As far as I am aware internal communicators serve information to staff based on the need, age, tenure, career levels, organization’s priorities and focus areas, importance and maturity of the individual within the organization, time of the day among other reasons.
TNS’s recent research and segmentation of consumers is based on their information consumption patterns. The need for consumer segmentation in the market emerges due to information overload, an issue I had blogged about previously.
According to TNS consumers absorb data in various forms and by understanding trends marketers can direct their effort better. Consumers are classified into 5 segments:
–Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â ‘Fast foodies’ who look for simple fare that they can get their hands on
–Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â ‘Supplementers’ take up what they can find
–Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â ‘Carnivores’ go for large but in-depth material
–        ‘Fussy eaters’ are the toughest to crack – they rarely take in information from any source, and,
–Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Balanced dieters’ are selective about their content and also take in information from multiple channels
How and what marketers do with information – ‘structured’ (from the retail store tills) vs unstructured (social media chatter) will determine their success in the marketplace.
While we can debate if this makes it more complex to get under the skin of consumers I believe such segmentation at the workplace might make it easier for internal communicators to be more effective.
I may qualify as a balanced dieter when it comes to my personal preference for information consumption.
I am constantly trawling the internal systems for employee chatter that may give insights for internal communication, thinking about ways to connect people with information available, scanning headlines and deep diving into mailers that either need my attention, poring over research reports for leads that empower leaders and managers alike and seeking external sources of information for best practices and feedback on the industry and the function.
There is a parallel at the workplace. As an internal communicator you have access to intranet habits, employee preferences for information sharing, device usages and location and language interests. That combined with internal social media tags and buzz gives insights on expectations that your staff’s consumption patterns.
Internal communicators have the opportunity to tap into this wealth of information and make relevant interventions for improved engagement and connection. The question is: are internal communicators ready for it?
