🚆 Choo choo… The train is heading towards the underside of the communication strategy from the SNCF will be arriving at the station. Follow the team We Are COM and embark with Stéphanie Rismont, director of communications and brand for the SNCF group, also a member of Club We Are COM ! How does a public utility company, with more than 150,000 employees, express itself in internal and external, locally and nationally? 🤔 Let's get on board.
???? After managing communications for major food brands, you've been in charge of communications for the SNCF group for a year now. So, as a warm-up: what's your definition of local communication?
I would call "local communication" a tautology, as proximity is central to the communications profession. SNCF is a company deeply embedded in the lives of the French: TGV, Transilien, stations… Millions of passengers travel on our services every day, and each one of them has an opinion about them. Of course, there are conditions to this proximity. Above all, we must be transparent. To be credible, the information we share must be authentic, sincere, and reliable. It is essential, especially for a public service company, to address irritating issues and take responsibility for them. No company is perfect, we are no exception to this rule, but our goal is to improve every day. Communicating effectively to all citizens in the areas where we operate remains the primary focus of our communications teams. Finally, Communication should not be solely the domain of a company's leaders. It is crucial to highlight employees and value their work. This is a priority for SNCF.
I would call "local communication" a pleonasm, since proximity is central to the communicator's profession.
😷 2020 was an unprecedented year for the SNCF Group! Haven't your actions over the past few months been a fantastic demonstration of your purpose and expertise in serving the daily lives of the French people?
SNCF is a public service company, providing transportation for passengers, travelers, and goods. More recently, we have also had to manage medical transport. I would say that our mission is first and foremost to support the daily lives of the French people. We had to adapt to an unprecedented situation with this Covid-19 crisis. The common perception is that we're like a large ocean liner struggling to maneuver. However, we had to, and did, demonstrate remarkable agility and flexibility. This never ceases to amaze me! We have constantly revised our transport plans in response to lockdowns and reopenings, without our full commitment being affected, particularly during holiday travel periods. I like to think that we have clearly demonstrated our efficiency and usefulness during this period of instability. The 150,000 SNCF employees redoubled their efforts to be ready for the challenge. Once again, railway workers demonstrated their deep commitment and their sense of the common good. In my opinion, this is one of our differentiating factors.
🎙 What internal communication strategy have you put in place to inform and mobilize the 150.000 railway workers of the SNCF?
En internal communicationThe primary objective is to engage in dialogue. Providing information on what is happening helps to mobilize, engage and above all to unite. Our initial priority was to address the railway workers and reassure them about their safety and that of the passengers. The key word? Transparency! A continuous dialogue has thus been established between leaders, managers, and employees. Internal communication is, above all, synonymous with sharing within a company. With the "All Mobilized" campaign, we encouraged railway workers to speak about their daily lives in order to share their experiences with the entire SNCF community. Subsequently, we also disseminated these content on the Social Media, externally then.
When the crisis was at its peak, we took the initiative to create an "Unprecedented" logbook: a unique undertaking that will ensure we never forget. The author, Emery DoligéHe toured France to gather testimonies from railway workers. This total immersion resulted in a book that pays tribute, as it should, to all the talents of the SNCF.
The key word? Transparency!
???? From an external communications perspective, how do you make yourself heard in such a dense media noise? How have you managed to reassure the general public?
Indeed, in external communication Just as internally, our priority was to reassure. I would even say that the boundary between internal and external communication is tending to disappear in favor of global communication. And this is all the more true for a company with more than 150,000 employees.
Regarding the crisis, We managed internal and external communication in a combined manner. The content of one enriched the other, and vice versa. It was important to us to guarantee the health and safety of both employees and passengers. For example, the user campaign aimed at raising awareness of preventative measures, "On the train, everyone is responsible," was ultimately adopted internally under the name "At work, everyone is responsible."
It was essential to highlight the work of the teams on health and safety in trains and stations (disinfection, ventilation, minimizing passenger flow, etc.), and to make their mobilization and collective effort visible. Good communication is, above all, communication of evidence.
🙏 How do you manage, within the communications and brand management department, to coordinate internal and external teams? How do you leverage this cross-functionality?
