Influencing change: 6 tools for impactful internal comms

26 February 2026 / Neil Pendrey

We turn assets into engagement and behavioural change using the power of communications psychology. Here’s how.

#1 Remove the clutter
Avoid overwhelm by focusing on just a few key messages in each piece. If you have a lot to say, consider more assets in a multi-step campaign – 3-4 light, bite-sized touchpoints instead of a single overly dense one.

Humans can process an average of 3 related ideas at once*

#2 Make it more visual
Use the ‘picture-superiority effect* – people anchor images to words in their minds, giving you twice the impact and memorability.

Try using:

• Illustrations and icons to visually anchor each main point
• Photography to bring concepts to life in a real-world setting
• Visual content like explainer videos and animations

#3 Tell the story
Make your internal comms stickier using the potent link between stories and memory. Plan your assets and campaigns around a simple narrative like:

1. Before: Where are we now? Why do we need to make a change?
2. Now: What’s changing? What new behaviours do we need to see?
3. After: What does the future look like? How will these changes deliver value?

93% remember words in a narrative*
vs
13% when words are disorganised

#4 Sell the benefits
Treat your employees like customers of your brand: think about their needs and describe the benefits that matter to them. This is as simple as including more ‘you’ in the assets and constantly considering the key question: ‘What’s in it for me?’

#5 Be more strategic about channels
Consider the right channel for every employees: a big sales manual could turn into an interactive PDF, a poll could make your newsletter more interactive, and new announcements could come to life through video.

78% of people prefer short videos*

 

#6 Take employees on a journey
Plan a journey to embed change over time, using multiple assets with distinct pre- and post-launch phases. What starts as a teaser in your newsletter could lead to in-depth resources and helpful reminders, guiding your people through change.

81% of organisations that planned for reinforcement
and sustainment met or exceed project objectives*

Speak to our change specialists
See how we help big-name clients deliver change through storytelling at visualassets.com/work

*References
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1111/j.0956-7976.2005.00782.x
https://www.nngroup.com/articles/picture-superiority-effect/
https://web.archive.org/web/20231003212517/https:/www.researchgate.net/publication/232549160_Narrative_stories_as_mediators_for_serial_learning
https://www.wyzowl.com/video-marketing-statistics/
https://www.prosci.com/blog/reinforce-and-sustain-change