The Link, Kuoni's international employee magazine, has been named best internal publication by both the Swiss Association for Internal Communications (SVIK) and its European umbrella organization the Federation of European Business Communicators (FEIEA). In this annual rating the Swiss jury looked at around 100 entries. More than 400 submissions from ten countries were judged in the European Grand Prix.
The decisive factors in The Link's victory were the variety of subjects it covers, its lucidity, its ease of navigation, its emphasis on dialogue, and its layout, pictures and design: "The Link is a masterpiece that, together with the country-specific edition The Swiss Link, comes across like the little sister of Wallpaper magazine. The handsome A5 format sets it apart from the crowd and it is a prime example of how an internal publication can communicate a corporate culture and embody a company's values," commented the jury. "Varied, stimulating, creative, entertaining; it leads readers through with an abundance of luscious imagery and excellent photographs. External authors are also used to give a fascinating external perspective on the company. In short: a treat for the mind and eye."
Kuoni's employee magazine changed its name from "Link" to "The Link" in 2008 when the concept and look of the magazine were also given an overhaul. Renowned Viennese designer Herbert Winkler – famous for his revolutionary work on various groundbreaking publications – developed the magazine's new, modern layout. The Link is published three times a year in three languages (German, English, French).
"The redesign of The Link is also a crucial element in the global rebranding of our premium brand. It's part of the way we understand our values – we want to live by the values internally so that our customers feel them externally. In this way the values should form the foundations of a new service culture. We can only achieve this through progressive and all-embracing 'internal branding'. And these two awards confirm that we are on the right track," said Remo Masala, Kuoni Group's Director of Branding & Marketing. The Link is also available as an iPaper at
www.kuoni-group.com/Media+Relations/Publications.htm.