Case Study: Employee Newsletter for Global Manufacturing Leader

Challenge:

At the onset of the global COVID-19 pandemic, RPM International Inc. sought to launch a bi-weekly internal newsletter in order to disseminate important updates across the company, boost employee engagement and comradery, and enhance its employee communications strategy. A $5.5-billion global leader in specialty coatings, sealants and building materials, RPM has nearly 15,000 employees across North America, Europe, South America, the Middle East, Africa and the Asia-Pacific region. The goal of the e-newsletter was to share important company news, timely Covid-19 updates, and inspiring stories about how RPM’s many operating companies have worked together to overcome extraordinary challenges and to help build a better world.

Solution:

RPM International enlisted the help of Roop & Co., its marketing agency of record, to develop and manage its bi-weekly “Around the World” newsletter, including strategic oversight, content creation, SEO, graphic design, analytics reporting and project management. In order to reach employees across all levels of the company, RPM’s newsletter consists of three main components: a blog microsite, an email campaign and a printable PDF.

Every other week, the email newsletter is distributed to employees worldwide, with “teaser” copy for the latest blog posts and a link to download and print a PDF version of the newsletter. In addition to company news, Covid-19 updates and collaborative efforts among its operating companies, RPM’s Around the World newsletter quickly evolved to include many other key topics of interest—ranging from the latest product innovations and project profiles, to community involvement, employee spotlights and sustainability initiatives.

Results:

Since its launch in March 2020, RPM’s Around the World newsletter has averaged a 32% open rate and 20% click-through rate—higher than the industry average for an internal newsletter. Plus, engagement across its social media channels jumped 267% over just a one-year period. In addition, a one-year satisfaction survey conducted by Roop & Co. revealed overwhelmingly positive feedback from employees across RPM’s operating companies worldwide. In fact, 95% of survey respondents reported being “very” or “somewhat” satisfied—clearly demonstrating the value that employees are getting from the newsletter.