A Q&A with Dave Ferguson: How AI and automation will transform internal communications

Exciting news, we’ve recently launched Aria, our brand new artificial intelligent assistant, as well as our Campaigns functionality. We sat down with Dave Ferguson, Director of Product to delve into the details of our latest product launch. In this Q&A session, Dave shares his valuable insights about Aria and the newly introduced Campaigns feature. Discover how they will revolutionise internal communications, streamline content creation and foster deeper connections between organisations and their employees. 

Can you tell us a bit more about the significance of Oak Engage’s latest product launch and what it means for the company?

“Our latest product launch is a significant milestone for Oak Engage. We have introduced a powerful AI feature named ‘Aria’ (Artificial Intelligent Assistant), see what we did there? Aria is designed to save valuable time for communicators and boost productivity by streamlining the content creation process. Aria will serve as the driving force behind Oak Engage and will eventually seamlessly integrate with all aspects of the product, from content creation, to analytics, transforming how people consume content. This launch signifies our commitment to providing cutting-edge solutions and our continued growth as a company. “

Why is it important for internal communicators to embrace AI in their communication efforts?

“The topic of AI has been a controversial one. There’s huge popularity surrounding it and in the context of internal comms it has the ability to write copy, create content and even communicate with people. Businesses need to embrace the latest technologies in order to connect with their people, especially in the age of remote and hybrid working environments. The skills of a communicator and the human element they provide is irreplaceable. This is why we have introduced an AI assistant to work with communicators, enhancing what they do best, which is creating purposeful and impactful content. If they take advantage of technologies to revise their content so that it resonates with each and every audience, they will have the upper hand.”  

“Embracing AI also allows internal communicators to save time on certain tasks such as content creation and message targeting. By leveraging AI, communicators can save time, improve productivity and deliver more personalised and impactful messages to their employees. It’s about simplifying the communication process but still achieving exceptional results.”

How will Aria transform internal communications and empower organisations to foster deeper connection with their people?

“Aria is a game changer in the world of employee engagement. With its AI-powered capabilities, Aria creates high-quality content based on text prompts, saving valuable time for communicators. By streamlining the content creation process, Aria enables communicators to deliver targeted messages that are relevant and resonate with employees on a deeper level. This fosters meaningful connections and strengthens the overall employee experience. Aria empowers organisations to communicate more intelligently, enhancing employee engagement and building a sense of community among employees.“

Can you tell us a bit more about the Campaigns feature and how will it benefit communicators?

“Alongside Aria, we have launched our Campaigns application. The feature offers communicators the power of automation through an intuitive dashboard, allowing them to manage all of their campaigns in one centralised place. Communicators can easily create, organise and schedule messaging, saving time and effort.”

“It’s difficult to get information to people and it’s made even more difficult when communicators are using methods such as spreadsheets to manage their communication efforts. Our new feature means communicators no longer need spreadsheets to manually track messages or spend hours manually compiling campaign analytics. All Campaign management is centralised in one, easy-to-use application, where everything is instantly accessible. Campaigns gives you the information you need, when you need it, so you can make quick adjustments, maximising the chance of a successful campaign.”

“Additionally with Oak’s AI-powered Smart Delivery engine, important information can be precisely targeted to the right audience at the right time, ensuring increased engagement and maximum impact. Campaigns provide a convenient and efficient way for businesses to reinforce key messages and inspire employee action.”

Internal communicators are continually looking to optimise their strategies, how can Oak support this?

“As well as Aria and Campaigns supporting communicators in achieving their goals and objectives, we provide comprehensive analytics that offer valuable insights into the success of campaigns and messaging. These insights enable internal communicators to make informed decisions and optimise their communication strategies. Measuring success continues to be a challenge within the internal comms industry and our in-depth analytics allow businesses to prove that the right message reaches the right people. It also provides insights on which channels are most effective in reaching audiences and collectively measures the success and reach of campaigns so that a meaningful story can be crafted from the results and feedback. If you can’t find the report or KPIs you’re looking for, Oak allows you to search for it and AI will create the type of report you need instantly.”  

What did you want to achieve with the launch of Aria and Campaigns?

“Our mission is to make communication simple. We understand that communicators are often overworked and under-resourced. With the launch of Aria and Campaigns, we aim to alleviate these challenges and provide powerful tools that simplify the entire communication process. We want to empower businesses by enabling them to communicate intelligently with their people, regardless of time or location. Oak Engage’s journey is about embracing the power of AI and automation to transform the digital experience for employees and provide cutting-edge solutions that meet the needs of businesses.”

Thank you, Dave, for sharing your insights and shedding light on how Aria and Campaigns will transform how businesses communicate with their people. At Oak Engage, we are dedicated to providing communicators with the best tools and solutions to simplify and enhance their communication processes. We believe that by embracing the power of AI and automation, businesses can simplify the process, increase employee engagement and drive overall organisational success.

If you would like to discover more about how Oak Engage can help you and your business, please don’t hesitate to get in touch today.

Emma Williamson

Emma is Head of Marketing & PR at Oak Engage. She has a passion for communications which has developed a number of her skills including campaign management, social media marketing, crisis communications and media relations. Emma has over eight years of experience working in Marketing and PR and is an Associate member of the CIPR and a member of the IoIC with a BA Honours Degree in Magazine Journalism and an MA in Public Relations.