COMPANY PUBLICATIONS (HOUSE ORGANS)

Unlike business journals, company publications, or house organs, are produced by, or for, the businesses or organizations they serve. Their readers need or want certain information about the companies for which they work, and the companies try to provide it.

There are six basic kinds of house organs. Many of the larger companies publish them all. A number of companies consolidate their news into fewer publications. Some small companies produce only occasional newsletters for their employees. Whatever the case, all have a need to communicate to an internal or external audience. And all have a need for material that will interest their readers.

The six types of company publications are as follows:

Stockholder or corporate

Sales

Dealer Technical service Employee Customer

Employee

Employee magazines are designed to inspire and motivate employees. They keep workers up to date on company programs and policy and knowledgeable about employee benefits. They also provide recognition of the accomplishments of employees and inform co-workers of those achievements.

Published at regular intervals (weekly, monthly, etc.), employee magazines are much like ship and station newspapers.

Customer

Customer magazines are produced to remind their readers of the desirability y of using a company's product or service.

Stockholder or Corporate

Stockholder or corporate magazines are published to inform a company's shareholders about policy and financial matters concerning that company.

Sales

Sales magazines are publications designed to help a company's field representatives make more sales. These publications contain suggestions on generating customer interest in some product or service and tips on closing sales. They might carry an evaluation of a successful sales campaign and offer advice on ways for the sales force to use it in connection with their wares. Sales magazines also are useful in keeping a sales force abreast of changes and improvements in their products and for motivating personnel with articles on positive thinking.

Dealer

Dealer magazines are publications produced to maintain an open channel of communication between a manufacturer and each independent dealer. They deal largely with facts about the manufacturer's product.

Technical Service

Technical service magazines are publications that contain technical information necessary for using or repairing a manufacturer's product.

Many of the larger companies, and some of the smaller ones, have their own printing facilities and editorial personnel so they can produce their publications "in-house." Others employ only editorial personnel and "farm out" the printing requirements. Still other companies contract to have their magazines produced entirely by outside publishers. Regardless of the system used, the masthead of each magazine contains the name and address of the editor to contact about submitting material.