31 January 2008

Item celebrates first issue of One magazine for National Grid

The Item Group is helping new client National Grid tackle a common challenge: ensuring that communications channels align with a global operating model.

The international electricity and gas company’s internal communications structure and channels have traditionally been aligned around its country bases, in the UK and US, so shifting the focus to fit a new global model is a critical step in helping employees feel part of a single company – ‘one National Grid’.

The challenge was further added to when National Grid acquired New York-based company KeySpan last summer, and inherited a further 9,000 employees.

In response, the Internal Comms team decided to begin its revamp by tackling print communications. A key outcome was the launch of a new company-wide magazine, One, which is being produced every two months by Item.

The first issue published in January to rave reviews. From issue two, the magazine will be complemented by supplements for employees within each line of business.

Maeve Chappell, Head of Internal Communications, National Grid, says: ‘We needed a partner who would meet the challenge of supporting the internal team in the writing and production of this new publication. Our previous company-wide communications had a very corporate feel, which suited the company at the time, but we wanted to shift the tone of our company magazine – to warm it up and make the content much more accessible for all our employees.’

The company went out to competitive tender and Item was chosen as the strategic partner, supporting the delivery of the company magazine and business inserts for the next two years.

‘We are delighted with the first edition that Item has delivered for us,’ comments Maeve. ‘The look and feel is so different from anything that we have previously produced at a corporate level and initial feedback has been hugely positive.

‘In choosing to work with Item, we were very impressed with their research-based approach and freshness of design. National Grid is a very diverse company, so it isn’t easy to pitch a publication that will have a wide appeal.

‘I believe that with Item we have every opportunity of achieving our internal communications objective of connecting employees with National Grid.’

National Grid's Head of Internal Communications, Maeve Chappell visits item to review the first issue of one magazine with Item Creative Manager Nigel Wood, left, and Editorial Manager Paul Jones, right.