The key idea to always keep in mind is that we are stronger together. By joining this great company that is SNCF, I wanted to implement a common roadmap for all departments within the company. A communication strategy can only be built by uniting and progressing collectively. Cross-functional collaboration brings unparalleled dynamism; it's more impactful and more motivating.
💻 The SNCF Group shared its corporate project, "Tous SNCF" (All SNCF), through an internal video conference event. What is the role of communications professionals, the definition of the strategy, and its subsequent implementation?
“Tous SNCF” was initiated by Jean Pierre FarandouUpon assuming his role as President of SNCF, he immediately appointed a dedicated team to support his ambition of elevating the company to the rank of leading sustainable transport operator. This team was led by... Mikaël Lemarchand, Director of Societal Engagement and Ecological Transition, to lead the project internally, without external consultant, in a co-construction approach with all the SA, BU and establishments of the Group, by engaging as many managers and agents as possible. The role of the communications and brand management department was to support all stages of this unifying project and ensure its implementation through internal communications. The health crisis did not stop us because we were determined to emerge from this ordeal even stronger and more united.
Despite the challenges of Covid, we managed to share this project at a launch event in July 2020, where we broadcast a webcast to over 3.000 managers. We then brought the company project to life through an internally deployed methodology, accompanied by messages and videos. The second webcast, broadcast in September 2020, revealed the progress of our work, as well as our company's three core values: commitment, efficiency and openness. All of this is embodied by portraits of railway workers. In January 2021, we kicked things off: we took action with a third webcast aimed at over 10.000 managers. The content, including real-world experiences, was shared internally and amplified on social media to increase the exposure of this new initiative.
🚂 How can we project an asset as valuable as SNCF into a new era? What is its future in relation to your product brands like inOui, Ouigo, and Oui.sncf?
It is vital to seek and find meaning, both in life and in work. We carry a strong identity. Indeed, our intangible assets are very precious, and we take care of them. As a public service company operating in a market open to competition, we have a real role to play in the daily lives of the French people. We evoke strong emotions, both love and mistrust. We maintain two essential commitments, both regarding mobility and responsibility. Mobility is the promise made to all citizens and applicable throughout the entire territory. As for responsibility, we are committed to supporting the ecological transition, and we make this clear through our public statements.
At SNCF, we are proud to be a strong economic player: social connection, employment, real estate, regional development… The various public limited companies and product brands are ultimately all evidence of our different commitments. I hope, and I think, that one day railway workers will be even prouder to belong to this beautiful and iconic company, and that SNCF will be the French people's favorite mobility company.
It is vital to seek and find meaning, both in one's life and in one's work.
🗓 How has the crisis we are experiencing transformed everyday communication?
Indeed, our daily lives are changing, and all SNCF communications staff have been trained in the tools. digitalHowever, the real change lies in a new cross-functionality. I see communication as a work that can only be accomplished through a collective effort. The crisis has helped break down silos, which is a very positive thing. Paradoxically, distance has also accelerated our ability to work as a team. Every morning, managers organize video conferences to maintain contact and even get closer to their teams. It is vital to promote this cross-functional collaboration.
😳 Between us… what has been your biggest surprise during these last 12 months?
I didn't realize to what extent the SNCF truly represents a small part of France and its heritage. I wasn't aware of the role we play in people's daily lives. Therefore, My greatest surprise was the realization of our essential role. We are visible at all levels: territorial, political, media, local administrations… We represent a very diverse range of expertise. Moreover, railway workers are sometimes subject to criticism, but their work is fundamentally exceptional.
🏆 And you… what is your greatest source of pride in your life as a communicator?
My greatest pride is above all what we achieve every day, within the team. Communication, when it goes hand in hand with genuine business strategy, is a source of endless stimulation. As a communications director, I would add that the human element delights me every day. It is always extremely rewarding to see my teams develop, to help them grow – even if it means one day letting them spread their wings – and to grow myself along with them.
3 things to know about Stephanie
- Her daily source of inspiration? A perpetual optimist, Stéphanie loves to bring out the best in everyone and unite collective intelligence. In short, her primary source of inspiration is… other people.
- Her favorite communication campaign? A classic… the Evian baby saga, a source of both joy and vitality.
- His next train ticket? A Paris-Venice trip, if conditions allow of course!
