Are you using nostalgia in your Internal Comms?

It’s been quite the emotional rollercoaster this week. First Elmo asking ‘how are you doing’ then having to mop my face after watching Tracy Chapman’s Grammy performance on Sunday night.

"Fast Car," released over three decades ago, took me on an emotional trip down memory lane. Looking at my social feed I’m not the only one feeling emotional.

It got me thinking about the power of nostalgia, how it can bring out strong emotions and foster a sense of connection and belonging. Brands have successfully been using nostalgia to connect with consumers for years and I wonder why it’s not used more in internal communication.

When it comes to communicating change, we often lean heavily on logic, facts, and figures. While these elements are important, we shouldn’t forget that the power of emotion in fostering understanding, acceptance, and ultimately, successful adaptation to change.

Just as music can trigger emotion so can stories and images and at times of uncertainty there’s sometimes comfort in celebrating past achievements, at the same time as looking to the future.
Using the collective corporate memory to show how past changes have helped you get to where you are today.

Are you using nostalgia in your internal communication? I’d love to hear from any communicators that are using nostalgia in their internal communications.

If you want help in building nostalgia into your communication then get in touch