From Noise to Noticed: Making Internal Messages Stand Out

Insights From Lea Hawkins-Gaboc, Head of Employee Communications and Engagement at Virgin, Sarah Sausman, Head of Internal Communications at Openreach and Caleb Chisholm, Head of Digital Consultancy at Cocentric

You’re not imagining it: internal digital communication really has become more complex, noisier and, in many organisations, less effective. That’s exactly what made the Internal Communications stage session “Creating Clear, Consistent, and Impactful Digital Communication” one of the stand‑out conversations at the Employee Engagement Summit. If your channels feel cluttered, your people are overwhelmed, or your data isn’t telling a clear story, this panel is a must‑listen.

Lea Hawkins-Gaboc from Virgin shared how Virgin is communicating with a staggering 70,000 employees across the globe, without losing the human touch. Her mantra is to “meet people where they are” – physically and digitally. That means:

• Listening first through biannual feedback and real‑time digital listening.
• Using a scorecard to evaluate platforms against employee preference, budget, team capacity and functionality.
• Building an inclusive ecosystem rather than chasing shiny new tools.

The result is a data‑led approach that still feels deeply people‑centred.

Sarah Sausman from Openreach brought in the reality of a truly mixed workforce at Openreach: desk‑based, field‑based and everything in between. For her, mobile‑first is non‑negotiable for deskless colleagues, supported by:

• Digital screens in offices and depots.
• A very intentional channel strategy where each platform has a clear purpose.

She was refreshingly honest about channel fatigue too: when everything can do everything, you risk confusing people. Her solution is crystal‑clear roles for each channel so they complement rather than compete.

Caleb Chisholm from Cocentric zoomed out to challenge a habit many of us are guilty of: adding more tools instead of fixing the ones we already have. He made a strong case for proper channel audits, pointing out that:

• Most organisations already own under‑used tools that could do the job.
• When platforms like Workplace by Meta disappeared, some companies rediscovered the value of their “old” intranets.

His golden rule? Be absolutely clear on the purpose of the communication first, then choose the tool – not the other way round.

Noise and overload were hot topics throughout the session. Caleb encouraged everyone to look beyond vanity metrics like open rates and start paying attention to comments, shares and the quality of conversations. That’s where you see real two‑way engagement.

Sarah tackled a common internal comms myth: that repetition is a bad thing. In reality, she argued, strategic repetition is essential for retention – as long as it’s planned and aligned through an editorial calendar so you’re reinforcing, not spamming.

Lea showed how Virgin is turning employees into powerful amplifiers of key messages. Internal influencers and employee‑generated content help important messages travel further and feel more authentic, without relying solely on top‑down broadcasts.

Consistency across decentralised teams sparked some of the most practical advice of the session. Caleb advocated for clearly marked “official” spaces so people know which messages they can trust in a sea of local posts and groups. Sarah showed how Openreach used Workplace by Meta to bring a dispersed workforce together while still protecting core narratives.

Lea lifted the lid on how Virgin is already using AI, including bespoke GPTs, to help keep tone, content and brand aligned – even when more people are empowered to create their own stories. It’s a smart way to scale without losing coherence.

The panel wrapped with what many in the room were waiting for: measurement. Sarah outlined a dual lens most engagement leaders will appreciate:

• Traditional engagement metrics (opens, clicks, participation).
• Hard business outcomes, like linking a safety campaign directly to an increase in vehicle checks.

Lea talked targets, from activation and active usage to deeper engagement rates across platforms, while Caleb called out sentiment analysis as an increasingly valuable – if imperfect – tool for understanding emotional response at scale.

If you’re wrestling with too many tools, too much noise, or too little insight, this conversation is packed with real‑world examples, candid reflections and practical ideas you can take back to your organisation tomorrow.

To hear the full debate, the stories behind the soundbites, and the questions asked by your peers in the room, tune into the podcast of this session and explore how you can make your own digital communication genuinely clear, consistent and impactful.

To register your interest for the 2026 Engage Employee Summit click here: https://www.engageemployee.com/engage-employee-summit-registration