
EXECUTIVE BRIEF
Employee communications teams face several barriers that hold them back from making decisions on how to effectively reach their employees. Many of these barriers can be tied back to human behavior, the expectations of employees today, uncertainty in business, limited resources, and the fear of messing up. And often, these barriers prevent communicators from making the right decisions about communications strategy—or even making any decision at all.
But a greater understanding of the barriers blocking comms strategy and the impact that human behavior can have on communications effectiveness can help communicators shape their comms strategy accordingly and add value to the business.
We explored the strategies to overcome these key barriers and behaviors in a webinar with Lindsay Kohler, Lead Behavioral Scientist at scarlettabbott, Sarah Meurer, VP Global Internal Communications at Elsevier, and Joss Mathieson, Chief Encouragement Officer at Change Oasis.
During the webinar, the panelists shared the top challenges and barriers that they’ve faced in their experience as internal communicators, the strategies they’ve used to overcome these barriers and drive communications forward, real-world success stories and best practices for transforming your approach to communication, and insights gleaned from the Poppulo Communications Maturity Model. Check out the webinar on-demand here.
This guide delves into the key insights and takeaways from the panel discussion, plus shares some resources and approaches to help inform your communications strategy.

Joss Mathieson
Founder and Chief Encouragement Officer at Change Oasis

Lindsay Kohler
Lead Behavioral Scientist at scarlettabbott

Christine Kendall
Content Marketing Manager, Poppulo
Over the past two decades, campus communication has shifted from posters and email blasts to a complex web of comms channels that are accessible to students, faculty, and visitors throughout their days. The modern university is both physical and digital, and the speed of communication must meet the needs of a digitally-native generation. In this environment, digital signage has moved from a nice-to-have to a strategic medium—visible, immediate, and flexible—one that connects a dispersed campus. This whitepaper explores how institutions are using digital signage to communicate smarter and faster, and how to build a program that is easy to operate, simple to scale, and resilient in the moments that matter most. Drawing on Poppulo’s expertise in digital signage for college campuses, we’ll share how leading universities are centralizing digital signage management, empowering multiple departments, and using data and design to make every message count. Keep reading to learn how top universities are leveraging digital signage to create more connected, informed, and vibrant campus communities, setting new standards for communication in higher education.
Dive a little deeper into AI for digital signage and learn what the future holds for these two technologies. Across the enterprise, AI is no longer a distant vision—it’s quickly becoming a practical tool reshaping how organizations work, connect, and communicate. From automating workflows to personalizing customer experiences, AI is changing the way information flows, both inside and outside of businesses. For digital signage network owners, this shift presents both an opportunity and a challenge. How do we move from simply broadcasting content to delivering communication that’s adaptive, intelligent, and responsive in real time? How do we take advantage of AI in ways that make networks easier to manage, more engaging for audiences, and more valuable to the business? This shift is something most businesses are currently navigating, but they don’t have to figure it all out on their own. Poppulo is here to help demystify the technology and provide insight into how AI will shape the future of digital signage.
Without the right platform and capabilities, managing a growing digital signage network can be complex and time-consuming. Device downtime and inconsistent content playback can take time and resources away from the experiences you want to deliver. Additionally, reporting gaps, or otherwise tedious and manual reporting tools make it harder to determine what is working and what isn’t, which is a huge barrier to ensuring your digital signage network is contributing to your organization’s goals. In this session, we’ll share practical guidance on how AI-driven tools, like Poppulo’s Analyze Agent can help digital signage teams: Keep devices healthy and running smoothly Ensure content plays correctly across every screen Strengthen governance and oversight You’ll leave with a clear understanding of how AI can simplify network management, save time, and maximize the impact of your digital signage.