Posters like these were among the components of the mini-campaigns. (Click for a larger version.)

American Greetings, a leading source of clever messages about holidays and birthdays, is also crafting quality messaging to guide its employees through a rollout of critical new technology.

Based in Cleveland, Ohio, American Greetings is deploying its “One AG” initiative, a suite of powerful new software tools and work practices leaders say will transform the company. A key part of the deployment is communications planning and execution.

“We’ve planned our messaging to not only reach all levels of our company, but also to support the distinct phases of this project,” said Gary Kopechek, the American Greetings vice president who leads One AG.

“Any rollout like this involves considerable change, and good communication can help people not only understand the changes but begin to advocate them.”

Mini campaign strategy emerges

With dozens of award-winning greeting card writers, designers and editors on the payroll, American Greetings can communicate broadly and impressively about anything. The One AG story has been told through videos, special events, meetings, greeting cards, posters, displays, brochures, articles, newsletters, memos, slide presentations, job aids and more.

For the first set of employees affected by the rollout, the company has organized communications around four distinct mini-campaigns that coincide with four phases of the project – and with four of the “phases of change” recognized widely by change management professionals.

Those campaigns line up like this (see the sample posters, above):

• Why One AG? – Emphasize the benefits of the change so audiences can begin to understand the rationale for it.
• Explore One AG – Provide more details about what’s changing, why and “WIIFM” (what’s in it for me).
• Get Ready – Underscore the importance of employee training and practice (these usually occur shortly before such rollouts “go live”).
• Let’s Go – Provide encouragement for end users as they learn the new routines and let them know how to get help.

Communication helps manage change

Organizing communication around phases of an important project is a good way to capitalize on the way people deal with change – in phases, said Dan Pecchia of Pecchia Communications, communications lead for the American Greetings project.

“The five widely recognized phases of change are Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability and Reinforcement,” Pecchia said. “The four mini-campaigns at American Greetings lined up with the last four phases of change, as awareness of the project was high before the formal communications work began.”

(For more on the “ADKAR model” of change, see this overview from the model’s creator, Prosci, Inc.)

“In communications around big changes to the way people work, timing is important,” Pecchia added. “End users don’t have the same questions all at once, and the right information isn’t available all at once. A good communications plan considers the needs of the project, the points at which various pieces of information are known and the times when target audiences most need to have and use that information.”

For more information about communications planning in support of major changes, check out our Change Management Communications page or contact us.

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