Lights, Camera, Communicate!

Why Visual Storytelling is the Secret Sauce to Engaging Gen Z and Gen Alpha in the Workplace

It’s not that long ago that internal communications meant a few mass emails, a quarterly newsletter that about twelve people read (if you were lucky), and maybe a slightly wonky PowerPoint at the monthly team meeting. Job done, right?

Not anymore.

Enter Gen Z. And hot on their heels, Gen Alpha.

Now, I have written about Gen Z a few times, but I think this is my first mention of Alpha. They may not be in the workplace yet, but they’re only a few years away. Headline: as with Z, they are armed with short attention spans, a deep distrust of jargon, and a hunger for meaningful, fast, and visual communication. (Just look at the way they consume their media (such as pop music and short-form video), and the way it’s shaping that media for all of us, if you don’t believe me.

If you’re still relying on lengthy intranet posts and 500+ word announcements to engage your people, I hate to break it to you: you’re not being ignored out of rudeness. You’re being ignored out of design. Because the next generation of employees thinks in memes, learns from YouTube and TikTok, and expects the workplace to communicate in the same visual-first, mobile-friendly, human way as their favourite platforms.

It’s time to embrace visual storytelling in internal communications — not as a novelty, but as a strategic necessity.

Why Visuals Actually Work (Here comes the science part…)

Let’s back this up with some brain science.

• The human brain processes visuals 60,000 times faster than text.

• People remember 80% of what they see, compared to only 20% of what they read.

• Visuals boost engagement on digital platforms by up to 94%, and emails with videos see click-through rates increase by 200-300%.

So, when you're trying to explain your new hybrid working policy or values framework, you might want to consider using more than a PDF with bullet points.

Think videos, GIFs, animations, infographics — anything that helps tell your story visually, clearly, and memorably.

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A Quick Refresher on Gen Z and Gen Alpha

Gen Z (born ~1997–2012):

• Digital natives raised on YouTube, Snapchat and TikTok.

• Value authenticity, transparency and diversity.

• Expect fast, clear, visually engaging comms.

• Can spot corporate waffle a mile away. And don’t like it much!

Gen Alpha (born ~2013–2025):

• The first generation to grow up entirely in the 21st century.

• Even more fluent in visuals, voice, and AI-based content than Gen Z.

• Will expect seamless, interactive, visual-first communication from day one of their careers.

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So, What Does Visual Storytelling Look Like in Internal Comms?

It doesn’t mean replacing every message with a TikTok. (Although honestly, that could be fun.) It means embedding visual elements into your core communication strategy, making them the default, not the exception.

Here’s what that could look like:

1. Video Updates from Leadership

Forget the all-company email from the CEO. Try a 90-second selfie-style video explaining what’s changing and why. Suit optional.* More human. More engaging. More likely to be watched.

*We’re talking casual Friday, here, not Naked Attraction.

2. Explainer Animations for Complex Topics

New HR policy? Benefits update? Tech system rollout? Turn that 4-page PDF into a short, animated explainer. Your people will thank you (and, more importantly, actually understand it).

3. Infographics and Visual Dashboards

Got data to share? Use infographics instead of text tables. Want to track progress on goals? Use interactive dashboards people can explore at their own pace.

4. Mobile-First, Scroll-Friendly Design

If your comms aren’t designed for mobile, you’re probably missing half your audience. Visuals must be crisp, scrollable, and snackable, especially if you want to capture a Gen Zer’s attention on the bus.

But Don’t Just Make It Pretty — Make It Strategic

Here’s where a lot of organisations fall down: they get excited about making things “look better” without aligning it to a wider communication strategy.

Visual storytelling needs to serve a purpose. It should:

• Support your business goals.

• Drive understanding and engagement.

• Reflect your values and voice.

• Work with your other comms channels, not outside of or in isolation.

This isn’t just about making videos. It’s about designing communication that works for a modern, multi-generational workforce.

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Who’s Doing This Already? Who’s Doing It Well?

Several forward-thinking companies are known for embracing visual storytelling in their internal communications. These guys are using video, infographics, animations, and even immersive media to boost engagement, drive culture, and make complex messages easier to digest. And they seem to be doing alright!

Google uses sleek internal branding and strong visual communication across all levels, from onboarding videos and product explainers to animated updates on objectives and key results, and culture initiative. They use infographics and dashboards to keep employees aligned on goals, and employ a design-first culture that makes all internal comms feel polished, accessible, and human

Netflix is famous for its visual, easy-to-understand internal documents. Their legendary Culture Deck went viral because it simplified company values with visuals and minimalist slides, setting the tone for modern employer branding. They use presentation-style storytelling to explain complex ideas (such as feedback, freedom & responsibility), and seek to maintain consistency between their internal tone and the customer-facing brand.

Airbnb is another company that often treats internal audiences with the same level of care as external ones, integrating visual storytelling deeply into its company culture and internal brand. They are known for beautifully designed internal campaigns, from values refreshes to DEI work, and employ visual content to support storytelling during company meetings and team updates.

It’s not just the biggest players excelling here, either. Smaller, design-led companies like Mailchimp, HubSpot, and Canva also punch well above their weight with visually stunning and engaging internal communications — because their brand culture is their internal culture.

The common threads across these companies:

• They invest in internal content creation like they do for external audiences.

• They use videos and visual formats to support learning, connection, and transparency.

• They ensure all visual storytelling is on-brand, strategic, and accessible.

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How The Comms Guru Can Help

Visual storytelling is more than an aesthetic choice. It’s a strategic shift. And one we’re experts at delivering.

Here’s how we help:

Comms Health Checks

We take a diagnostic look at your current internal comms to spot gaps, friction points and underperforming channels, and identify where visuals could add impact.

Comms Strategy

We work with you to embed visual communication into the heart of your internal comms plan, aligning it with business objectives and audience needs.

Tone of Voice Development

It’s not just what your visuals show — it’s what they say. We help you find a tone that’s fresh, human and consistent across video scripts, visual captions and your other, more traditional comms.

Video Production

From employee onboarding films to exec Q&As and campaign launches, our video team creates engaging, brand-aligned content that actually gets watched. (Not just "seen" and forgotten.) We offer post-production only services if you prefer to capture your content yourselves but don’t know what on earth to do with it. Or, we can send in our specialised camera-people to film you for a more professional, less hassle approach.

Final Thoughts: It's Time to See Things Differently

If your internal comms still rely on emails with a dozen bullet points and a link to the intranet, you're communicating to a workforce that no longer exists.

Visual storytelling isn’t a “nice to have” — it’s how today’s employees expect to be engaged. And with younger generations making up more and more of the workforce, now is the time to reframe your approach.

Let’s tell stories that people want to see, not just scroll past.

Ready to bring your internal comms to life? Talk to us. We turn strategy into story, and messages into motion.