The client
Makro is a leading UK wholesaler, operating a network of 30 purpose-built cash and carry stores across the country. It is a division of the international Metro Group and offers customers more than 25,000 products under one roof.
The challenge
Sequel won a competitive pitch to relaunch a dormant employee magazine for staff at Makro stores across the UK and head office support functions with a clear brief of engaging employees through people-focused articles. The relaunch of the publication was at the heart of a new commitment to internal communication at a time of great change for Makro; explaining the company’s new business strategy in a readable format was a key driver for the new approach.
The solution
M-people, a new easily digestible news magazine, was launched with a mix of strategic, product and people articles, with all content featuring as many store staff as possible. The title of the magazine, and the accent on pictures which show real people doing real jobs, was designed to appeal to the majority of employees (not the secondary head office team) who have daily face-to-face contact with customers.
The value
M-people is still in its infancy but feedback on the first issue in February 2011 was very positive, particularly around the key issue of understanding strategy. The publication is now playing a major role in the Makro UK executive team’s programme of employee engagement. We have used feedback from the first issue to tweak the design of the magazine so that it gravitates further away from a corporate look and feel.
