This blog post is brought to you by Summer Camp – Zipline’s annual customer conference where store communicators come to connect, inspire, and grow. This year, 23 store operations leaders from 16 best-in-class retail brands took the stage to share their stories. Among them: Eric Buff, Retail Operations Innovation Manager at Visionworks. Read Eric’s story about creating engaging internal communications below.

Visionworks has earned its place as a leader in the eye care industry, with over 750 locations across the United States dedicated to improving customer vision and delivering top-notch service. But Visionworks’ commitment to clarity extends beyond its customers—it’s also deeply ingrained in how the company engages and connects with its employees. Central to this effort is the innovative use of Zipline, where Visionworks has transformed its resource library into dynamic and engaging hubs that drive employee participation.

Eric Buff, a key member of the retail operations team at Visionworks, recognized early on that their resource library needed to be more than just a repository for documents. The goal was to create an interactive space where employees could explore, learn, and feel connected to the company’s mission.

“From the get-go, we knew the resource library wasn’t just a place to dump documents,” Eric shared. “We envisioned it as an interactive space where employees could explore, learn, and feel engaged with our business.”

The first step was to organize resources intuitively, ensuring that employees could easily navigate the library and find what they needed. Clear categories and descriptive labels were crucial in building this strong foundation, making the resource library a go-to destination for information.

Crafting Engaging and Visual Landing Pages

Eric understood the importance of first impressions, knowing that a plain list of documents wouldn’t be enough to capture employees’ interest. To make the resource library inviting and engaging, Visionworks developed visually dynamic landing pages for different topics. These pages featured eye-catching thumbnails, relevant banners, and clear calls to action, turning the library into a space employees wanted to explore.

“Imagine walking into a library where every book is just piled up on the floor,” Eric says. “You’d turn around and leave, right? We wanted our resource library to be inviting and engaging.”

Leveraging Hubs During Peak Periods

During critical times of the year—like back-to-school season, the holidays, and March Madness—Visionworks created dedicated hubs within Zipline. These hubs housed all relevant resources in one place, from training materials to promotional information and operational guidelines. By centralizing everything in a single hub, Visionworks ensured that associates had quick and easy access to the information they needed, precisely when they needed it.

“These are critical times for our business,” Eric explained. “We needed a way to ensure our associates had all the information they needed at their fingertips.”

Driving Engagement with the “Find Zippy” Program

One of the most creative strategies employed by Visionworks was the “Find Zippy” program. Zippy, an internal mascot, is a knowledge monster always on the lookout for more information (and peanut butter sandwiches, but that’s another story). This scavenger hunt-style program was designed to drive traffic to the resource library by encouraging associates to find Zippy hidden within the library’s content.

“We’d give associates a riddle or a clue, and they’d have to find Zippy hidden somewhere in the library,” Eric said. “Once they found him, they’d enter a raffle. People love prizes, and this little game really boosted engagement.”

The impact was significant, with noticeable spikes in library visits during the weeks that the “Find Zippy” program was active. These spikes corresponded with peak periods, indicating that associates were not only visiting the library but also absorbing the crucial information housed there.

Tactical Tips for Creating Engaging Hubs

Inspired by Visionworks’ success, Eric shared some tactical tips for companies looking to create their own engaging hubs:

1. Organize Your Library Intuitively: Start with a solid structure. Organize resources into clear, logical categories with descriptive labels to make it easy for employees to find what they’re looking for.
2. Create Visually Dynamic Landing Pages: Don’t underestimate the power of visuals. Use eye-catching thumbnails, relevant banners, and clear calls to action to make exploring your library an enjoyable experience.
3. Centralize Information with Hubs: During peak periods, create dedicated hubs that house all relevant resources in one place, making it easy for associates to find what they need quickly.
4. Implement Fun Engagement Programs: Find ways to make your resource library fun. Programs like “Find Zippy” can drive traffic and engagement, as people enjoy a good challenge and the chance to win prizes.
5. Track and Analyze Engagement: Monitor your engagement metrics to understand what’s working and what isn’t. Use this data to adjust your strategies and improve the effectiveness of your library.

Visionworks’ approach to creating engaging hubs within Zipline is a fantastic example of how creativity and strategic thinking can transform a resource library into a dynamic hub of information and engagement. By building a strong foundation, crafting visually appealing landing pages, centralizing information during peak periods, and implementing fun engagement programs, Visionworks has made its resource library an indispensable tool for its associates.

If you’re looking to boost engagement and make your resource library a must-visit destination for your team, Visionworks’ strategy is one to emulate. Start with a solid structure, get creative with your visuals, and make the experience engaging and fun for your employees.