There was a time when plasma TVs were expensive and therefore were not considered as part of any communication plan but today they serve as an important medium for those organizations who buy them and internal communicators who can make the best use.
I read an interesting article recently about IBM’s Labs using plasma TVs effectively for circulating news, building a brand and encouraging participative discussion.
In organizations where I have worked, the plasma TV is widely used to share advertising videos, news and views across the organization – mostly on a case to case basis.
I feel there is immense scope for this medium to create awareness, take employees on board and make a difference.
Technology allows almost instant publishing, either targetted or cross locational. Here are some tips which will help improve faster percolation of messages –
Focus on content: Follow a consistent design template ( most organizations have a standard Powerpoint presentation template) which defines the scope for content inputs. Keep your eye on content to increase readability. Slide timing ( for at least 5-10 seconds), spacing ( keep a word limit of 5-10 words), fonts ( avoid all caps), colors ( black on white – we are creatures of habit) are essential for maximum readership.
Avoid animations and flashy ads: Remember the plasma TV screen shouldn’t remind your employees of the idiot box or you will get the same reactions!
Action oriented content and interactivity: All content must be inclined to fetch you feedback and more content….allow discussions which get routed through an email box – the best entries get featured.
Cross sell your internal channels: Generate content and eyeballs through your newsletters, intranet and other internal forums – it also increases the chances of employees reading the messages on at least one of your channels.
Monitor and measure: Keep a tab on the channel’s visibility. Run a poll, include a panel of content champions, link usage and communication to organizational health.
This is great information. I am researching using TV screens for internal communications for my own organization. Can you possibly send me more techical details about how your system is setup, what program you use to populate your messages, etc. Any more information that you can provide would be appreciated.
Thank you!