How a UK University Strengthened Internal Communication with Heed
Background
A leading UK university with more than 25,000 students and several thousand staff across multiple campuses was struggling with fragmented internal communication.
Like many higher education institutions, the university relied heavily on email, newsletters, and intranet posts to communicate:
- Academic updates
- Campus safety alerts
- HR communication
- Employee benefits communication
- Student wellbeing campaigns
However, inbox overload meant critical messages were frequently overlooked. This was affecting compliance, operational efficiency, and the overall student and staff experience.
Leadership recognised the need for a more effective internal communication system; one that supported their broader strategic communication plan and ensured high visibility for time-sensitive alerts.
They implemented Heed.
The Challenge
Email Was No Longer Reliable
Timetable changes, IT outage notifications and examination reminders were often missed because they were buried in crowded inboxes. Visibility for urgent alerts was inconsistent and difficult to measure.
For HR teams, employee communication and benefits updates were also struggling to reach staff effectively.
The university needed:
- Higher visibility
- Audience segmentation
- Real-time reporting
- A measurable alert system
How Heed Was Used
1. Urgent Internal Alerts
Heed was first deployed for safety and operational alerts, including:
- Fire drills
- Emergency building closures
- Severe weather warnings
- IT system outages
Alerts appeared instantly on student and staff screens, regardless of whether email was open. This significantly improved message visibility and response times.
This became a central component of the university’s emergency communication framework.
2. Academic Communication
After early success with urgent alerts, the university expanded usage to support academic operations.
Heed was used to communicate:
- Exam reminders
- Timetable changes
- Registration deadlines
- Coursework submission dates
By delivering desktop alerts directly to devices across campus, missed deadlines decreased and administrative follow-up was reduced.
This improved both operational efficiency and student satisfaction.
3. HR Communication and Employee Benefits Communication
Heed was also adopted by HR to support staff engagement initiatives.
Use cases included:
- Policy updates
- Compliance reminders
- Pension and healthcare enrolment deadlines
- Staff wellbeing campaigns
- Internal employee announcements
By moving key HR communication away from email and into visible on-screen alerts, screensavers and lockscreens, engagement improved and important updates were less likely to be ignored.
4. Student Engagement and Wellbeing Campaigns
The university integrated Heed into broader engagement campaigns:
- Mental health awareness initiatives
- Counselling service promotion
- Campus events
- Student society recruitment drives
Heed supported a more proactive communication culture, strengthening connection across the university community.
Results
Within the first academic year of implementing Heed:
- Urgent alerts achieved over 92% visibility (compared to under 35% via email)
- Missed assignment rates declined
- IT helpdesk tickets reduced due to clearer outage communication
- Internal surveys showed improved “feeling informed” scores
- Attendance at wellbeing events increased
Administrators reported greater confidence in their internal communication strategy because they could measure who had seen and acknowledged key messages.
One student services director commented:
“Heed has transformed how we communicate. We no longer rely on hope that someone opens an email. Critical information now reaches people instantly.”
Strategic Impact
Heed is now embedded within the university’s long-term strategic communication plan.
It supports:
- Real-time internal communication
- Compliance and audit tracking
- HR communication and employee engagement
- Employee benefits communication
- Student wellbeing initiatives
Rather than operating as a standalone alert tool, Heed became a core component of the university’s digital campus infrastructure.
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