What makes new tech stick?

Damien recently sat down with Alex Graves, CVO of Silicon Reef, to talk about digital transformation, tech adoption and the shift to AI. Read on to hear about the top insights from their conversation:

1. Hi Alex, where are you seeing the biggest changes and what are the take-up rates of new tech?  

Microsoft has data that shows over 70% of users reported time savings and increased strategic focus when using Copilot. On average, participants saved 26 minutes per day, and 82% said they wouldn’t want to return to pre-Copilot working conditions. Satisfaction scores were high, with 7.7/10 for user experience and 8.2/10 for recommendation likelihood.

Viva Engage is the other widely discussed platform and is increasingly being used to support transformation and Copilot rollouts and hybrid communication strategies, especially in large enterprises. A new focus for leadership to leverage Engage has emerged in the last 12 months and is gaining traction fast.

2. Are many large firms looking and investing in Viva Engage?

Interest is growing rapidly. Microsoft’s top 1,000 Viva Engage customers are seeing measurable business impact, and we’re seeing a steady uptake in enterprise clients prioritising Viva Engage as part of their digital workplace strategy.  

With Meta Workplace closing next year and ‘read only’ this year, Viva Engage is back in the spotlight again and it’s great timing for Microsoft as they are bringing more Engage features into Teams as the user interface for community engagement. Yammer had a poor reputation in Enterprise, but Engage is an evolved offering and it’s positioning in Teams is making adoption easier to make an impact.

3. In your experience, how often are comms used to support the take-up of tech post-launch?

It’s very mixed… often it depends on the size and structure of the organisation. One thing is for sure though, a sustained communication plan is critical and the more creative the better.

We typically recommend a structured cadence over the first 90 days post-launch, with weekly nudges in the first month, tapering to bi-weekly or monthly updates thereafter. Importantly, it’s about leadership engagement and role-modelling. 

Having leader-led posts utilising storytelling, community manager prompts, and integration into existing channels like Engage communities and SharePoint intranet posts to tell stories of success and learning, really help to deliver results.

4. How are organisations using creativity in environments like Viva Engage?

Anything creative is typically associated with a campaign being run, where Engage is a channel for amplifying the conversation and gathering opinions.  

I haven’t seen many organisations use creative concepts like using videos or similar yet… but it’s absolutely something that should be done more – there are definitely ways creativity can be harnessed to increase engagement. The benefit of Microsoft 365 is the combination of applications can give the best outcome, for example a campaign that leverages SharePoint for the content pages, Engage for conversation and thought leadership through townhalls and AMAs.

This is a big gap for IC + internal engagement. Think more influencer style creative driven content.

5. And finally, is an online community a key focus when people look at intranets?

Absolutely. The shift is clear: intranets are no longer just repositories – they’re becoming dynamic community platforms that perform best when you include content from Engage, SharePoint, and Stream (video). 

Clients are increasingly asking for features that support connection, recognition, and informal interaction. 

Viva Connections and Engage are central to this, helping to create a sense of belonging and flattening hierarchies with more leaders using Engage as their engagement platform, rather than the intranet.

It was great to catch-up with Alex to discuss some of the challenges organisations are currently facing and touch on some of the impending changes to the tech we’ve come to know and love. One thing that is particularly prevalent though, is the need for more creativity in internal comms.

At MGA we help organisations create more engaging, creative internal communications to support with wider digital transformation, new tech adoption and to manage disruptive change.

If you have any questions about what you’ve read or are looking to rollout you own tech and ensure uptake, we’d love to hear from you to discuss how we can support you further.

You can also see some examples of our work in this space for the likes of Credit Suisse and Knight Frank.