How Shell Ditched Email to Improve Communication With 2,500+ Frontline Employees

We spoke with Kathy van der Wijden, Communications Coordinator for the Benelux and France cluster at Shell, about what happens when you finally stop using email for internal communication with the frontline. 

About Shell (Netherlands)

Industry: Energy & Retail
Locations: Netherlands
Number of frontline employees: 2,500+

Shell is one of the world’s most recognized energy brands — but even the most well-known companies need to keep their people connected. With over 4,000 employees spread across hundreds of locations in Benelux and France, making sure the right message reaches the right person — at the right time — isn’t just helpful. It’s critical.

The challenge: Communication that didn’t reach 

The communication was happening — but we didn’t have the tools to really see how it was working, or where it needed to evolve. 

When Kathy van der Wijden joined Shell’s Benelux and France cluster, one thing was clear: internal comms needed a refresh. The tools in place weren’t broken — they just weren’t built for the realities of frontline work anymore.

For years, weekly newsletters were sent as PDFs via Outlook. The intent was there, but the impact was hard to measure:

• Communication flowed through franchise owners. Frontline employees often relied on email newsletters in their inboxes— if they saw them at all. And through updates shared by franchise owners.
• No feedback loop. With no way to track engagement or responses, it was tough to know what was landing and what was missing the mark.
• WhatsApp was filling the gap. Retailers and site managers used WhatsApp groups to share updates, but this raised questions around structure, safety, and consistency. Plus, it made crucial information often hard to find.
• No central source of truth. Operational updates, campaign news, safety and compliance info were scattered across inboxes, printouts, and group chats.

It wasn’t about starting from scratch. It was about finding a better way to reach the right people, in real time, with the right tools to support it.

The solution: Shell Connect — built on Speakap

We wanted something that felt natural for frontline teams. Easy, mobile, actually useful. Not just another top-down broadcast.

Shell didn’t set out looking for “just another platform.” They didn’t want more tools. They wanted one that worked. Something frontline teams would actually use — something mobile, secure, and intuitive enough to work in real life, not just in rollout plans. That’s why they chose Speakap - an employee experience platform built for the frontline and with the frontline needs in mind.

Why Speakap? It wasn’t just the features — it was the fit

• Mobile-first from the start – Shell needed a platform built for phones, so updates could reach people in real time — not just when they checked email at the end of a shift.
• Brandable and familiar – Shell wanted the platform to be a true reflection of their brand. With custom branding, familiar visuals, and their own tone of voice. They wanted the platform to feel like theirs.
• Privacy and compliance-ready – Consumer apps like WhatsApp weren’t cutting it. Shell needed a secure, structured way to communicate that protected both the business and its employees.
• Video-friendly – Long newsletters weren’t landing. Shell wanted a faster, more engaging way to share updates — quick videos that got to the point and actually got watched.
• Backed by a team that gets it – Rolling out a new platform across a franchise network isn’t plug-and-play. Shell needed a partner who understood the frontline reality and could support a phased, flexible rollout plan.

The platform roll-out: Small steps, big difference

Kathy and her team knew that real adoption comes from trust, not pressure. So they rolled out Shell Connect in phases — listening, adjusting, and building momentum along the way.

We didn’t want to launch loud and fizzle out. We wanted it to stick. That meant starting small and doing it properly.

Here’s how Shell approached it:

• Start with a pilot. A small group of retailers got early access. Their feedback shaped everything — from content formats to onboarding materials.
• Create internal champions. These “Shell Connectors” became advocates at the site level, showing peers how (and why) to use the platform.
• Keep stakeholders close. Legal, IT, business — everyone had a seat at the table. That made alignment easier and roadblocks fewer.
• Make content mobile-friendly. No long paragraphs. Just short videos, punchy updates, and content that actually makes sense on a phone screen.
• Roll out site by site. Instead of overwhelming everyone at once, they phased the launch—so every location got the support it needed.

The results: Email out. Connection in.

We finally knew who was engaging, what they needed, and how to improve. We weren’t guessing anymore.

Here’s what happened when Shell unplugged from email:

• Over 90% of frontline staff active on the app within weeks.
• Zero PDFs left in inboxes by week four.
• 1,200+ views on a single campaign video — the kind of reach email never got close to.
• Real-time info, accessible anytime via knowledge base.
• And for the first time? Measurable reach. With workforce analytics, Shell could finally see who was engaging — and who wasn’t.

Kathy’s advice: “Don’t rush what you need to land”

Kathy’s biggest piece of advice? Give change the time it deserves.

Time is your friend. Build trust first. Don’t force it. If you do it right, you won’t need to convince anyone.

Thinking of breaking up with email too?

If Shell can reconnect with thousands of frontline employees—without another PDF in sight—imagine what’s possible for your team.

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