From plain old email to visually striking interactive e-newsletter

All you have to do is look at the New York Power Authority’s old weekly FYI—a bare-bones, no-frills email that looks like virtually any other email bulletin you’ve ever seen—and then look at the new FYI to see why it’s the winner in the “Most Improved Design (Electronic)” category of Ragan’s 2016 Employee Communications Awards. It’s compelling, vibrant, visual, and multimedia. 

Staff members evaluated a number of email solutions providers before selecting  Newsweaver, through a competitive bidding process, to help with the bulletin’s metamorphosis. FYI now features a magazine-style image at the top, striking images throughout, video, links to related information, and clear navigation to sections (News, People and Milestones; Events; Policies and Procedures; HR; and Training). 

Open rates among employees underscore the success of the new design—20 percent of those who open the newsletter click through at least one link to get deeper levels of information. Metrics reveal that about a third of employees are reading the newsletter on a mobile device, testament to its adaptability across multiple viewing platforms. Readership was aided by an awareness campaign to alert employees to the newsletter’s upgrade. 

For a thorough and comprehensive redesign, congratulations to the team of Charles Dianis, Connie Cullen, Alice Kenny, Scott Greenlee and Harrison Getz.