NEC has implemented NewCommunicator to enhance employee engagement and foster a cohesive corporate culture. We had the opportunity to speak with Narumi Monzen, Hiroyuki Yamakata, Kazuhito Ooto of the Corporate Communications Department to discuss the tool’s impact and explore their aspirations for future communication initiatives.

Our Mission: Boosting Employee Engagement

— Can you tell us about the Corporate Communications Department’s mission?

Monzen:
Within the Corporate Communications Department, our “Internal Excitement & Culture Group” is responsible for internal communication. We’re constantly thinking “How can we increase employee engagement?” We manage a wide range of initiatives, from planning and producing articles and videos, to organizing “CEO Town Hall Meetings”, and running internal events and campaigns.

With workstyles diversifying, we have tried communicating through email, our internal mobile app NEC Now, and intranet announcements with our roughly 80,000 employees in Japan alone. This year, we began using NewCommunicator, branded as “Now Letter,” to reach our employees more effectively.

<Director: Narumi Monzen>

— What were your initial impressions of NewCommunicator?

Yamakata:
I was impressed by the convenience of delivering messages through Microsoft Teams, our daily business communication platform. Plus, the app auto-installs across everyone’s Teams, so there’s no need to remind employees to set it up which was extremely helpful. Previously, with the internal mobile app, the initial setup was always a challenge and one of the reasons why it wasn’t really being used.

Ooto:
Since it's integrated with Teams, the message appears directly in the app that employees are already using, making it more effective than emails or printed communications. The reports in NewCommunicator show us how much employees engage with each message, so we can confidently say it's reaching more employees compared to the other tools we’ve used.

Monzen:
Our previous tools left us constantly feeling like there was no solution for reaching employees in a timely, adequate way. That's why discovering an entirely new way to communicate effectively within Teams was such a game-changer—it made me feel like NewCommunicator was truly a 'beacon of hope!' (laughs). With an overflow of information on social media and other media channels, employees are busier than ever both at work and in their personal lives. Emails are rarely read, and no matter how rich the content on the intranet, employees still have to actively seek out information on their own.

In this context, NewCommunicator (hereafter Now Letter) was particularly appealing as it leverages Teams' capabilities to enable push-style communication effectively.

— You’ve seen some impressive results, right?

Yamakata:
We created content for one project, sharing behind-the-scenes insights and the team’s vision. When we sent it via Now Letter, over 80% of our 80,000 employees opened it, with unique users who clicked on the link in the message going up by 30%. That’s huge, especially compared to typical email open rates, which are around 10-20%.

Monzen:
It feels like we finally have a reliable way to reach employees. But, with such high engagement, we’re also more conscious about maintaining the quality of our messages.

Ooto:
It’s easy for content to become long when there's a lot to convey, but even I don’t feel like reading long articles on my mobile. From an employee's perspective, I realized that if there's too much scrolling, people tend to avoid reading.

<Professional: Kazuto Ooto>

With higher open rates, content must be intentional

—How does Now Letter differ from traditional email or intranet content?

Yamakata:
Employees are no longer office-bound and access content on various devices, many on their mobile phones. Drawing on my experience managing NEC’s official social media, I focus on adapting content for each medium. With Now Letter, considering how a mobile reader receives a chat, the first visual needs to be impactful. We put a lot of thought into visuals and choose images that catch attention instantly, like expressive photos with dynamic energy, especially when using images of people. We also keep messages short and casual, ensuring the tone and style are consistent to provide employees with a cohesive experience.

— I understand you’re also mindful of how often you send out Now Letter messages.

Monzen:
Definitely. If employees receive too many messages in a day, they’ll likely stop reading. Knowing each message actually reaches them, we limit frequency to the most essential updates.

<example of Now Letter messages>

— What kind of criteria do you use to select content for Now Letter?

Yamakata:
We focus on messages relevant to all employees, such as messages from our CEO, company-wide event reports, and other essential information. We’re still in the process of experimenting and fine-tuning our approach.

Monzen:
Selective content distribution is critical when it comes to delivering quality messages. Moving forward, we would like to explore targeted messaging and tailor content to different employee groups.
While open rates have improved with Now Letter, click-through rates for embedded links remain a challenge. We’re playing around with adjusting the placement and wording of the link buttons, but we also want to utilize the embed video feature more to increase engagement.

— Is there a difference in click-through patterns between email and Now Letter?

Monzen:
Yes, it’s noticeable. With email, most clicks happen shortly after the message is sent and then taper off. With Now Letter, clicks gradually increase over time, as if employees are coming back to read earlier messages.

Ooto:
Because the messages always appear in the same spot in Teams, we think this setup creates a “reminder effect”—employees see previous messages again when new ones arrive, prompting them to re-read.

<comparison of click-through rate for emails and Now Letter (image)>

Crafting Content to Drive Action

<Communications Specialist: Hiroyuki Yamakata>

— What do you envision for the future of Now Letter?

 Ooto:
We want to keep the employee perspective front and center, not just informing them but inspiring them to take action. I believe that communication that drives action is what really builds engagement.

Yamakata:
For that, every detail counts—from the first visual to the title. It’s really about how we can spark the interest of our employees. Since our open rate is high, we’re committed to ensuring the quality of the content remains top-notch.

Monzen:
With Now Letter, we’re reaching employees effectively within Teams, offering a powerful engagement tool. By embracing new technology and methods, we’re able to challenge ourselves beyond what we’ve been doing. By delivering timely, tailored content to those who need it, we aim to foster a work environment where employees feel valued and proud to be part of NEC.

— Thank you!

Disclaimer: The organization, department, position, and content featured in this article are accurate as of the time of publication, based on the interview conducted.