The background
In 1998 BUPA was mainly known as a health insurer, although it was expanding into areas including care homes, childcare and healthy eating programmes. It also had plans for overseas expansion.

The challenge
To keep employees informed of what was happening to their company
To make them realise that the efforts of each individual were important and recognised
To ensure that despite expansion and diversification best practice was shared throughout the company.

The solution
Along with the setting up of a variety of internal rewards for service and ideas came the launch of a fortnightly staff newspaper: BUPA Today.
Pressgang was awarded the contract to handle every aspect of the publication, which has outgrown its original eight pages and is now 12.
Pressgang supplies a dedicated editorial team comprising: editor, deputy editor and two full-time writers, supported by design, production, IT and admin teams.
The service includes:
Newsgathering: The BUPA Today team finds at least 80 per cent of the story ideas for the publication through regular contacts with people throughout the company, in the UK and overseas. It is the journalistic experience of the team that enables it to be so successful in filling a publication that features up to 100 items in each edition. A major effort is put into involving employees in the publication by encouraging and helping staff to submit letters, reviews, recipes and DIY tips and through the use of vox pops and questionnaire-style profiles.
Writing: The team’s brief is to produce concise and interesting copy, written in a simple style that even the newest employee can understand. Copy is written, edited and approved by the subject (and senior directors where appropriate) and forms the basis of a contents list discussed with communications managers at regular meetings.
Images: Pressgang’s own network of tried and tested professional photographers all over the UK produce high-quality pictures sent electronically to the Today editors within hours of the assignment. In addition we have accounts with all the top UK news and feature photographic libraries to supply generic images where necessary. Our nationally-respected freelance cartoonist – his work is regularly seen in the

national press – helps bring humour to even the driest of subjects. Freelance illustrators and graphic designers help add interest and explanation to complex matters.
Design: BUPA Today is a mid-market style tabloid that has high-impact front pages, busy yet simple news pages, imaginative use of photographs and illustrations, and a clear distinction between news and features.
Editing; The editing team is thoroughly immersed in the culture and sensitivities of the company and its newspaper background ensures crisp, accurate sub editing and headlines that have three times achieved ‘headline of the month’ status in competition with the entire newspaper and magazine output of the country.
Project management: Pressgang is responsible for organising print and distribution to 40,000 readers across the world. In six years BUPA Today has never missed a deadline or publication date.

The result
BUPA Today has grown in reputation and scope as BUPA has mushroomed into an organisation of 40,000 employees working in a wide range of health and care fields.
Latest (2003) readership survey results show that 95 per cent of staff read the paper and over 80 rate it as at least ‘good’.
The publication has won four awards from the British Association of Communicators in Business.