Know-How Exchange : Branding

The most important thing in any engagement is action, not knowledge.
No one can do it by relying on "trends" or "technology".
At the base of every engagement you must have deep commitment, and that usually comes from the top of the organization, it can't be done by proxy.
I'm yet to see communication, and I presume you are talking about internal communication, engaging employees to the full extent.
The latest statistics I have show that 90% of employees are not engaged.. Of those, 28% are actively disangaged and 62% are just not engaged.
That is a scary picture.
Follow the model of Steve Jobs and see how it may work.

Engaging employees is not something done easily, and it takes a true commitment (and investment) on the part of senior management.

A number of high-profile companies have addressed this over the years, and the communication vehicles depend on the situation, the nature of the industry, the company culture, etc.

I've been involved in these internal marketing efforts half a dozen times, and each one is different. "Communication trends" are not the central issue. It's about the message, the culture and the motivation.