Seven
steps to a successful intranet launch
Recently
Leapfrog has been working with a client on the launch of their intranet
site which will provide a one-stop shop for everything users around
the world need to know about the company’s range of ready to drink
alcoholic beverages. As part of the consultancy, we used a seven-step
process to ensure the launch meets – and hopefully surpasses – both
the client and their audience's expectations.
Asked:‘how
should we launch the site?’ we responded that once the core
content, audience list, processes and responsibilities were in place,
the launch team should:
- Start
with a pre-launch ‘teaser’ campaign to raise awareness and anticipation
- Engage
a small audience(10% of user base) for a ‘soft launch’ ahead of
the planned full launch date to gain user experience and specific
feedback – as well as building informed awareness of the new communication
tool
- Build
up to the ‘hard launch’ date with a series of messages telling
people what they’re going to get, when they’re going to get it,
how they can access it and – the USP – what they will get that
they can’t get anywhere else (in this case, a full Best Practice
Library, a world-wide contact data-base and fully consolidated
business performance data)
- Launch
on that date with information that’s brand new and immediately
usable stressing the user benefits of the site
- Ensure
the feedback channels were working with swift response processes
in place
- Proactively
communicate with the user base before, during and after the launch
to solicit responses and suggestions – and then show that these
are acted upon
- Keep
evolving the site on a planned and managed ‘push’ basis for six
months from launch – and cross-market through other comms channels
- to embed it as ‘the way we do things round here’.
Our
experience shows that driving the launch in this way speeds the
evolution of the Intranet from a centrally-managed ‘push’ tool,
to a community-driven ‘pull’ experience far sooner than a more passive
or less involving approach.
Leapfrog
Corporate Communications has worked with Forte, Orange, Barclays
and Diageo on Intranet launches.
