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May 2007

RELATIONSHIPS | RESOURCES | RESULTS

Jane HerodPresident, Motivation,

Maritz, Inc.

Maritz,Inc.:Untapped Potential

GiftCards

CREATE CHANGE

Maritz,Inc.:Untapped Potential

GiftCards

CREATE CHANGE

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C O R P O R A T E

Since 1987 the authenticityinnovation and confidence

continues...

www.ashworthcorporate.com

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4 Brilliant Results | May 2007 www.brilliantpublishing.com

CREATE CHANGE 16These two creative games help

develop teamwork and will make your nextmeeting or event a standout success.

By: Jim Waller

IN PRAISE OF PRESENTS: WHYMERCHANDISE TRUMPS CASH 18

Businesses invest close to $28 billionannually in incentives. Review the latest

research to help your company spend wisely.By: Rymax Marketing Services, Inc.

GIFT CARDS: SOMETHING JUST RIGHT FOR EVERYONE 24

Brilliant Results contacted a variety of gift cardproviders to give our readers a sense of want

is available in this expanding arena.

WHEN CUSTOMERS FEEL EMPLOYEESARE TRYING TO SATISFY THEM,

CUSTOMERS SPEND MORE 30Read this new study on internal marketing to

discover the link between employee efforts and increased customer spending

By: Forum for People PerformanceManagement and Measurement

HOW TO DEVELOP AN INCENTIVE PROGRAM 34

Follow this step-by-step approach to develop a successful incentive program.

By: Incentive Marketing Association

Contents

8

18

24

columns

COVER STORY 8MARITZ, INC.: UNTAPPED POTENTIAL IS INSIDE EVERYONE

Brilliant Results speaks with Jane Herod, President, Motivation, for Maritz, Inc. about creating successful motivation and incentive programs.

TMbrilliant resultsVol. 4, No. 05

features

departments

LET JEWELRY BE YOUR BEST SALESPERSON 36

Discover the reasons to consider jewelry as a part of a recognition program.

By: Suzi Gattone

WHAT MAKES AN INCENTIVEPROGRAM A WINNER?

HOW ABOUT THE RESULTS! 28Read three successful case studies that

demonstrate how a well-planned and thought out incentive program can be a

big financial winner.By: Arnold Light, CTC

GOOD CALL: TIPS FOR EFFECTIVETELECONFERENCES 38

Follow these tips to facilitate top-notch teleconferences.

. By: The Creative Group

SUCCESS STORIES 40Brilliant Results presents real world

stories from promotional and incentive winners.

ENHANCED INCENTIVES: USINGSHOW SPECIALS TO IMPROVE YOUR

BUSINESS YEAR ROUND 44Learn what can you do to get the most

return on your show specials…sometimesgiving a little can get you a lot!

By: Susan A. Friedmann, CSP

IT’S ALL PERSONAL 47When it comes to incentives consider

bringing the entire company on board.By: Dave Ribble

PUBLISHER’S LETTER 6

ADVERTISING INDEX 46Get FREE information from this

month’s advertisers

THE LAST WORD 48Brilliant Results asks Teri Llach,

Blackhawk Network’s Group Vice President ofMarketing and Product, about gift card trends.

OFF THE CUFF 50A Quote & New Ideas

Cover photograph Courtesy of Maritz, Inc.

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From a full-scale corporate golf outing to the simplest of requests, make one call and three

global golf brands are working for you. 1-800-864-7231 or taylormadegolf.com/corporatesales

© 2007 Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc. dba TaylorMade-adidas Golf Company. adidas, the 3-Bars logo, and the 3-Stripes mark are registered trademarks of the adidas Group.

How long does it take tobecome the best in the game?

One phone call.

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9034 Joyce LaneHummelstown, PA 17036

Ph: 717.608.5869Fax: 717.566.5431

PUBLISHER / ADVERTISINGMaureen Williams-Berman

[email protected]

EDITORIALEditor in Chief

MaryAnne Morrill

Senior EditorMichelle Donofry

Style EditorCharity Plata

Asst. EditorMildred Landis

Contributing WritersThe Creative Group,

Forum for People Performance Management andMeasurement, Susan A. Friedmann, CSP,

Suzi Gattone, Incentive Marketing Association, Arnold Light, CTC, Dave Ribble,

Rymax Marketing Services, Inc., Jim Waller

Cover Photograph Courtesy of Maritz, Inc.

PRODUCTION / DESIGNArt Director

Percy Zamora

Brilliant Results is published monthly by Brilliant PublishingLLC, 9034 Joyce Lane Hummelstown PA 17036 (717) 608-5869;Fax# (717) 566-5431. Postage paid at Mechanicsburg PA andadditional offices. POSTMASTER please send address changesto Brilliant Results, 9034 Joyce Lane, Hummelstown PA 17036.Volume 4. Number 5. Brilliant Results subscription rates: one-year $120; Canadian $160 USD; one-year foreign $225 USD. Allsubscriptions are non-refundable. Copyright © 2007 BrilliantPublishing LLC. All rights reserved. The publisher reserves theright to accept or reject any advertising or editorial material.Advertisers, and/or their agents, assume the responsibility forany claims against the publisher based on the advertisement.Editorial contributors assume responsibility for their publishedworks and assume responsibility for any claims against the pub-lisher based on published work. No part of this publication canbe reproduced in any form or by electronic or mechanical means,including information storage and retrieval systems, withoutwritten permission from the publisher. All items submitted toBrilliant Results become the sole property of Brilliant PublishingLLC. Editorial content does not reflect the views of the publisher.The imprints, logos, trademarks or trade names (Collectively the“Marks”) displayed on the products featured in Brilliant Resultsare for illustrative purposes only and are not available for sale.The marks do not represent the implied or actual endorsementby the owners of the Marks of the product on which they appear.All of the Marks are the property of the respective owners and isnot the property of either the advertisers using the Marks orBrilliant Results.


Publisher’s LetterTM


brilliant resultsbrilliant results

262467

PRESENTS…WHO DOESN’T LIKE THEM! What

makes a present the Best? Why when you select

it or when someone cares enough to make sure it

is just right! Bring on the Presents…Bring on

the Results!

This month Brilliant Results is a present for

those about to present. We spoke to the experts

from Jane Herod, President, Motivation, Maritz,

Inc., the world's largest source of integrated performance improve-

ment with over 100 years practicing the science and art of people. To

Teri Llach, Group Vice President of Marketing and Product for

Blackhawk Network, a subsidiary of Safeway Inc, a market leader in

card-based financial solutions and the largest provider of third-party

prepaid cards. We checked out some gift cards and brought you a

selection for everything from gas to gourmet.

We get to the heart of the matter with the latest research from

why merchandise trumps cash to why customers spend more where

employees strive to satisfy. Then there are the case studies and the

success stories. And as if that wasn’t enough there are the chal-

lenges to build teamwork and make your next meeting or event cre-

ate positive change. Add nine tips from the Incentive Marketing

Association for creating a successful incentive program, throw in

some new product ideas and you have a present that will keep on

giving for months to come.

So if your company needs motivating, rewarding or just a bit of

teambuilding, sit back, relax, and unwrap this month’s present and …

Have A Brilliant Day,

Maureen [email protected] 541-788-5022

Brill492

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An incentive program is about much morethan awards; it’s a comprehensive solutiondesigned to generate measurable resultsand Maritz Inc. believes in raising expectationsfor employee incentive and recognitionprograms. At their core, incentive andrecognition programs must address thebusiness issue at hand as well as the inherentdifferences in people. Everyone is capable ofadding value, each person in his or her ownway. They simply need that extra nudge.

Maritz brings decades of experience and a uniqueperspective to its motivation programs, whether thegoal is to motivate employees, channel partners or acombination. They recommend awards that fit theobjective and the audience, but that is only a smallpart of the picture. Initial assessment, programdesign, communications, tracking and reports,analysis and ongoing project management ensurethat the incentive programs they develop stay fresh,truly motivating and successful.

Recently, Brilliant Results had the opportunity tofind out a little bit more about Maritz’ methods andthe secrets behind their successes when we spokewith Jane Herod, President, Motivation. In her role,Jane is responsible for bringing the best and mostinnovative solutions and resources to bear toaddress client’s performance improvement needsand monitoring client satisfaction to identify andaddress areas for improvement.

