Wiki improves internal communication at PR firm

Nearly three years after launching it, Eastwick Communications’ wiki continues to engage employees—and reduce costs and paper

Wikis come and go (or come up at company brainstorming sessions and quickly go, following a derisive shake of the CEO’s head).

Few have lasted as long as Eastwiki, the wiki launched by Silicon Valley PR firm Eastwick Communications two and a half years ago.

Immediately, “the wiki helped us make great progress in reducing confusing e-mail traffic and in providing a common location and platform for maintaining important client- and agency-related documents,” says Joel Postman, executive vice president of emerging media.

Still, in its early incarnation as an internal communication tool, Eastwiki came with some adoption struggles.

“The interface and level of complexity required for customization limited use of Eastwiki 1.0,” Postman says.

But in 2007, a couple of things happened which led to what he calls Eastwiki 2.0, “a far more useful and easier to use resource,” he says.