Integrating print and online: A case study

The campaign took advantage of each vehicle’s strengths, while minimizing its weaknesses. Erie Family Magazine (EFM), the print vehicle, was used for big-picture, non-timely stories that used photos and graphics to educate employees.

Meanwhile, Felong used the online tool, ERIEWeb, to gather employee stories and feedback on the initiative, and also to provide both audio and video “stories’ for employees.

“Integrating vehicles is about seeing possibilities,’ she tells RR. “I have a great team and we’ve been doing this pretty well for three years now. At the start, it was a conscious thing——okay, how can we use this story in the magazine to drive people to the Web?’ Now it’s a natural part of our editorial planning.’

Here were some of the important elements of the successful campaign. First, on the intranet:

• A live broadcast via the Web of the launch. It involved bringing employees from all Erie offices together to actually build blue boxes with all employee faces into a 9-foot cube with the company’s logo. “The employees chosen to represent their offices shared how they were making their mark to help build ERIE into a Regional Gem,’ says Felong.