What's New in Incentives and Performance Improvement

June 2009

News Briefs

Whitepaper, Webcast Connect Engagement with Economic Recovery

One of the greatest opportunities to increase corporate profits – and subsequently boost the economy – lies in motivating workforces to improve performance, drive greater customer engagement and ultimately increase revenue, according to a new report from the Enterprise Engagement Alliance (EEA) and the Human Capital Institute (HCI). Entitled The Economics of Engagement, the report provides a comprehensive analysis of research in the field of Enterprise Engagement and offers how-to information on benchmarking tools that can quantitatively measure the benefits of employee and customer engagement. These measurement tools are critical to demonstrate the bottom-line impact of enterprise engagement, both to corporations and to the economy as a whole, using financial language that senior executives, investors and economists are accustomed to.

The Human Capital Institute will highlight the report in a webcast called “The Economics of Engagement - Measures That Make the Difference,” on Wednesday, June 24, from 2pm-3pm EDT. Presenters will be Allan Schweyer, Executive Director and Senior VP of Research at the Human Capital Institute, and Rodger Stotz, Chief Research Officer for the Incentive Research Foundation. For more information, click here.

 “One of the most encouraging findings of this report is the revelation that vast reserves of overall performance potential are essentially hiding in plain sight,” says Bruce Bolger of the Enterprise Engagement Alliance. “Engaging the people that companies deal with on a day-to-day basis – both internally and externally – in a comprehensive, compelling and connected way will create a result that is more than just the sum of its parts. Naturally, as with any such investment, the return needs to be demonstrated to decision makers, and there’s a growing body of evidence in the engagement arena that does just that.”

The Enterprise Engagement Alliance is a coalition of companies and associations dedicated to promoting the importance of engagement, founded  last year by the Human Capital Institute, Peppers & Rogers Group, 1to1® Media and Selling Communications, Inc. Recent new partners in the alliance include Gallup, the Business Marketing Association and the Incentive Federation. Founding sponsors include: Carlson Marketing, Catalyst Performance Group, Dittman Incentive Marketing, EGR International, the Incentive Research Foundation and Maritz.

For a copy of the report, click here.

Make Sure the Motivation Show is at the Top of Your To-Do List!

Registration is now officially open for The Motivation Show in Chicago, September 29-October 1. Whether you’re a CEO, or a sales, marketing, meeting or human resource professional, The Motivation Show will inspire you to start managing the engagement of your customers and employees as a business asset. Don’t forget to check out the Education Conference at this year’s show, Engineering Engagement: Connecting Employee Engagement, Customer Loyalty and Financial Results in Challenging Times. Experience more than 1,000 exhibitors, 70 seminars and more than a million people engaging ideas over the course of three days. Connect to The Motivation Show and receive the latest information, updates and articles via the social media of your choice, including:

• Ongoing discussions related to this year's topics and speakers
• News announcements on important industry issues
• Links to the latest industry articles and whitepapers
• Real time updates during the show, including reminders about special events

The Motivation Show has a rich and growing community of practitioners and thought leaders dedicated to improving employee engagement and customer loyalty. For complete information on registration, schedules, speakers and special events, go to: www.motivationshow.com

Engagement Needs ‘Enablement’ to Fully Succeed

Organizations must focus on two key concerns to retain and motivate their talent: increasing employee engagement and developing systems that provide better support for the success of their employees. A recent article in the Hay Group Leader notes that to foster high levels of engagement, companies must make greater use of non-monetary rewards such as career growth opportunities, meaningful job design, training and recognition programs. But research shows that high employee engagement alone does not guarantee an organization's effectiveness. What’s missing is real “employee enablement” to position motivated employees to succeed. Findings suggest that while organizations in the top quartile on engagement demonstrate revenue growth 2.5 times that of organizations in the bottom quartile, companies in the top quartile on both engagement and enablement achieve revenue growth 4.5 times greater. But how do you ensure that you’re doing the best possible job of enabling your employees? Hay Group outlines six steps to better engagement and motivation. To read more, click here.