BR: Jane, how did you become associatedwith Maritz Incentives?

JH: Actually three years ago they werelooking for someone to head their incen-tives group and they recruited me. Beingfrom St. Louis, I have known of Maritz mywhole life and they are a fairly big employerhere, so it all just worked out.

BR: In your opinion what is the mostimportant service Maritz offers its clients?

JH: We really offer a collection of services and theyall center around helping companies improve theirresults through their people. We have gone througha lot of years of 6 Sigma, CRM, outsourcing…thosekinds of tools that companies use to increase theirresults and make things more effective. I trulybelieve that, especially now, that human element canreally be a differentiator and may just be the next bigticket to sustainable competitive advantages forcompanies. Everything that Maritz does really fallswithin Understanding, Enabling and Motivating peo-ple...that is really our mantra and everything fallsinto one of those three buckets.

BR: What are the major components involved inthe design/creation of an employee incentive orrecognition program?

JH: First, an Assessment and Analysis… what dowe want to do…where are you right now…what are

FOCUS

Maritz Inc.:Untapped potential isinside everyone.

Jane HerodPresident, Motivation,

Maritz, Inc.

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Brilliant Results | May 2007 9www.brilliantpublishing.com

“Maritz brings decades of experience and a unique perspectiveto its motivation programs, whether the goal is to motivateemployees, channel partners or a combination.”

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any special obstacles. That leads to theDesign Phase where you are looking at rulestructures to reach those goals…are youlooking at just your top performers – torecognize them…are you trying to put astructure in place that moves that middlepart of the sales people up a notch. Thencomes a very, very important element that iscommunication and some programs do nothave enough of it and that can really hurt theprogram. From a participant’s perspective,you really need to answer 5 Questions:

1. What do you want me to do?2. Why is it important?3. How do I do it?4. How am I doing?5. What’s in it for me? I think that the communication piece is

really important and you need to use differentmedia…e-mail, text messaging, print... youneed a mix. The next element would beawards. Obviously, they have to be motivat-ing and meaningful to each participant andthat gets more difficult as the workforce getsmore diverse. And then QuarterlyAnalysis…we like to go back at least quarterlyand look at… how are things going…shouldtweaks be made. And lastly most of our pro-grams are on some type of technology plat-form that facilitates the coordination.

BR: I noticed that you mentioned e-mail inthe communication phase and we havenoticed in publishing that a lot of people aresaying, “I want to reach them by e-mail...ane-mail blast.” But, we are almost coming tothe conclusion that because there is so muchof it out there, it is not as effective as some ofthe other media.

JH: Absolutely, I think a number of yearsago a lot of clients wanted to just go to e-mailbecause it’s cheaper. But, we have found instudies we have done, that it’s important toreach them in different ways at differenttimes…print… even sending stuff home to get the family involved…now there is text messaging if you are talking about salespeople, because they’re in their cars or onairplanes…it really should take a variety offorms depending on the people.

BR: How do you align an incentive pro-gram with a corporate brand or image?

JH: We actually talk about that a lotwhen we talk about overall employeeengagement programs. The key is that you

Memorable.Motivational.Make no mistakeRun Through the Warehouse.What if you ran an incentive program in which the winners could select their prizesfrom a warehouse of merchandise? Where top performers were given a chance toload up a shopping cart with everything from electronics to leather goods, hand toolsto sports gear? “Wow!” is right.

A Run Through the Warehouse is an unforgettable experience. Regardless of budg-et, this unique event recognizes top performers, delivers unmatched “trophy value,” andencourages teamwork in a way no other incentive award can.

ProductAn exclusive product of Maritz Incentives, the Run Through the Warehouse is a

“grab n’ go” merchandise award. Qualifying participants travel to our headquarters inSt. Louis, Missouri, where teams are given oneminute to race up and down the warehouseaisles, picking and pulling what they can, asfast as they can.

This exciting award option features: amountain of merchandise, an enthusiasticcrowd of onlookers, welcome banners, balloons,pulsating music, package handlers, a referee,cheerleaders, and sixty seconds on the clock.

Once the gun sounds, the craziness begins. Runners rush from aisle to aisle in amad dash to collect as much stuff as humanly possible. High-end gadgets. Golfclubs. Outdoor grills. Televisions. DVDs. You name it, it's there.

ValueA Run Through the Warehouse represents a significant departure from traditional

travel and merchandise awards. It’s different, and that’s why participants like it. Plus, it’san event that can accommodate a variety of budgets and rule structures. If your incen-tive program needs a shot of energy – a Run Through The Warehouse can stimulateresults. It’s memorable, motivational – and make no mistake – it’s a real “must-have.”

Features• Top-quality merchandise• Themed decor• Travel• Professional photographer• Refreshments• Ground transportation• Flexible award structure

Benefits• Outstanding team building• Generates excitement among the participants• Fits any budget• Encourages maximum program participation• Provides a memorable experience• Delivers "trophy value"

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have to align the behaviors that you arerewarding to the brand promise and imageas well as determine exactly what behav-iors support a company’s overall businessgoals …so, being very specific aroundwhat behaviors you expect and thenrewarding those behaviors.

BR: In your opinion, what is contributingto the growing trend to use gift cards inincentive/recognition programs?

JH: I think the bottom line is they are easyto buy and distribute. Although, I would cau-tion that if they are not coordinated througha centralized program, you might not alwaysbe using them to reward the most effectivebehaviors that align with your brand prom-ise. It is very easy for managers to go out andbuy gift cards and they may or may not beusing them the way that the corporationwould align the programs if they were coor-dinated centrally. That is a concern and Ithink another concern is if they just sit insomeone’s drawer, sometimes they are justforgotten about, they go dormant…They’reeasy and they can be effective, but there area couple of cautions. Another thing is thatthey normally are only good at one place.That would be the other thing that I wouldthink about from a program perspective isthat, especially with today’s diverse work-force…one size doesn’t fit all. We have a verydefinite award effectiveness point of viewthat focuses on identifying the most motiva-tional rewards for individuals.

BR: Yes, it is not a homogenous work-force any longer.

JH: We have actually come out with amotivation-profile predictive tool that goes toboth tangible and intangible things and whatmotivates people. I think that is going to bethe biggest challenge that all of us have inthe future is managing and motivating thatdiverse workforce. What motivates a 40-year-old mother of two is very different than whatmotivates a 27-year-old single male.

BR: Of the incentive/recognition pro-grams Maritz has developed, which one(s)do you feel is the most notable/recognizableand what was the key(s) to its success?

JH: I can think of several. One thatcomes to mind is a major bank and this is

12 Brilliant Results | May 2007

Incentive ProgramSolidifies Dealer RepRelationshipsAfter Company Merger

SituationUpon completing their merger, Konica Minolta set their sights on becoming

a tier one supplier in the heavily competitive office products marketplace.However, they faced post-merger challenges due to overlapping distribution,some parts shortages and not enough direct sales personnel to support the-merged dealer channel. Uncertainty caused many former Konica and Minoltadealers to hold back on orders and take on additional competing product lines.The client hoped that by aligning their programs and offering dealers a signifi-cantly improved opportunity for rewards and benefits, they could realize theirhigh expectations for post-merger growth.

Solution Initially the Client requested a dealer sales rep activity. After fully reviewing

their needs we recommended a multi-year approach to generating dealer loyaltyand improving dealer operating efficiency. A total alignment of their dealerincentive program, along with their dealer sales rep/manager program, was pro-posed. In that regard, Maritz not only recommended rewards for dealer salesreps, but also included growth and discretionary rewards for dealers, rewardsfor their own district sales and regional managers and both top level and dealerannual travel rewards.

The first step was to demonstate the new company’s commitment to thedealer reps. Maritz developed the adVantage program, a points-based incentiveprogram that would allow dealer reps to earn a wide range of rewards. Pointsare loaded on an exclusively yours® card that can be redeemed at more than150 participating merchants, through retail, catalog and web providers and fromthe Maritz exclusively yours® rewards collection, as well as the opportunity towin top performance travel rewards.

As market conditions changed, quarterly promotions were added to supportsales of specific products. These spurt programs rewarded points for the comple-tion of training modules as well as product specific sales. Participants were ableto track their progress on a dedicated website. Reports were also available forKonica Minolta to track progress across the entire dealer population.

