The ubiquitous newsletter if handled astutely, gives the communiqué a truthfulness and honesty that is sometimes conspicuously absent in other forms of promotion

A walking stick in hand, spectacles firmly perched on his nose, and unwavering conviction, Gandhi trudged through India’s dusty alleys to spread the message of non-violence. As his teachings gained popularity, his followers, intent on spreading his wisdom throughout the country, formulated an effective means of communication. Letters containing the Mahatma’s teachings, along with the thoughts and exhortations of other leaders were circulated, and posters pasted on walls… All to spread the word faster, to share information, to spur a movement, to rev up the spirit of a nation… and, as we know today, the objectives were achieved.

More than half a century later, the strategy of using letters as a potent communication force has been seen making inroads into the marketing communications function of many organisations, and not without reason.

Yesteryears’ letter is today’s new-age newsletter. And with companies’ growing, myriad needs and the ever-dynamic market pulse, newsletters have acquired the flexibility of being able to serve any environment. In fact, years later, although its intent remains much the same – to communicate – the newsletter’s functions have evolved.

Earlier, the newsletter’s function in an organization was rather limited. With a slightly self-indulgent motive, it became a platform for employees to showcase their hidden talents and for the management to wish them on their birthdays, anniversaries, etc. Today, however, this largely unused and untapped medium can fulfill almost any of the emerging communication needs – internal and external – provided it is placed in the right hands. From overcoming sales issues and establishing credibility, to creating a vibrant, transparent, participatory and close-knit company atmosphere, a newsletter can do it all. This new-age letter can rightly be an extension of the HR, marketing and corporate communication functions of any organisation. “Newsletters can actually perform the different marketing tasks singularly, but in a more subtle and unobtrusive manner,” says Payal Banerjee, a PR official. “It can help in PR, can be a form of low-key, yet effective advertising; it can actually be a strong branding tool for any company. But a lot of companies are still unaware of the newsletter’s potential in the larger scheme of their organisational affairs,” she emphasizes.

Today, the ubiquitous newsletter has the clout of the Fourth Estate and, if handled astutely, gives sanctity to the written word. This gives the communiqué a truthfulness and honesty that is sometimes conspicuously absent in other forms of promotion: definitely its strongest advantage. So, why don’t most companies earmark a part of their marketing budget for the newsletter, instead of allocating excessive amounts to advertising? The reason is simple. The newsletter concept seems outdated to companies, which are not aware of the varied avatars that the medium takes on today. They still see it as a primitive communication form as compared to the rest. Also, the management finds it tedious to devote an entire team for just the creation of this journal.

Companies need newsletter specialist teams that look into each aspect of crafting the newsletter–from conceptualizing, branding, gathering content, to designing and finally, printing it. The difference lies in the thought that one puts in; and the important fact that they work as a team with the organisation’s corporate communications department. This will help the newsletter specialist to rightly gauge the pulse of the company, leaving no room for mistakes in formulating the communication. With many specialized agencies today, corporates only stand to gain by including the communiqué in their priority list. Especially since the Internet’s predominance has given the newsletter a fresh lease of life, as the e-newsletter.

Entertaining, educating, appraising, updating… it’s the company’s trusted friend, promising every marketing agenda the cutting edge. Here’s to the contemporary letter… the New(s) Letter!

Sandeep Nanu is the Business Manager of CBEYOND Design Pvt. Ltd, a Corporate Communications outfit in Bangalore, dedicated purely to newsletter (print and e-mags) conceptualization and production. Mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it \n This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it "

Issue BG53 Aug05

Related Items:

---

Be first to comment this article

Only registered users can write comments.
Please login or register.