Challenge

As COVID-19 disrupted traditional workplace communications, Kim found herself rethinking the way information was distributed across the workplace.
With a range of procedural changes brought on by lockdown and a lack of face-to-face interaction, Kim’s team had to multiply the volume of employee outreach to inform, engage, and connect remote employees.

“In March of 2020, 99% of our people scattered home and stayed there for a really long time. Internal Communications was mostly through emails—we really had to boost up the volume in order to replicate the cultural engagement that you would get if you were in an office.”

Without email analytics, there was no guarantee that vital communications and resources were being opened and read.

“With Outlook templates, you send them out and you cross your fingers that they get read. We needed to figure out, are our people reading this? How are they reading it? When are they reading it?”

Using Outlook to design their emails, Kim’s team also couldn’t be sure that emails were not distorted by the time they arrived in the recipients’ inbox.
A lack of data and unresponsive HTML email templates presented many limitations to creating tailored communications and improving internal messaging.

Solution

Kim’s team recognized the need for in-depth email analytics. They wanted to know how many employees opened their emails, how they were engaging with them, and whether the content was resonating with readers.

Kim’s goal was to create messages that were tailored to audiences and which could increase engagement at a time when email was the primary communication channel.
The team needed a responsive HTML email template builder that ensured email graphics and layout were intact when they reached employees.
With ContactMonkey, the team was able to find a tool that served both functionality and design needs.

“I think it was a blessing that we signed on with ContactMonkey when we did. Through COVID, we were able to get more data because of our partnership with ContactMonkey.”

How ContactMonkey’s Email Analytics and Responsive Template Builder Helped Cortland Customize Their Communications

With ContactMonkey’s email analytics, Kim’s team was able to:

Gather in-depth email insights and compare different email campaigns.
Calculate open rates, click-through rates, read times, most popular clicks, and optimal send times to make informed improvements and maximize engagement with their internal content.

“We started doing monthly ContactMonkey analytics meetings, where we would sit down and look at all the emails we sent in a calendar month. We asked ourselves: Which performed the best? Which could have performed better? Then as a team, we figured out why some emails performed better than others.”

Alongside detailed email metrics, Kim’s team could use ContactMonkey’s campaign comparison tool to assess why certain emails performed better than others.
Crafting tailored communications that resonate with what employees wanted to see and read became simple.

“I get the pleasure of spearheading internal communications and figuring out the best way to get that information to the correct audiences. ContactMonkey has been invaluable for that.”

Making more visually dynamic, and captivating designs for their internal emails became easy with the drag-and-drop email template builder. Kim’s team could also design professional, on-brand content with default brand design settings.
HTML responsive software ensured that the team no longer had to worry about distorted email elements.

“Before, it was just, oh goodness, making things in Outlook and having to save them to my files. Now we can make everything look so much better and on brand.”

Through ContactMonkey’s dedicated customer success manager, Keena, Kim was also able to get immediate, hands-on support and answers to any of her burning questions in real-time.

“Anytime I've got a question, no matter how ridiculous it is, [Keena] was like ‘Oh yeah. I can look into that for you.’ She emails me before I can email her—she's just on it.”

Key Results

Cortland is able to continuously increase engagement with their internal communications by taking advantage of email analytics to create customized internal communications content.
Kim’s team can develop an informed internal communications strategy by backing their decision with comprehensive employee engagement metrics.
ContactMonkey’s responsive HTML email template builder ensures reliable, dynamic, and on-brand email design that captivates readers’ attention and is always delivered without distortion.
With access to fast, hands-on customer support, Kim can ensure timely and seamless delivery of key communications and company resources.

About

Cortland

Founded in 2005, Cortland is an international real estate and development company specializing in multifamily community living. With six offices in the US and a global network in the UK, the company prioritizes internal communication and seeks to create community among its employees as much as its residents.

Industry

Leasing Real Estate

Number of employees

1000-5000

Previous tools

About

Kim Norton

As the head of Cortland’s internal communications team, Kim oversees information distribution and employee engagement across the international real estate company. Spearheading Cortland’s internal communications initiatives, Kim’s job is to seek out the best way to deliver information to the correct audiences. ContactMonkey has been invaluable in this mission, helping Kim’s team to create dynamic design and on-brand messaging across their corporate communications.