Engagement Expo Announces Product Showcase Winners

Attendees at this year’s Enterprise Engagement Expo/New York Incentive, Rewards & Recognition Show have spoken. The Brand Products Gallery at the entrance to the exhibit hall showcased dozens of the hottest new products from exhibitors. Here are the top three vote-getters:

Canon USA: SELPHY CP780 Compact Photo Printer The Canon SELPHY CP780 compact photo printer is designed not only to be easy-to-use, convenient to carry and comptible with the new Canon PowerShot SD1200 IS Digital ELPH camera, it’s also available in three different colors – silver, blue and pink.
SmartBox Experience, Inc: Smartbox Smartbox is experiences in a gift box. It allows an individual to choose an activity around a given theme which then makes for lasting memories. Presented in a box slightly larger than a CD, it includes a fully illustrated guidebook with choices of experience, a gift voucher to be redeemed at the time of service and a “Thankyou” postcard. Smartbox is valid for 1-2 people and no extra fees are required. Price Range: $69-$369.
Maui Jim, Inc.: Maui Jim Sunglasses Maui Jim Sunglasses is the fastest growing premium sunglass company in America and is a recognized leader in sun protection technology. Their Polarized Plus and Polarized Plus 2 lenses block 100% of UV rays, and they “manage” blue light without interfering with color balance and perception. Choose from our most popular styles in six pricing categories, all backed by solid warranty protection and customer service. We also offer custom cases and a personalized fitting program at your event!

BMA Announces Annual Conference is Sold Out

The Business Marketing Association’s 2009 national “UNlearn” conference, scheduled for June 10-12 at Chicago’s Drake Hotel, is sold out. BMA will begin placing interested registrants on a waiting list for a limited number of available spaces. To be placed on waiting list, go to www.marketing.org/waitlist. “With more than 300 people registered, we’ve nearly reached the hotel’s capacity limit,” says Gary Slack, incoming BMA Chairman and Chairman and Chief Experience Officer of Slack Barshinger & Partners. “We believe our UNlearn theme is really resonating with b-to-b marketers who know b-to-b marketing is rapidly changing and who need a single conference where they can learn about the full spectrum of change taking place in our field.”

Site International Foundation Offers Benchmarking Tool

ROI is a fact of life for customer service initiatives, productivity goals, marketing campaigns and any operational area within an organization – including reward programs. That’s why Site International Foundation has released its newest whitepaper, A Measurement Model to Validate the Performance of a Motivational Experience Program, offering a measurement methodology that can be altered to fit multiple business and revenue strategies. The mission of the Site International Foundation is to enhance the awareness and effectiveness of motivational experiences and incentive travel, thereby increasing usage globally. To view this whitepaper, click here.

David’s Cookies, Giftback to Merge

David’s Cookies, a national gourmet desserts company, and Giftback.com, a national online gift service that donates 10% of all purchases to customer-designated charities, recently announced plans to merge. David’s strong brand and fulfillment capabilities, paired with Giftback’s industry and management experience, will enable the two companies to accelerate growth. Ken Schiliro and Harris Beber, co-founders of Giftback, plan to use their expertise to help David’s enter new areas of business with a strong focus on business-to-business sales, promotions, incentives, affinity programs and wholesale drop ship. Despite the merger, both businesses plan to continue to operate as separate entities, while sharing resources. By doing this, they believe it will strengthen both of their brand identities. Visit www.giftback.com for more information.

Vera Bradley Debuts Corporate Gifts & Incentive Program

Internationally known handbag, luggage, stationery and eyewear company Vera Bradley is kicking off its corporate incentive and gift program, offering Vera Bradley merchandise to corporations and industry distributors for use as premiums, incentives and business gifts. As part of the new program, Vera Bradley will be working exclusively with Top Brands in Oshkosh, WI, who will represent them in the premium and incentive marketplace. “The Vera Bradley brand is very strong because of its popularity and quality, and we’re excited to welcome them into our family of well known brands,” says Norma Jean Knollenberg, owner of Top Brands, Inc. Items included in the program will include handbags, cosmetic and eyeglass cases, travel gear, business bags and accessories. For more information, click here.

From the Enterprise Engagement Alliance

Wiki on Enterprise Engagement Launched!

We are pleased to announce that the field of Enterprise Engagement is now officially represented on Wikipedia. The entry provides all parties both inside and outside the industry with an all-inclusive source of background and research for clients and others who are interested in better understanding this emerging field of business operations and the vital role played by incentive programs, rewards and recognition. Check it out at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enterprise_Engagement

Social Media Sites on Engagement

To keep up to date with the latest news, research, and resources related to Enterprise Engagement, you can join the Enterprise Engagement Alliance communities on Linked In or Twitter – just go to either site and search for ‘Enterprise Engagement.’