Results• In the first six months of the program, Konica Minolta participating dealer

sales were up 12 percent in a flat market and they had achieved secondranking in color sales.

• Claims and dealer participation were up significantly.• Program results provided the opportunity to analyze dealer and rep data to

recommend changes and quarterly product focus.• Program rules have also produced a week-over-week increase in the fre-

quency of claims during spurt periods.• Recent spurt programs have resulted in product specific sales increases

ranging from +88 percent to +115 percent over non-spurt periods.

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an overall employee recognition and engagementprogram. Previous to working with us they had a lotof programs out there because they had made a lotof acquisitions. Maritz coordinated and integratedtheir programs and aligned them with their corpo-rate goals and they saw results of a 70 percentincrease in employee satisfaction and a 50 percentcut in turnover, which was huge for them.

Another one I can think of is a sales incentiveprogram that was developed for an office equip-ment supplier that went through several channelsto sell their product. They actually wanted to movethe middle. They had always rewarded their topperformers and you always want to do that, butthey said, “What can we do to move the middle partof our sales partners up a notch?” We segmentedtheir channel network into four segments and putdifferent rule structures in place for each of thosesegments. The biggest story is in the smallest deal-ers. Those are either Mom and Pop type places orcould be large dealers that focus on a differentbrand. They targeted those small dealers toincrease their sales 12 percent and they actuallyincrementally increased 60 percent and overall as acompany they grew over 7 percent in a flat market.They were thrilled with that program.

One other program we have is helping interna-tional companies boost employee and sales forceperformance worldwide by tailoring employeereward selection by region and country, taking intoaccount the native language and culture.

Maritz has partnered with a network of rewards solu-tion associates throughout the world that provide theon-the-ground expertise necessary to identify the rightrewards and tailor programs for different cultures.

Another focus we’ve had in overall recognitionprograms is focusing on the importance of that

middle manager. That middle manager needs to betrained on how the program will benefit them andhow they can effectively motivate their people.

BR: What suggestions can you offer organizationsthat are trying to implement a successful continuousimprovement process?

JH: I think you have to start with the end inmind; you have to know what you want toachieve. You have to do the assessment andanalysis. And then you need to do that analysisalong the way. Tweak it as you go and keep itfresh. Communicate effectively and often. We alsoknow that the more you communicate the moreeffective a program is. A Maritz Poll found thatonly 33 percent of employees who received com-munications regarding program guidelines only atthe start of the program said they were happywith their program versus 66 percent whoreceived communications weekly. Finally, rightaward choices are really important to motivateemployees to higher levels of performance.

BR: What, in your opinion, makes a promotional orincentive product successful?

JH: Obviously it needs to drive employee per-formance improvement so it needs to motivate theperson. Again, one size can’t fit all anymore. Youhave to understand your group almost down to theindividual level and what motivates an individual.

BR: Do you have any final thoughts or advice forour readers?

JH: I am very passionate about the changingworkforce. As we see Boomers leave andGeneration Y come in…first there is going to be sev-eral years of, I believe, a talent shortage as theBoomers exit. The Y’s do rival the Boomers in num-bers, so they are going to be a force. It's going tochange the way we manage and motivate peoplebecause they’re more team based…they have awhole different way of thinking.

BR: Do you remember the last promotional orincentive product you received and from what com-pany you received it?

JH: Of course I received it from Maritz! We dopractice what we preach and we have internal pro-grams that we give points that you can accumulateand use as gift card or go to a catalog, and I boughta leather jacket. •

“Maritz coordinated and integratedtheir programs and aligned them

with their corporate goals and theysaw results of a 70 percent

increase in employee satisfactionand a 50 percent cut in turnover,

which was huge for them.”

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Catalyst Insiders’ Guide 39

n u m b e r s

20 - unlimited

a p p r o a c h

competitiveor

collaborate

Teams are encouraged to pull together in this inspiring challenge which combines the skills of creativity and communication.

Boadicea saved England on one. Charlton Heston won a famous race on one…now teams can create their very own chariot of fire.

This imaginative challenge sees teams building a life-sized Roman or Celt chariot from huge sheets of cardboard while working from blueprints with demanding specifications. Simultaneously, smaller groups operate on various allied tasks before the vehicle is finally assembled. As with any large-scale build, operational success means co-ordinated team effort, effective communication and a big dose of lateral thinking and creativity.

Teams then put their personal stamp on their chariots customising them with dazzling designs or they can choose to make a statement with their corporate logos, strap-lines and colours.

The outcome is either a chariot race with the emphasis on mobility rather than speed or a Gladiator themed parade with a colosseum atmosphere.

Chariot Challenge is a truly memorable way to encourage team ingenuity, an energised atmosphere and good-natured competitiveness at a conference!

t i m e

2 hours

supports strategic planningvisualising the futurepromotes problem solvingreinforces creative thinkinghigh energycreate brand awarenessfun!

Chariot Challenge

l o c a t i o n

indoorsor

outdoors

key business benefits

840

design & innovation

WHEN FACED WITH THE CHALLENGE of puttingtogether a meeting sometimes coffee and Danisharen’t enough to get the ball rolling. When you’vegone to the trouble and expense of assembling ameeting or conference, you want to ensure thatparticipants are energized and ready to work.

Mega mergers. Globalization. Telecommuting.The advances in modern business present tough

new challenges for managers, communicatorsand meeting planners. How do you bring togeth-er people separated by geography, culture andcorporate background?

As an example, a corporation with many branch-es may want to bring its geographically separatestaffs closer in spirit or an association with a singleoffice may be concerned about morale and coopera-

HERE ARE TWO FRESH APPROACHES T

BY: JIM WALLER

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tion. An organization may have a new product, cam-paign, or vision and wants to encourage staff buy-in.These are just a few scenarios that can be helped byteam-building sessions in meetings and conferences.

Some activities bring hundreds of people togetheras one team, others create competition betweenteams, and some do both - all depending on what yourgoals are. Sales people, for example, are very compet-itive and need to see winners in their activities. But, the point is creating winners, without losers.

Over the past 20 years, Catalyst Events has been

asked to design and deliver hands-on experiencesfor groups of 10 to 10,000 that develop high perform-ance teamwork and enhance your meeting mes-sage. Team events, conferences, sales and trainingprograms should all take on a fresh look in order tokeep your team attentive. Team activities must bemuch more than fun – they must reflect your busi-ness, your goals, your brand and your values.

Jim Waller is President of Catalyst Events,America. For additional information visitwww.catalystevents.com

Catalyst Insiders’ Guide 20

a p p r o a c h

collaborative

It’s a frame up! Teams brush up on their artistic skills, creating a masterpiece of epic proportions. All they need in the ‘Big Picture’ approach…

Legendary 20th century artists have been selected for this amazing challenge…the likes of Leger, Miro, Picasso, Hockney, Casimir and Dekker.

Crucially, this project is also supremely flexible and can be tailor-made to meet individual company aspirations. Instead of a stunning Hockney, the team could re-create a company advertising image or a painting that reflects a corporate identity. And the proportions are still epic! Whatever is demanded of our outstanding designers, they can produce an exciting alternative.

Armed with brushes and paint, our intrepid artists will discover that each giant canvas has been separated into smaller sections, each team of delegates being allocated to a particular area.

This is where the Big Picture approach is so important, because delegates will quickly realise that if the finished work is to be successful, they will have to CO-OPERATE rather than COMPETE. This is all about sharing and communicating, making sure each section of canvas fits perfectly.

And so to the great unveiling ceremony! For an added dimension, it could have also been painted in a 3D effect which is only revealed with 3D glasses at the end!

There will be cheers, applause and whoops of joy as our latter-day Picassos recognise the scent of their joint success and how BIG things can be made to happen through working together.

Later, the completed masterpiece can be displayed back in the office as a lasting and telling testimony to teamwork.

n u m b e r s

8 - unlimited

l o c a t i o n

indoorsor

outdoors

t i m e

1½ - 2 hours

supports strategic planningdevelops networking skillsvisualising the futurecreates brand awarenesscelebrates successencourages problem solvingchanges attitudesreinforces creative thinkingunifies the groupoffers review and reflectionshared experience fun!

