How the biggest brands have used Unily to respond to COVID-19

Looking inwards: how our clients are taking action

With employees everywhere searching for updates and opportunities to connect, the COVID-19 pandemic has reinforced the importance of internal communications. Simultaneously, the demand for effective remote work solutions is at an all-time high.

During these uncertain times, our clients have used Unily to support communications strategies, maintain positive culture, and ease the transition to remote work. From morale boosters to new mediums for accurate updates, we’ve seen so many inspiring approaches to COVID-19 response efforts.

A behind-the-scenes glimpse at best practices

No vertical has been left unaffected by the pandemic, and our clients are testament to this. Below, we share some stories from the frontline, considering how different businesses have leaned into Unily to help overcome the challenges presented by the Coronavirus crisis.

A human resources enterprise tackles employee fear

With more than 34k employees, one of our largest Human Resources clients spoke of their relief of having rolled out Unily prior to the crisis. In order to support their international workforce in accessing the information they needed to stay safe and continue to support the business, a dedicated Coronavirus site was created. The site hosts real-time updates and other key policy documents, as well as a social channel called “Ask Your Questions”. The Ask Your Questions channel allows employees to pose questions to an external specialist doctor, helping to tackle fear of the unknown through professional, medical advice.

As a result of these activities, news views soared by 51%, social comments increased 53%, and reactions climbed by 92%.

A hospitality client overcomes frontline engagement

Taking a similar approach, a leading hospitality client created a Coronavirus site page to act as the single-source destination for key information on the pandemic and remote working. Given that their workforce is largely frontline, this client took the additional step of keeping employees without company email addresses connected via mobile push notifications that direct users to the mobile app.

In addition, the client launched a ‘Creating Memories’ campaign through the intranet to tackle social isolation and encourage employees to continue to share and socialize. The ‘Creating Memories’ page was added to the main navigation to raise the campaign profile, alongside a hashtag #CreatingMemories.

From January to March, news views increased 801% and reactions were up 134%.

Leading manufacturer uses social to support positive culture

Unily Social played a key role in the crisis response strategy devised by one of our clients in the manufacturing industry. To promote company culture and encourage interaction in the absence of an office presence, the enterprise launched specialized channels, including one dedicated to sharing work from home photos. There is also a COVID-19 social channel placed on the homepage for maximum visibility.

The enterprise wished to keep employees’ spirits high, so a new reaction feature was created to recognize and celebrate positive achievements during challenging times. For ongoing guidance and encouragement, employees can access a host of wellbeing resources including content on managing anxiety and staying healthy while working from home.

As a result of these creative initiatives, social reactions increased 280% from February to March, and comments climbed 113%.

A healthcare enterprise leans into video

Accurate and updated information is a priority, particularly for our clients in the healthcare industry. One enterprise launched a site dedicated to COVID-19 guidance for its 10k employees. This resource includes the latest news and guidelines, training information and schedules, and answers to common questions. Users with more personalized queries can access an advice line for additional information.

The crisis also prompted the enterprise to launch a series of video briefings in which senior leaders from different verticals address questions submitted by staffers and provide updates for the entire organization. To weave in positivity, a “Good Deed Feed” was designed to spotlight positive news.

From February to March, content creation soared by 36%, content views increased 23%, and mobile views grew by 952%.

Technology enterprise moves from print to digital 

Without their Unily intranet, one of our clients noted that their response to the COVID-19 pandemic would have been reactive versus proactive. Previously, the enterprise had relied on top-down communications and posters to disseminate updates.

In contrast, the organization took advantage of its new platform to launch video messaging that would keep its workforce of 3.6k both updated and engaged. Recordings from the CEO are published on the intranet to share news on the current situation and best practices for minimizing the risk of infection. All COVID-19 content is pushed through their platform which serves as a one-stop-shop for updates.

Following the addition of video messaging from the CEO, views increased by 248%. Story content views also climbed by 130% and the number of users reading this content grew by 29%.

A software enterprise leverages leadership

With more than 5k staff making the switch to remote work for the first time, one of our clients in the software industry used their platform to underpin a seamless transition. Articles and videos were published to discuss the pandemic, coping with quarantine, and making the most of remote work.

Understanding the importance of input from senior leadership, a Q&A feature was devised to offer employees the opportunity to get their pressing questions answered by the enterprise’s CEO. The C-suite actively responds to queries from all users to keep employees aligned and updated.

As a result, mobile views increased 45%, overall views are up 17%, and unique sessions rose 15%.

A professional services client overcomes remote workforce challenges

In just three days time, one of our clients in the professional services industry saw its number of remote workers jump from 400 to 1.4k, amounting to over 90% of its total headcount. To facilitate a seamless transition to mass-scale remote work, the enterprise utilized their company intranet to ensure every employee felt fully supported.

A COVID-19 Information site was devised to centralize content and FAQ documents on the subject. Social features have transformed into a hub for inspiration and encouragement, with many users sharing both personal and enterprise-wide efforts to step up and provide critical resources for healthcare workers. A Social Distancing Snapshot feature was also created to help employees maintain a healthy, positive outlook with weekly themes, including sharing photos of pets and discussing what they miss about sports.

A recent survey reveals that 92% of employees believe they have the information needed to work efficiently and overcome the challenges associated with a move to remote work.

The bigger picture: takeaways from our community

Keeping employees connected and updated is a priority for every enterprise. Across our entire base of more than 2m users, this has been demonstrated time and time again. Our top takeaways include:

#1. Widespread usage and engagement

From the number of social reactions to the quantity of articles published, platform usage continues to climb. From late January to late March, social usage has increased by over 103% and article consumption has climbed by 70%. This indicates that clients aren’t merely skimming headlines but rather reading content and discussing updates with their colleagues.

#2. COVID-19 content remains a priority

Our data also reveals an ongoing demand for news about COVID-19. The number of Coronavirus searches is now over 70 times greater than it was just two months ago. Simultaneously, we’ve seen a 235% increase in the number of articles viewed that include the term “coronavirus”.

#3. Email broadcasts are crucial

To feed this need for updates, many of our clients are turning to their Broadcast Center. We’ve seen a 35% increase in the number of clients who utilize this feature, as well as close to a 20% increase in the amount of email broadcasts sent out weekly.

Upgrade your efforts to keep employees connected and engaged

The need for frequent communications has reached a peak. If you are interested in launching a bespoke platform to instill connectivity amongst your workforce, get in touch with our digital workplace experts.