Coming Up In Motivation Strategies Magazine

The Debut of Engagement Strategies:
Rebranding and Refocusing on a Broader Vision

Beginning in July, Engagement Strategies will be the new name for the print and electronic editions of Motivation Strategies magazine. Engagement Strategies will continue to be published five times a year in print and as a monthly e-mail digest, as well as via RSS feed and online at http://www.engagementstrategiesonline.com/ starting in July. Engagement Strategies will cover engagement in all its various forms and functions, from Research, Leadership, Motivation and Technology to Products, Programs, Destinations and Communications – a comprehensive approach focused on maximizing performance and profits through people. Stay tuned!

News From Selling Communications Inc.

Hebert Named Social Media Editor at SCI

Paul Hebert has been named Social Media Editor for Selling Communications Inc. Paul will be responsible for making sure that all of the valuable content being created by Selling Communications Inc.’s media and marketing partners is being disseminated through key leading social networking sites, including Linked In, Twitter and Wikipedia. Hebert is the Managing Director of I2I (http://www.i2i-align.com/), an influence consultancy that helps companies align the behavior of their employees, channel partners and consumers with the goals and objectives of the company. Paul has a unique combination of expertise on motivation and incentives, authors the highly rated blog Incentive Intelligence (http://www.incentive-intelligence.typepad.com/) and has extensive experience in social media. He has been quoted in USATODAY, has published whitepapers and articles for HRM magazine, is a contributing author on the Fistful of Talent blog, is a monthly columnist for Incentive magazine and contributed to the premier issue of Loyalty 360.

Incentive Business Exchange Broadens Industry’s Reach

The Incentive Business Exchange (IBE) is a cooperative effort of the nation’s leading brands, their incentive fulfillment companies and Solata Technologies that is specially designed to help incentive and marketing firms provide full-service solutions to companies with smaller budgets. This new online tool helps incentive and marketing companies easily set up highly personalized points programs for their clients. The system includes an automated function that creates targeted reward programs using any desired reward or vendor, along with a component that manages end-to-end redemption, fulfillment and tracking. IBE is only available to incentive and marketing companies, and includes an optional service providing these companies with expert assistance with design, execution and measurement of their client programs.

Rodger Stotz, Program Managing Consultant for IBE and Former Managing Consultant at Maritz, supports the core mission of the Incentive Business Exchange. “Numerous attempts have been made to create do-it-yourself incentive program services for the corporate market,” he says. “They have never worked, because it’s difficult to efficiently provide expertise and support to smaller users. In order to take advantage of the growth opportunities in our business, we need a legion of professionals serving all volume levels of the marketplace just like in the direct marketing and advertising fields. I look forward to helping IBE partners bring state-of-the start thinking to smaller programs.”

About Selling Communications Inc.

Selling Communications, Inc. is a fully integrated, target marketing, media and technology agency that improves results for clients by focusing on the people who matter most. We can help your business grow and save you money by targeting key prospects, getting their permission and strategically integrating your marketing and sales communications with the specific audiences most likely to affect your business performance.

Take advantage of these SCI services to improve your business development:

• Results Marketing Agency Solutions: Identify and get permission to communicate with the people who matter most through an integrated program rooted in permission-driven databases, direct mail, e-mail, Web sites, brochures, newsletters, public relations and sophisticated telephone sales that produce results. Go beyond the traditional sales and marketing approach by providing useful information and resources to build better, more measurable relationships.
  
  
• Target media: Build your brand and bring it directly to your power buyers through our stable of established niche print and online magazines in the sales, marketing and meetings fields (including this newsletter), the Sales Marketing Network at Info-now.com and SMERF Meetings Journal.
  
  
• Integrated Communications Technology: Build permission-based databases through Solata software to effectively communicate with the people who want to hear from you and precisely track the results in real time. Solata is also available to other media companies and marketing agencies seeking to profit from integrated, permission-based marketing and communications.

For more information on Selling Communications, its products and services, contact Jim Kilmetis at 914-591-7600, ext. 229 or send an e-mail to jkilmetis@sellingcommunications.com.

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