Big Picturekey business benefits

art & fashion

S TO TEAM DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS:

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REMEMBER WHEN YOU WERE A KID and feelingthat indescribable rush right before tearing into acolorfully wrapped present? As adults, we stillfeel the same surge of anticipation when given agift. (And why not? We’re just grown up children,after all.) In the business world, the feeling maybe suppressed in the name of “professionalism,”but that makes the unexpected, thoughtful gifteven more appreciated, and the act of giving a giftmore powerful. When it comes to motivating col-leagues or showing gratitude, these exhilaratingfeelings, physiologically real adrenaline rushes,simply cannot be inspired by cash, and there’sresearch to prove it. Just consider the last timeyou received a fantastic gift and the last time youwere given cash. If you’re like most of us, the giftmade a far greater impact than the money. And

you actually remember what the gift was and whogave it to you.

Businesses invest a great deal of money in incen-tives, close to $28 billion annually. In years past,incentive decisions were often a guessing game forprogram planners and when they hit on somethingthat worked – like watches, for example – they stuckwith it year after year. Watches are wonderful incen-tives and gifts, of course, but the options today areso plentiful and varied it’s often prudent to look fur-ther, especially since recipients’ expectations haveevolved over the years.

Existing research can help planners and HRpersonnel make educated choices about how tomotivate, inspire, thank and reward different gen-erations of employees, channel partners, vendors,customers and colleagues.

BY: RYMAX MARKETING SERVICES, INC.

Presents:Why Merchandise Trumps Cash

“Existing research can help planners and HR personnelmake educated choices about how to motivate, inspire,thank and reward different generations of employees,channel partners, vendors, customers and colleagues.”

InPraise oBR0507_Section01.qxl 4/30/07 8:16 PM


ofBR0507_Section01.qxl 4/30/07 6:15 PM


The ResearchMOTIVATE WITH MERCHANDISE

In 2005, the Incentive Federation spoke withbusiness owners, senior managers, and sales andmarketing executives at manufacturing and servicecompanies about their incentive programs for itsSurvey of Motivation and Incentive Applications.Researchers found, among other things, that tomotivate and reward, merchandise incentives aremore compelling than cash. In particular:• Four of five respondents said merchandise

awards are remembered longer than cash awards.• 60% of respondents said employees view cash as

compensation.• Moreover, more than half of respondents (53%)

say that employees tend to look at bonuses assomething they are due.

These responses should make every programplanner think twice when they’re about to allocatesignificant portions of their budgets to motivationalprograms and awards.

Researchers for the Incentive Federation studyprobed the question ‘Which merchandise items areused most often for business programs?’ and theresponses revealed that gift cards and electronicitems are hands-down the most popular merchan-dise items for all business motivation and awardapplications.

And researchers were able to break it down evenfurther:1. Writing instruments, food/beverage, apparel and

timepieces are popular for consumer promotions;2. Food/beverage, timepieces, apparel and sporting

goods are popular for dealer incentives;3. Plaques/trophies, timepieces, apparel and

food/beverages are popular for sales incentiveprograms;

4. Plaques/trophies, timepieces and apparel arepopular for non-sales employee awards.

These are the types of rewards that companieswould be most likely to use in four major incentivecategories, according to the 2005 IncentiveFederation Study.

CONSUMER USED PROMOTIONS1. Gift certificates/gift cards 58%2. Electronic items

Cameras and accessories 19%Computers, accessories, software 28%Home entertainment 15%Telephone-related 9%

3. Writing instruments 32%4. Food & beverage 31%5. Apparel 30%6. Watches & clocks 25%7. Plaques & trophies 25%8. Tools & flashlights 25%

DEALER INCENTIVES1. Gift certificates/gift cards 49%2. Electronic items


3. Food & beverage 27%4. Watches & clocks 24%5. Apparel 24%6. Sporting goods 24%

SALES INCENTIVES1. Gift certificates/gift cards 592. Electronic items


3. Plaques & trophies 39%4. Watches & clocks 36%5. Apparel 32%6. Food & beverage 31%

NON SALES EMPLOYEE AWARDS1. Gift certificates/gift cards 62%2. Electronic items


3. Plaques & trophies 48%4. Watches & clocks 40%5. Apparel 37%6. Food & beverage 30%

“Researchers for theIncentive Federation studyfound that to motivate and

reward, merchandise incentives are more

compelling than cash.”

Source: Incentive Federation Study 2005

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MANAGERS PREFER NON-CASH AWARDSIn a related 2005 study, the Forum for People

Performance Management and Measurement foundthat non-cash award solutions are highly effective tomotivate and influence behavior, especially whenthey are strategically matched to specific businessgoals. Entitled Awards Selection Study: InsightsFrom Managers, this study sheds light on the effica-cy of 12 distinct motivational tactics used by HR andmarketing managers across many industries toachieve 10 specific organizational objectives.

Interestingly, the study of 235 managers revealswhat they believe motivates employees most, notnecessarily what is most efficient for the organizationor what recipients might choose as their preferredmotivational tactics. For practically all objectives,managers prefer non-cash employee recognitionprograms. These organizational objectives includereinforcing organizational values/culture; creatingpositive internal communications/buzz; improvingteamwork; increasing customer satisfaction; moti-vating specific behaviors/ tasks; and increasingretention/loyalty.

WHY ARE TANGIBLE INCENTIVES BETTER?

A more psychological analysis of the merchan-dise/cash equation is explored in The Benefits ofTangible Non-Monetary Incentives sponsored by theIncentive Research Foundation (formerly the SITEFoundation) a few years ago. Dr. Scott Jeffrey, assis-tant professor in the Department of ManagementSciences at the University of Waterloo inSouthwestern Ontario, discovered four psychologi-cal processes that influence participant perceptionsof merchandise incentives. Dr. Jeffrey defines theseprocesses as:

• EVALUABILITY: Non-cash awards are more dif-ficult to attach a monetary value to, so when partic-ipants focus their thoughts on the positive attrib-utes associated with the award, it is ascribed ahigher value.

• SEPARABILITY: Cash incentives tend to beaggregated with overall compensation.

Non-cash incentives tend to be kept separatefrom compensation, thus standing out as rewardsfor performance.

“For practically all objectives, managers prefer non-cash employee recognition programs.”

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• JUSTIFIABILITY: When a non-cash award is something that aparticipant would not purchase

with cash on his or her own, theparticipant can justify the award.Being able to justify the award

means it has greater power to bemotivational.

• SOCIAL REINFORCEMENT:Non-cash incentives have trophyvalue and are more likely to beacknowledged than cash. Becauseof the social taboos associated withdiscussing cash, it lacks the trophyvalue and social reinforcementattributes which increase the per-ceived value merchandise awards.

THE MERCHANDISE IS THE MESSAGE

The bottom-line on merchandiseincentives? Let’s go back to ouropening statement. That feeling ofanticipation followed by immeasura-ble amounts of happiness afteropening a gift really hit the mark.Kindling that feeling in a recipientmay take a little more time andeffort than simply withdrawingmoney from the bank and stuffing itin a cash holder.

But isn’t your employee (or col-league or sales person or customer)worth it? A bit of research into whathe or she is interested in or simplywants or needs can evoke a largenumber of merchandise ideas to fityour budget. Your gesture and gen-erosity of spirit will speak volumesabout your thoughtfulness for yearsto come.

A bit of research into whatyour employee is interested in orsimply wants or needs can evokea large number of merchandiseideas to fit your budget.

Rymax Marketing Services, Inc. isone of the largest luxury brand repre-sentatives in the incentive industry.For more information about Rymaxvisit their website at www.rymax.com.

“A bit of research into what your employee is interested in or simplywants or needs can evoke a large number of merchandise ideas to fit your budget.”

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BR0107_Section03 12/29/06 12:50 PM Page 19

Barnes & Noble


COMMON SENSE DICTATES that the bestaward or incentive is always what the programparticipants really want and not what the pro-gram buyer thinks they would like. However,changing workforce demographics andemployee lifestyles challenge employers tounderstand those varying preferences. Recentresearch is also showing a tendency for organ-izations to view their employees as a potentialprofit center rather than as a cost center. Thismindset change is leading business executivesto become more focused on providing a cultureof recognition within the organization and as apart of their business strategy.

