Mixternal Communications: A trend to watch out and embrace.

The years during the COVID-19 pandemic have brought an unprecedented change in almost everything. The work of a strategic communication professional is not an exception. As the demand for remote communication and management arose, the line between internal and external messaging has blurred with the intention to stay and impact the future of corporate communications.

Such a trend coined a new term and responsibility: mixternal communications. No, “mixternal” is not in the dictionary, but communicators, you better get used to the term and add it into your jargon list!

WHAT

Mixternal communications is the sphere in which several components of corporate communications, including internal and external communications, interconnect to achieve an overall goal. As Ragan notes, the essence of mixternal communications lies in the understanding of how customer and employee experiences are “intrinsically linked for an organization.”

HOW

So, how do real-world leaders adopt the concept of mixternal communications? Back in March 2021, Lippe Taylor purchased the employee experience consultancy firm Cheer Partners. This first acquisition of the public relations and digital marketing agency expanded its investment in internal communications in a time when employee messages are crucial to an organizational external brand.

With the shift to remote work and emotional burden of the past year, employee engagement has skyrocketed to the top of our clients' concerns (Paul Dyer, Lippe Taylor Group CEO).

WHY

Morgan Baden, the executive vice president of SPI Group LLC, has pointed three reasons why a mixternal approach is a present and the future of corporate communications:

1. Consistency: a mixternal strategy aligns internal and external messages, reinforcing organizational transparency and integrity.

2. Collaboration: the message comes out more powerful when it is produced with inputs from both internal and external stakeholders.

3. Content overlap: when employee profiles underpin a social media messaging campaign, and the inclusion of customer feedback in an intranet message keeps employees apprised of the organization’s progress, greatness happens.

Have you tried the mixternal model yet, and what do you think?

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Date published: November 7, 2021.

Programs used: Word, Grammarly & Canva.

Brief description: An overview of mixternal communications - a trend in corporate communications.

Reflection: This sixth blog of the series offered a chance for me to examine one of the great trends in the field. I was able to use my writing and designing to share what I found with the audience.

References: (links are all inserted above).