communication barrier was the
difference in needs between the three core functions
– their brewery staff, their pub staff and their head
office staff. All three groups have key differences in
their employee demographic including age, income,
preferences, and even staff turnover. While the head
office uses the internet at work, the brewery and bar staff
are predominantly offline workforces.
Messaging about their benefits platform focuses on
money-saving promotions.
Messages are tailored to their needs of
the different employee groups so that the
employees would receive communications of
the promotions most relevant to them.
A great example of this is the way they segmented a
springtime promotion.
• The bar staff are young and social but with a limited
income, so they were sent a message about online
shopping with instant offers. The retailers promoted,
including ASOS and JUST EAT, were chosen
specifically to fit with the interests and preferences of
the young staff.
• The brewery staff are a little older, with a more male
dominated workforce of whom many have young
families. The focus for them was on saving money
on family outings over the upcoming school holidays
with a family-friendly Easter theme. The comms
featured kids’ activity retailers such as Cineworld and
Chessington World of Adventures and messaging
emphasised that the benefits were accessible to the
whole family.
• The head office staff includes group functions, such
as marketing and finance, and are typically slightly
higher earners than the other employee groups. They
received promotional messages about saving money
on the year’s big summer holiday destinations –
featuring retailers such as Eurostar and Expedia.
This segmented communications plan continues throughout
the year, with relevant separation of messages to fit each
employee group. Engagement with the initiative continues
to grow after every new promotion, with particularly good
results seen across the pubs – which had typically been
the hardest of the three groups to engage. The key to
their success has been the efforts made to truly target
their messaging to the different employee groups, which
allows them to maximise the potential impact of each
promotional piece.
Marston’s will continue working with Reward Gateway
to analyse current usage trends and further segment
messaging. They plan to focus on analysing regional
breakdown based on location, and improving the number
of new starters registering with the platform.
Company Name
Marston’s
Online: Offline
20:80
Average Age
Wide range
No. Locations
2000+ pubs
across the UK, 5
breweries & large
head office
Sector
Hospitatlity
No. Employees
11,000
Programme Name
Marston’s R£wards
Launch Date
November 2013
Services Provided
Employee discounts

13. Throughout this book we’ve shared with you stories of some of our favourite
employee communication strategies we’ve helped to develop here at Reward
Gateway, but these stories are also the result of a lot of hard work by some
great teams.
Every campaign is a co-ordinated effort between the client, their
Engagement Manager and the dedicated communication specialists on
both sides. From design to content creation and beyond, I’d like to take the
opportunity to thank everyone for all of their hard work on creating such
inspirational pieces. We jokingly refer to this group at Reward Gateway as the
“RG Magic Lab” and the choice of using the word “magic” is no coincidence.
We are fortunate enough to work in an environment which allows us to push
the boundaries and not accept the standard as the only choice. The desire
to constantly create better comms with even more impact for even greater
results is constantly driving us forward (and this is a truth that will mean that
we doubt this will be the only edition of The Employee Comms Playbook that
we ever produce).
We’re always testing out new ideas internally with great results, like those
featured in this book, as well as weeding out the good from the gimmicky. If
you’d like to learn more about how improved employee communication can
have an effect on your employee engagement just let us know, we’d always
love to hear from you.
www.rewardgateway.com
@RewardGateway
Great communications
are a team effort
2322

14. 2524
With thanks to...
Written by
Rebecca Hastings and Liam Jones
Edited by
Lisa Turnbull
Design by
Kalina Georgieva and Ivan Filipov
Photography by
Chris Parkes
©Reward Gateway. All rights reserved
and respected.
www.rewardgateway.com