Savvy companies realize their employeeswant to feel that what they are spending themajority of their waking hours doing is mak-ing a difference. They also understand thatrecognizing and rewarding those employeeefforts can have an amazing impact on their

employee’s willingness to perform at an evenhigher level. Since one size does not fit all intoday’s dynamically changing workforce, suc-cessful organizations are constantly seekingways to insure that their program partici-pants receive things they really want.

One way that companies are meeting thatchallenge is through the use of gift cards orgift certificates. Thus, the availability andvariety of gift cards is growing exponentially.This month Brilliant Results contacted a vari-ety of gift card providers to give our readersa sense of want is available in this expandingarena. So whether it’s a book or a bath, atreat for the tummy or a new hairdo, decoratingthe home or pitching a tent, or just havingthe gas to get where you want to go one ofthese gift cards or the hundreds of otheravailable cards could be just right for yournext recognition program.

Gift Cards:Something Just Right for Everyone

A Unique Benefit of our Gift Card is… good both online and in stores.The Latest Gift Card Trend is… the rapid expansion of 3rd party sales

BARNES & NOBLE CORPORATE GIFT CARD SPECIFICS:• Use and Availability: Barnes & Noble Gift Cards may be used at any

Barnes & Noble store nationwide and online at Barnes &Noble.com (www.bn.com). Gift Cards may also be used at anyBarnes & Noble College Bookstore location, B. Dalton Bookseller,Bookstar and Bookstop store. Gift Cards do not expire and thereare no dormancy fees. • Cost Break: Orders over $1,000 receive a bulk discount.• To Purchase: Barnes & Noble Gift Card Corporate Sales

www.bngiftcards.com.

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Gourmet Gift Cards

A Unique Benefit of our Gift Card is… End-Users (Buyers) can purchase ourGourmet Gift Cards (called i-Cards(TM)) in any monthly shipment interval theydesire (1 shipment, 2 monthly shipments, 3 monthly shipments, 6 monthly ship-ments, 12 shipments, etc) and the Gift Card recipients can then select their favoritegourmet selection(s) from any of our 6 different high-end gourmet product lines andthe recipient can also select exactly what month(s) they wish to receive them.Our Gift Card is used Successfully… by hundreds of different companies looking forconvenience, extreme versatility and delectable products that everyone will enjoy.As our clients tell us, “The only thing better then giving i-Gifts, is receiving them”.The Latest Gift Card Trend is… (for Gourmet Gifting) is that Buyers & recipientsnever have to worry about “Lost” cards and the administrative process/hassle ofreplacing them. Our i-Cards are all redeemed right up front (1 shipment to 12 ship-ments) via our 800 # or our new state-of-art Instant Online Redemption(TM) web-site. Once redeemed, the card can be discarded. We do not “load” any $$ on ourcards - their value is in their gourmet monthly shipments.

GOURMET GIFT CARD SPECIFICS:• Use and Availability: Can be used in any program and are especially powerful in

points catalogs (printed or online). Availability is 3-5 working days. Our i-Cardsnever expire.

• Minimum Quantity: minimum is one (1) shipment (gift card); the price per GiftCard is $41.50 per gourmet shipment (includes all shipping & handling). Buyerscan load as many monthly shipments on a card as they desire.

• Minimum Dollar Value: we deal in monthly shipment, not dollar value.• Cost Break: No.• To Purchase: For more information visit www.gourmegifting.com.


Bath & Body Works

A Unique Benefit of our Gift Card is… Gratitude is Gorgeous at Bath & Body Works,with our exclusive Signature fragrances, the most sought-after names in beautyand irresistible luxuries for bath, body, home and hair, a Bath & Body Works giftcard is the ticket to ultimate pampering. It all adds up to one beautiful way to saythank you! Use them online, on the phone or in our stores.The Latest Gift Card Trend is… to reward outstanding employees and loyal cus-tomers with the best in beauty.

BATH & BODY WORKS GIFT CARD SPECIFICS:• Use and Availability: Our gift cards do not expire. They are available in denomi-

nations from $25 - $250.00. There is no fee charged for dormancy.• To Purchase: Bath And Body Works Gift Cards www.bathandbodyworks.com/giftCards.

Cabela’s, Inc.

A Unique Benefit of our Gift Card is… Cabela’s, the World’s Foremost Outfitter, is theleading direct marketer, and pre-eminent specialty retailer of hunting, fishing and out-door gear. Founded in 1961, and headquartered in Sidney, NE, Cabela’s has grown intoone of the most well-known, successful and trusted outdoor recreations brands in theworld. Cabela’s Gift Cards are redeemable for a lifestyle. Cabela’s has over 250,000quality outdoor products for hunting, fishing and camping. Our Gift Card is used Successfully… in the Business-to-Business arena with com-panies for safety programs, loyalty programs and reward programs. Our incentivesare a great fit for all industries.

CABELA’S GIFT CARD SPECIFICS:• Use and Availability: Easy ordering process and quick delivery - Custom pack-

aged for a great presentation - May be redeemed over the phone, online or at anyCabela’s retail location

• Cost Break: Available in any dollar denomination - Discounts available• To Purchase: Our Business to Business Division will work with you on streamlined

incentive and promotional programs offering personalized merchandise or gift cards.For more information visit www.cabelas.com.

Darden Restaurants, Inc.

A Unique Benefit of our Gift Card is… The Darden Restaurants Gift Card isredeemable at any Red Lobster®, Olive Garden®, Bahama Breeze®, or SmokeyBones® restaurant in the U.S. One card that offers 4 distinct dining options isnot only unique but, eliminates the need to inventory multiple card types or over-sized premiums. Our Gift Card is used Successfully… by over 800 corporate customers whoincorporate the use of our gift cards as an incentive premium, whether they arerewarding their employees for a job well done or simply saying “thank you” totheir top customers. The Latest Gift Card Trend is… the increased distribution of gift cards in 3rd partyretail locations. These types of programs allow consumers the flexibility of “one-stop” shopping. Currently, Darden Restaurants Gift Cards can be purchased at toptier retail locations, such as Wal-Mart, CVS, Walgreen and Safeway grocery loca-tions, just to name a few.

Darden Restaurants Gift Card Specifics:• Cost Break: We offer competitive discounts on bulk purchase orders.• To Purchase: For more detailed information, please call 800-642-7336.

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Omaha Steaks

A Unique Benefit of our Gift Card is… Omaha Steaks offers a variety of certificate programs thatallow the gift giver increased flexibility in extending his budget, while maintaining a higher per-ceived value by the recipient. An example of the Omaha Steaks’ flexible certificate program isThe Omaha Collection. The Omaha Collection enables the gift giver to offer a wide assortmentof production selections within varying price points. Unlike gift cards, the recipient never knowsexactly what was spent on the Omaha Steaks gift and is afforded the opportunity to select theiritem of choice from several options. Each recipient receives a customized certificate andbrochure highlighting the selections available. The same information also is available online andthe order can be completed electronically. Additionally, the Omaha Steaks incentive gift certifi-cate program offers flexible payment options including bill on redemption or pre-payment.Our Gift Card is used Successfully… to motivate employees, increase customer loyalty, drawa crowd for sales promotions or impress clients. Omaha Steaks is the well-recognizedbrand of beef in American and our customers also enjoy our diverse product line of pork,poultry, seafood, side dishes appetizers and desserts.The Latest Gift Card Trend is… customization. At Omaha Steaks, we customize theredemption materials using the customer’s logo and including personal messages. Co-branding is very popular.

OMAHA STEAKS CARD SPECIFICS:• Use and Availability: to motivate employees, increase customer loyalty and sales promo-

tions – Corporate Gifts and Safety Programs. • Minimum Quantity: None • Minimum Dollar Value: $25.00.• Cost Break: Omaha Steaks offers volume discounts. Certificates can be billed as redeemed

or prepaid, shipping and handling also are included with all certificates.• To Purchase: For more information visit www.omahasteaks.com.


Gift Cards Something Just Right for Everyone

Linens ‘n Things

A Unique Benefit of our Gift Card is… It never expires, has no fees and can be redeemed inover 500 stores across the US and Canada and online at www.LNT.com.Our Gift Card is used Successfully… To help raise money for the National Breast CancerFoundation through our special Linens ‘n Things “pink” gift card.The Latest Gift Card Trend is… Recordable gift cards so you can give your recipient anymessage you like.

