Last week, we welcomed around 40 Dutch Speakap customers to our Amsterdam HQ for an afternoon of real talk about internal communication. No fluff—just practical insights, shared challenges, and fresh strategies to engage frontline employees and make the most out of Speakap.

From the first conversation, one thing was clear: engagement doesn’t happen by accident. It takes strategy, consistency, and sometimes a little creativity.

Lessons from the frontline: what’s working (and why)

The event kicked off with a panel discussion featuring:

• Simone Meesters, Communications Officer at Viggo
• Jan-Willem Boerhout, CIO at Marie-Stella-Maris
• Ilse Verkuil, Marketing & Communication Manager at Bidfood

Moderated by Erwin and Andrea, the discussion covered what’s working (and what’s not) when it comes to internal communications with a specific focus on employee communications app activation and engagement. Their biggest insights?

Viggo: Internal comms is personal

As an airport ground handling company, Viggo knows that activation isn’t just about launching a tool—it’s about making it part of everyday work. Simone Meesters shared how Viggo ensures every employee gets on board with Speakap by:

• Integrating Speakap into performance reviews, making it a routine touchpoint
• Providing hands-on support to help employees set up accounts and use the platform
• Following up with phone calls—because engagement isn’t a one-time push
• Focusing on short, visual content to match employees’ fast-paced work environments
• Using Journeys for onboarding and training, ensuring new employees are informed from day one

Their biggest takeaway? Recognition and consistency drive engagement. When Speakap is built into existing processes, employees don’t just use it—they rely on it.

Marie-Stella-Maris: FOMO drives adoption

According to Jan-Willem Boerhout, Marie-Stella-Maris tapped into a powerful motivator: fear of missing out (FOMO). Instead of forcing employees onto the platform, they created a natural demand for it:

• Posting updates in Speakap first, then sending emails a day later. Employees quickly realized that those who checked the app first were always a step ahead
• Rolling out Speakap from stores to HQ, not the other way around. Letting employees spread the word themselves made it feel like a tool they wanted to use—not one they had to
• Creating word-of-mouth momentum. The moment employees started asking, “How did you know that?” the answer was always the same: It was in the app

The result? A bottom-up activation approach that made Speakap an essential part of daily operations.

Bidfood: Gamification makes managers step up

For Ilse Verkuil, activation at Bidfood was about cutting through the noise and making managers proactive in communication. Their secret weapon? Gamification.

• Push notifications ensure critical updates don’t get lost in the flood of daily tasks
• A leaderboard for managers tracks engagement levels—no one wants to be last
• Competitive motivation drives proactive communication—when managers see where they stand, they naturally start posting more
• The result? A shift from top-down updates to active participation at every level

The moment managers saw their engagement levels displayed, they started using Speakap more intentionally—not just as a notice board, but as a true employee hub.

Read about the 5 lessons every company with a frontline workforce needs to learn here.

From strategy to action: making comms work

After the panel, the conversation shifted to practical application. Attendees joined interactive workshops that tackled some of the biggest communication challenges:

• “Keep It Simple: Content & Interaction” by Soetkin shared 10 things nobody tells you about internal comms and explored why keeping messages clear, short, and engaging is key. Overcomplicated or wordy messages? That’s a one-way ticket to disengagement.
• “From Communication Channel to Employee Hub” by Ilse focused on the shift from a basic messaging tool to a dynamic employee engagement platform—because if your comms platform isn’t adding real value, employees simply won’t use it.

And, of course, we wrapped up the day with networking drinks, where attendees exchanged ideas, experiences, and maybe even a few secrets to success.

The biggest takeaway? Engagement isn’t just about having a platform—it’s about how you use it

The most successful companies don’t just push information out—they make internal comms a two-way, interactive experience that employees want to be part of. They:

• Integrate communication into everyday workflows, so it feels natural, not like an extra task
• Make content relevant, short, and engaging, cutting through the noise
• Create a sense of community, where employees don’t just consume content, they contribute to it
• Use activation strategies that fit their culture, whether that’s gamification, FOMO-driven engagement, or hands-on support

So if you’re struggling with low engagement, ask yourself: Are you giving employees a reason to check in? Or is your platform just another inbox they ignore?

The conversation doesn’t stop here. What’s working for your team? What challenges are you facing? Let’s keep the discussion going—because when frontline employees are connected, engaged, and inspired, they’re unstoppable.

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