Research shows internal communications teams are feeling neglected as businesses rely on email for mass messaging.

Despite the vast majority (84%) of UK businesses having a dedicated internal communications team, less than a fifth of those are responsible for internal messaging and 61% of businesses still depend on email to share information. The findings follow research by PR consultancy ITPR.

This is despite a quarter of business leaders believing delivering key messaging should be the responsibility of an internal communications team. At the same time, lack of communication from senior management remains a prevalent complaint at almost half (46%) of businesses. ITPR surveyed 200 decision-makers across HR, marketing and communications at UK-based organisations with over 100 employees.

“Is internal communications getting the attention it rightly deserves? Or is it being added to the already jam-packed workloads of other departments, who may not have the relevant experience, expertise or resources to deliver it?” says ITPR director Anthony Monks.

“These results make me question whether businesses fully understand that the channel used to communicate their message is equally important as the message itself.”