LINENS ‘N THINGS CARD SPECIFICS:• Use and Availability: LNT gift cards can be redeemed in all stores and online at

www.LNT.com.• Minimum Quantity: None, but minimum dollar value required (below)• Minimum Dollar Value: $1,000 worth of gift cards.• Cost Break: Yes. We do offer volume discounts.• To Purchase: For more information visit www.LNT.com or call (781) 341-4830.

L.L.Bean

A Unique Benefit of our Gift Card is… that they have no expiration dates or fees and can beordered in any denomination. L.L.Bean Gift Cards can be purchased and redeemed overthe phone, at any of our retail or outlet stores, or on www.llbean.comOur Gift Card is used Successfully… in several large programs to incent and reward employ-ees by providing them with a gift that let’s them choose - from home furnishings to outdoorgear, boats to boots. All backed by our legendary 100% satisfaction guarantee. Gift Cardsfrom L.L.Bean are the ideal solution for business incentives.The Latest Gift Card Trend is… to make Gift Cards available to customers in an easy andconvenient way.

L.L.BEAN CARD SPECIFICS:• Use and Availability: L.L.Bean Gift Cards are available in any denomination and can be

purchased and redeemed over the phone, at any of our retail or outlet stores, and onwww.llbean.com.

• Minimum Quantity: Volume discounts start at annual purchases of $750 and are up to 20%• Minimum Dollar Value: The minimum face value for discounted Gift Cards is $25• Cost Break: Yes• To Purchase: For more information visit www.llbean.com.

Hallmark Insights

A Unique Benefit of our Gift Card is… Hallmark Insights’ Premiere Choice® Awards andReward Choice Certificates® can be redeemed for gift cards to more than 350 local, region-al and national merchants. Our online incentive solution with the Hallmark touch providesmeaningful, memorable and measurable programs that achieve your company’s corporateobjective for your employees and customers: • Make a powerful connection between you and your employees or customers.• Reinforce desired employee behaviors, or create a lasting, positive impression for your business.Get tangible results: increased sales, higher productivity and improved ROI.Our Gift Card is used Successfully… by BlueCross Blue Shield and major banks, universitiesand manufacturing companies.Hallmark Insights provides incentive solutions for a range of client industries, supporting:• Sales and dealer incentives• Employee recognition• Health and wellness programs• Consumer incentive programsThe Latest Gift Card Trend is… Hallmark Insights’ incentive solutions keep an increasinglydiverse employee and customer population engaged, including non-English speaking recip-ients, younger workers, older employees and telecommuters. Our online solution providesa range of choice that appeals to all ages, interests and locations. Our Spanish-enabled website, awards and gift card messaging provide your company the ability to recognize andreward Spanish-speaking employees and customers in their own language.

HALLMARK INSIGHTS CARD SPECIFICS:• Use and Availability: Our print-on-demand capability ensures that our awards and gift cards

are never out of stock. Also, if you order by 2:00, your order will be shipped the same day.• Minimum Quantity: There is no minimum order quantity for Premiere Choice Awards or

Reward Choice Certificates• Minimum Dollar Value: Awards can be ordered in $5 increments beginning at $10. • To Purchase: Premiere Choice Awards and Reward Choice Certificates are available online

at www.PremiereChoiceAward.com and www.RewardChoice.com.

OS Salesco, Inc.OS Salesco, Inc.

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Regis Salon

A Unique Benefit of our Gift Card is… the Regis Salon Gift Card is that with 6,000 locationsnationwide and over 25 different salon brands to choose from, we have something for every-one from affordable to high fashion. Recipients can get a routine haircut that’s anything but,or pamper themselves with professional salon products from brands like Redken, Matrix, Tigi,Sebastian and OPI. Our Gift Card is used Successfully… to reward employees, motivate a sales force, maximize cus-tomer loyalty, boost a fund-raising program, reward wellness efforts and extend a congratulations.The Latest Gift Card Trend is… being able to offer choice and flexibility. With 26 salon brandsto choose from, the Regis Salon Gift Card can meet various demographic needs to coincidewith this trend.

REGIS SALON GIFT CARD SPECIFICS:• Use and Availability: The gift card is redeemable for salon services or professional salon prod-

ucts at 6,000 locations and 26 salon brands including Regis Salons, SmartStyle, Trade Secret,MasterCuts, Jean Louis David, BoRics, Panopoulos Hair Salons, Mia & Maxx, HairMasters,Carlton Hair, Holiday Hair, Hair by Stewarts, Style America, Heidi’s Salon, First ChoiceHaircutters, Saturday’s, Hair Plus, Best Cuts, Regis Signature Salon, Beauty Express, TGF HairSalon, Head Start, Famous Hair, Mitchell’s Hair Styling, Outlooks for Hair and Beauty Bar.

• Minimum Quantity: The Regis Salon Gift Card has no minimum order quantity.• Minimum Dollar Value: The card can be ordered in any denomination from $1 - $500.• Cost Break: Yes volume discounts are available.• To Purchase: For more information on purchasing the Regis Salon Gift Card in bulk, visit

www.regiscorpgiftcards.com/corporate.

Shell

A Unique Benefit of our Gift Card is… that the best gift card or award is one that ALL of your pro-gram participants really want, regardless of their geographic location, age, sex, race, culture etc.Millions of people have cars and gasoline is a necessity. Who wouldn’t appreciate a ‘fill up’! Shellhas over 14,000 stations nationwide and 80% of Americans live within 5 miles of a Shell brandedgasoline station.Our Gift Card is used Successfully… in employee recognition and safety programs - it’s par-ticularly attractive when employees may be earning minimum or close to minimum wage - theyreally appreciate receiving a Shell Gift Card. The gift card is also a very popular sales incen-tive for dealer/distributor ‘spiff’ type programs. Finally consumer loyalty programs like bankseven casinos (member reward programs) - the Shell Gift Card is a popular reward.The Latest Gift Card Trend is… with the tight economy, more and more employees arerequesting functional ‘every day use gift cards’ in their incentive programs, these include gro-cery, gasoline, and restaurant cards. Also we’re seeing more co-branding requests, where acorporate customer wants their logo imprinted on the Shell Gift Card.

SHELL GIFT CARD SPECIFICS:• Use and Availability: The gift card is redeemable at over 14,000 stations nationwide and

Shell Gift Cards have no expiration date. • Minimum Quantity: The Shell Gift Card has no minimum order quantity.• Minimum Dollar Value: The card can be ordered in Standard Denominations of $10, $15,

$20, $25, $50 and $100 (Custom denominations are also available).• Cost Break: Yes.• To Purchase: For more information on purchasing Shell Gift Cards visit www.shellgiftcard.com

or call 1-800-SHELL-04.

TJX Incentive Sales, Inc.

A Unique Benefit of our Gift Card is… that it offers 4 premiere brands to shop (TJ Maxx,Marshalls, HomeGoods and AJ Wright) on one card. Our reward offers the latest designerfashions, the same as those found in department stores, for less, everyday - no need to cutcoupons or wait for a sale. With 1900+ locations nationwide, there’s always a convenient storenearby. Employees or customers can choose from apparel, luggage and accessories, or fur-niture and home decor.Our Gift Card is used Successfully… for so many different kinds of programs - everything fromsales contests to employee recognition to holiday gifts. Recently, we’ve been in programs thatpromote health and well being. Our stores offer a great selection of famous name athleticapparel and shoes - and is a perfect place to shop for those getting started in healthy lifestyleprograms. HomeGoods has also been popular in new homebuyer programs. They offer fur-niture, rugs, lighting, bedding and unique decorative items for every room at great prices.The Latest Gift Card Trend is… are programs that use gift cards to promote participation inlifestyle programs that promote better health and fitness. Healthier employees not only see thebenefit themselves but also help the company to decrease its overall healthcare costs.Incentives are effective in rewarding employees for taking health assessments, managingchronic diseases, and even losing weight and joining fitness programs.

