How Dino Zoo Pulled Off a 30-Day Comms Platform Migration Across Multiple Retail Locations

Industry: Pet retail store chain
Locations: Multiple stores across Latvia
Challenge: Finding a replacement for Workplace by Meta
Results: 94% activation, 46% daily active users, 84% monthly engagement

The Challenge: when your communication platform gets discontinued

When Meta announced Workplace's sunset, Dino Zoo didn't panic. But they also didn't have time to waste. With retail employees spread across multiple pet store locations in Latvia, they needed a platform that could connect their entire frontline workforce - and they needed it before Workplace shut down for good.

The clock was ticking, but rushing into the wrong solution would be worse than taking time to get it right.

The Search: finding the right communications platform with the help of Crayon

Dino Zoo didn't start by comparing feature lists or asking for vendor demos. They started by getting clear on what actually mattered.

This is where Crayon played a big part, a leading IT solutions provider in the Baltics and Nordics. Instead of showing up with a pitch deck, Crayon asked questions: What does your workforce actually need? What worked about Workplace? What didn't? What's non-negotiable for your team?

Through that discovery process, one requirement emerged above all others: maximum simplicity.

The new platform had to work for employees with vastly different levels of digital comfort - from tech-savvy managers to frontline workers whose primary experience with technology was Facebook. If the interface felt complicated or corporate, adoption would tank.

We needed an interface that was easy to understand for different people with different computer skills. That was our main criterion. Normunds Namnieks, Marketing Director at Dino Zoo

Dino Zoo also wanted white-label branding to maintain their identity, and they needed deployment to happen fast. After investigating Dino Zoo's needs, Crayon recommended Speakap. One or two demos later, the decision was clear.

But what actually sealed the deal wasn't just the platform - it was how Crayon and Speakap worked together. They didn't pitch separately or hand Dino Zoo back and forth like a relay baton. They functioned as a unified team from day one. Crayon managed the partnership and brought local expertise. Speakap handled technical deployment. No coordination gaps. No "let me check with the other team." Just clear ownership and fast execution.

The contact persons from both Crayon and Speakap were very responsive and genuinely interested. They left the impression that helping us find a new platform wasn't just their job duty. The communication was effective and focused on our needs as a customer. Normunds Namnieks, Marketing Director at Dino Zoo

When you're racing a platform shutdown deadline or simply switching platforms, that kind of partnership - where both parties treat your urgency as their own - makes all the difference.

The Solution: Speakap

Speakap, an employee experience platform, is exactly what Dino Zoo needed: a platform that connected their entire workforce without overcomplicating things.

The timeline-based interface looks and feels like Facebook. For retail employees who aren't sitting at computers all day, that familiarity wasn't a superficial detail - it was the difference between a platform people actually use and one that collects digital dust on their phones.

Speakap interface and functionalities were exactly what we needed. Convenient, functional, understandable even for people who might not be as tech savvy. Normunds Namnieks, Marketing Director at Dino Zoo

Speakap also offered white-label branding, allowing Dino Zoo to maintain their brand identity with a customized app rather than forcing employees into a generic corporate tool.

The platform focuses on what matters: news feeds that reach everyone, direct messaging, groups for different teams and locations, and content that's accessible whether you're on the sales floor, in the stockroom, or between shifts. Sometimes the best solution isn't the most sophisticated one. It's the one your frontline employees will actually open every day.

The Results: 94% platform adoption rate and happy employees

Here's what separates a successful platform migration from one that technically launches but quietly fails:

• 94% activation rate - Nearly the entire workforce onboarded
• 46% daily active users - Almost half the team engages every single day
• 84% monthly active users – The vast majority uses Speakap regularly

These numbers don't happen by accident. They happen when the platform actually fits how people work.

Everyone learned how to use the platform quickly, and we haven't heard any negative feedback from our retail associates. Normunds Namnieks, Marketing Director at Dino Zoo

Clear criteria, the right partners, and an employee communications platform that prioritizes usability over unnecessary complexity. Dino Zoo got their entire team onboarded quickly, maintained their brand identity, and achieved platform engagement numbers most internal comms teams only dream about.

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