TJX INCENTIVES GIFT CARD SPECIFICS:• Use and Availability: The TJX gift cards have no expiration date or dormancy fees and can

be used at over 1,900 locations nationwide. Orders are processed within 48 hours.• Minimum Dollar Value: The TJX Gift Card is available in denominations of $10 and up.• Cost Break: Yes. A corporate discount is available with minimum initial order. • To Purchase: For more information on purchasing TXJ Gift Cards call 800-333-1387 for more details.

TRG Group

A Unique Benefit of our Gift Card is… You choose the award level that best fits your budget. •The distributor places the order via fax, mail or e-mail. • Victorinox® Travel Gear &Accessories ships the gift certificates to you in a logoed red tin, anywhere in the continentalU.S. The tin includes the offer, plus a redemption postcard. • The recipient simply chooses onefeatured gift, fills out the included postcard and waits four to six weeks for delivery. The costof shipping the redeemed gift is included in the gift certificate price. • Victorinox® Travel Gear& Accessories removes the burden of fulfillment by shipping directly to the recipient anywherewithin the continental United States.Our Gift Card is used Successfully… as a holiday gift for 300 employees of an oil company inrecognition of the company’s successful year.The Latest Gift Card Trend is… for TRG Group…it’s the opportunity for the distributor to makea greater margin than most standard gift card offerings.

TRG GROUP GIFT CARD SPECIFICS:• Use and Availability: The gift card can be used for incentive programs, holiday program, spe-

cial events and more! They are available year round. • Minimum Quantity: The TRG Group Gift Card has a minimum quantity order of 10.• Minimum Dollar Value: The TRG Group Gift Card minimum dollar value is $150.00 ($90.00

net cost to our distributors)• Cost Break: Yes. Pricing on a “c” with 4 varied price categories.• To Purchase: For more information on purchasing TRG Group Gift Cards visit www.trgcorporate.com.

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THE BIG BUZZWORDS these days in the incentivearena is ROI, (Return on Investment), ROO (Returnon Objectives), ROC (Return on Customer), and Ilike to add ROE, “Return on Everything”. What allthis boils down to is how successful can or shouldan incentive program be for the money invested.

Unlike a number of other marketing tools themajor contribution an incentive marketing programcan provide for a company is that the results nomatter what you are measuring can be measured.Every program should be structured to be self-liqui-dating (pays for itself). However this will only hap-pen if an incentive reward program is designed cor-rectly. We covered how to do this in the February

issue of Brilliant Results. To make sure your pro-gram has the proper design we strongly suggestyou engage the services of an incentive marketingcompany that will “get it right the first time”.Another way to ensure that your company is on asuccessful track is to examine success stories. Togive you some idea of what “Makes An IncentiveProgram A Winner?” here are three successful casestudies that demonstrate how a well-planned andthought out incentive program can be a big finan-cial winner. They cover Employee Rewards, B-to-Band Customer Loyalty Programs. (The corporatenames are not used to protect the innocent fromtheir competition).

Case Study #1

INDUSTRY:Major Growing Regional Bank Employee Reward Program

OBJECTIVE:Reward 1700+ tellers and bank managers in their Regional US branches who enthusiastically meet pre-established goalsinvolving product cross-sell, customer service, new account acquisition and length of service.

STRATEGY:Create an online reward platform with a peer-to-peer mechanism that allows Branch Managers to issue points at the timethe employee performs the predetermined tasks.

RESULTS:The strategy provides instant gratification and creates a high degree of intrinsic motivation, reduced turnover and hasincreased branch volume in 150 retail locations. Employees save and redeem points for gifts such as electronics, house-hold goods and recreational products.

BY: ARNOLD LIGHT, CTC

What Makes An Incentive ProgramA Winner?How about The Results!

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Case Study # 2INDUSTRY:Commercial/Residential Electrical Contractor

OBJECTIVE:Motivate electrical contractors by awarding points for purchases when matching the previous year’s purchases and doublepoints for increases above the previous year.

STRATEGY:Design a sports-oriented themed incentive program with an online platform where contractors could opt-in, view theirpoint totals and order awards. The effort was supported by promotional brochures with program information, in storedisplays, and monthly mailings and promotions.

RESULTS:At the end of the first year of the incentive program the company realized an increase in sales of $6MM and ROI was at2,570%. The program continues today.

Case Study # 3

INDUSTRY: Tire Wholesaler

OBJECTIVE:The company implemented a sophisticated online tire ordering system in order to cut costs, improve efficiency andspeed the process of inventory turnover. However the client base of 300 plus tire dealers continued to call the 5-personcustomer service department to order tires. The objective was to achieve 100% online ordering.

STRATEGY:In order to enlist their dealers to use the new online technology, an online reward program was designed that would inte-grate each tire sale with a point value and these points would automatically be posted to the customer’s reward account.Only those dealers who ordered tires online would be eligible for the reward program. The program was supplemented withmailings and special promotional award points for certain types of purchases or at certain times of the year.

RESULTS:After 7 months into the incentive program the tire wholesaler achieved a 95% rate of all orders being made online andreduced their customer service staff from 5 representatives to 1. The program increased their profits so significantly, thatthe value of their business become very attractive and they where purchased by a large tire consolidator.

Thus when you measure similar incentive or reward programs such as the above case studies using an ROI model yourmanagement should be pleased with the results. Because you are probably a by the numbers person, there’s a greatnew resource you should be aware of. It’s a new book that will tell you everything you need to know about evaluatingand measuring the ROI of a reward program. It’s a complete how to guide and offers an abundance of case studies cov-ering from how to measure ROI for incentives and meetings to golf tournaments. It’s called: “Proving the Value ofMeetings and Events: How to Measure ROI”. Written by two industry professionals, and published by MPI (MeetingProfessionals International and ROI Institute, Inc., it is available at www.mpiweb.org.

HAVE A REWARDING DAY!Arnold Light, CTC, Founder of The Light Group, Inc. has 35 years of marketing experience specializing

in incentive and loyalty marketing helping multi-national corporations develop and implement B2Band B2C results oriented performance improvement programs. For additional information visitwww.incentivesmotivate.com or telephone 914-397-0800.

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CUSTOMERS SPEND MORE WHEN they feel thatemployees are trying to satisfy them. This is thekey finding in a new study, Testing the InternalMarketing Model, which reveals that employeeeffort and customer behaviors are intrinsicallylinked to financial outcomes. Researchers DonSchultz, Heidi Schultz, Frank Mulhern and RobertPassikoff utilized three steps of the InternalMarketing Model to measure the link between fourpsychological drivers (predictive variables) ofemployee behavior and four metrics of customer—hotel guests, in this study—behavior (dependentvariables). The study was conducted under theauspices of the Forum for People PerformanceManagement and Measurement, a research unitaffiliated with the Medill Integrated MarketingCommunications graduate program atNorthwestern University, in conjunction withBrandkeys, a brand consultancy based in New York.

“Whether called internal marketing, employeeengagement or internal communication, the conceptis the same: to align, motivate and empoweremployees — at all functions and levels — to consis-tently deliver a positive customer experience that

helps to achieve business objectives,” said FrankMulhern, Professor of Integrated MarketingCommunications, Medill School, NorthwesternUniversity. “This definition of internal marketingadvances the idea that the discipline is more than acollection of tactics — such as workplace communi-cations and employee meetings — but is a way tobuild employee satisfaction and profitability.” TheInternal Marketing Model, originally developed byProfessor Schultz, laid the groundwork for themethodology deployed in this study. Testing theInternal Marketing Model revealed that the employ-ee attitude of “Tries to Satisfy Customers” helpsdrive the amount of money guests spend per visit.Enhancements in this psychological dimensiontranslate directly into increased spending by guests.

The Internal Marketing Model draws on twokey hypotheses: 1. A direct connection between employees and cus-

tomer behaviors can be measured, monitored andmanaged; and

2. Employee value is partly a function of employeeimpact on revenue from customers.

When Customers FeelEmployees Are Tryingto Satisfy Them,Customers Spend MoreNew Study on Internal Marketing from the Forum for

People Performance Management and Measurement LinksEmployee Efforts to Increased Customer Spending

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For this study of a major hotel chain involvingemployees and customers at six locations of a majorhotel chain, researchers identified four psychologi-cal drivers of employee behavior: 1. Fast and Efficient Check-In: a customer’s first

impression2. Tries to Satisfy Customers: an employee’s desire

to transform customer satisfaction into loyalty3. Options and Amenities: employees proactively

provide information to customers4. Strives for Precision: employee intention to

impress customers by not allowing any flaws

Researchers then analyzed the following fourmetrics to assess customer behavior:1. Total spending2. Spending per visit3. Number of visits4. Total nights spent

KEY FINDINGSThe following findings emerged in Testing the

Internal Marketing Model:• Customers perceive that the biggest differences

between the major hotel and its key competitor arepsychological drivers #1: Fast and Efficient Check-In, and #2: Tries to Satisfy Customers. These arecompetitive advantages for the major hotel.

• The biggest gap between the ideal hotel and themajor hotel is driver #2: Tries to Satisfy Customers,again indicating the critical importance of employ-ee behavior in the customer experience.

• Of the four psychological drivers, only one is asignificant determinant of total spending— #2:Tries to Satisfy Customers. A 10% increase ina customer’s score on Tries to SatisfyCustomers yielded a 22.7% higher level ofspending during the period studied. This driv-er, not surprisingly, is also a significant deter-minant of spending per visit.

• The number of visits and number of nights werenot affected by the four drivers.

• What customers deem most important and whatemployees believe customers think most importantare not the same. Employees’ depictions of whatthey think matters to customers varies substantial-ly across the six hotels studied. However, customersconsistently rank the order of driver importance sim-ilarly among all hotel types and locations.

The results of this study can and should be appliedto any service provider. The key lesson that emergedwill be familiar to any parent who has exhorted achild to try harder at school: demonstrate your besteffort, no matter the ultimate result, and you will berewarded. Given that the largest index gap betweenthe ideal hotel and the major hotel in customerassessments is on the value driver “Tries to SatisfyCustomers,” enhancements in this psychologicaldimension translate directly into increased spendingby customers. If employees are passionate abouttheir work’s mission and are empowered to providesatisfaction, and customers perceive employees aretrying to satisfy them, the end result is a boost to thebottom line. And when companies share this positiveoutcome with employees, in a multitude of ways, acycle of “Tries to Satisfy” will continually contributeto the success of the entire organization.

Testing the Internal Marketing Model is one in aseries of studies designed for and conducted underthe auspices of the Forum for People PerformanceManagement and Measurement. A central objectiveof the Forum is to develop and disseminate knowl-edge about communications, engagement and man-agement so that businesses can better design,implement and manage people-based initiativesboth inside and outside an organization to achieveconcrete financial and other results. A number ofresearch initiatives by the Forum are planned toinvestigate the value and importance of employeeincentives along with other key issues of communi-cations, engagement and management. •

The Forum for People Performance Managementand Measurement (performanceforum.org) is aresearch unit affiliated with the Medill IntegratedMarketing Communications (IMC) graduate pro-gram at Northwestern University. It is funded byassociations and corporations interested in the issueof People Performance Management andMeasurement. A central objective of the Forum is todevelop and disseminate knowledge about commu-nications; engagement and management such thatbusinesses can achieve their objectives through bet-ter designed and managed people-based initiativesboth inside and outside an organization. For moreinformation on this and other studies please go tohttp: / /per formanceforum.org/Test ing_the_Internal_Marketing_Model.76.0.html.

“If employees are passionate about their work’s mission and are empowered toprovide satisfaction, and customers perceive employees are trying to satisfythem, the end result is a boost to the bottom line.”

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#1 ESTABLISH OBJECTIVES Identify what goal/objective needs to be accom-

plished, for example: improved attendance,increased sales of a particular product, etc. Theobjectives must be simple, specific, and obtainable.Begin with a clear, briefly stated objective and com-municate it to all participants.

#2 OUTLINE THE STRATEGY Build the foundation of the Incentive Program

carefully, expanding on the methodology to beused. The structure of the program should detailexactly who is the target audience, and anyone elsewho will be influenced by the program. The size ofthe group is important to the budget of the pro-gram, as well as the ability to communicate clearlyand measure the results accurately.

Other considerations are geographic boundariesor sales regions, legal considerations, family issues,the length of the program and timing, individualgoals or team goals, and of course, the reward.

#3 MEASURE PERFORMANCE Define both quantifiable and qualitative goals

that can be measured, and keep it simple. It mightbe necessary to look at historical data and come up

with an average in order to define a particular salesgoal. The goal needs to be fair to all involved, andobtainable by everyone.

#4 ESTABLISH THE BUDGET Depending on whether the program involves

sales or non-sales personnel, the budgeting will bedifferent. In general, the three elements of budget-ing include: 1) number of participants, 2) length ofprogram, 3) expected results.

There are two types of award budgets: 1) closed-ended, and 2) open-ended. You would need todetermine the maximum costs involved with aclosed-ended program, and an estimate of costsinvolved for an open-ended program.

In a sales program, the primary rules are: 1)Anywhere from 5% to 10% of additional (incremen-tal) gross sales during the incentive period can beapplied to the total cost of the program, and 2) Thecost of the incentive awards should equal 5% of allcompensation for the program period.

In a non-sales program, it is more difficult to puta monetary figure on the value of “improvement,”but some measures are possible that involveincreased productivity, improved attendance, andimproved safety (fewer traffic tickets, for instance).

How to DEVELOPan Incentive Program

BY: INCENTIVE MARKETING ASSOCIATION

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The budget is then determined by the “value” thecompany will realize from the improvements madeby the Incentive Program.

#5 BUDGET ELEMENTS Awards 80%*Communication/Promotion 10%**Administration 5%**Training/Research 5%**

* For merchandise awards, this includes shipping(about 10% of the cost of the items) and taxes(about 6% of cost).

**The last 3 categories are fixed costs comprising 10-20% of incentive program costs.

#6 SELECT THE PERFECT AWARD It is important to select the correct award because

if the individual is not emotionally vested in obtainingthe incentive award, he or she will not pursue the goal.Spend some time speaking with the target group andselect an award within the framework of the budgetthat will be important to the group.

#7 ADMINISTER THE PROGRAM Administration is approximately 20% of the pro-

gram budget, and a good 50% of the planner’s time.

The target group needs clear, consistent communi-cation and timely feedback on measurement oftheir performance.

#8 CELEBRATE THE SUCCESS OF THE PROGRAM

The end of the program should be celebratedwith the target group and performance meas-urement by individual or team should be provid-ed at this point. Individuals should then receivetheir awards.

#9 ANALYZE THE SUCCESS OF THE PROGRAM

Did the Incentive Program achieve its objectives?Were the participants motivated to change theirbehavior? Remember, an Incentive Program pro-vides a short-term gain, and follow-up programs areimportant. Start planning the next one today. •

“How to Develop an Incentive Program” isexcerpted from the Incentive Marketing Association’sonline curriculum “Principles of Incentive ProgramDesign” available at www.incentivemarketing.org. The“Principles of Incentive Program Design” manual andCD version of the manual are available for purchase.Contact [email protected] for details.


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IN TODAY’S WORKPLACE, Employees in sales aremotivated by more than just ordinary monetary gain.Competitive pay and benefits alone are not enough tomaintain talented salespeople anymore. A recentIncentive survey found that on average, 79% of respon-dents found non-cash reward programs to be fairly toextremely effective in motivating participants toachieve sales and marketing goals.

The implementation of sales force incentives continues to increase rapidly in today’s current busi-ness environment. More than ever companies are participating in incentive programs that help motivateand reward their employees. Recognition awards programs continue to be proven ways to increase productivity and bolster company moral. What gainsdo corporations realize from implementing these pro-grams? According to a study by the InternationalSociety of Performance Improvement, incentiveprograms, in addition to offering tangible awards,increase performance by an average of 22 percent.Team incentives increase performance by as much as44 percent. Through this greater employee performance,corporations are able to develop better client relation-ships that translate into higher sales volumes.

To no one’s surprise, electronics heads the list as themost popular source of merchandise categories to fuelan incentive program according to an IncentiveMagazine survey of incentive planners. But close behindand gaining in popularity is Jewelry. As the limit of howmany MP3’s and PDA’s, etc. is reached, and because thepercentage of women in the workplace as compared tomen continues to grow, jewelry incentives also continueto grow in popularity.

Jewelry incentive programs offer diverse merchandisefor discriminating tastes. People often choose jewelryas their reward to create a memory celebrating theirsuccess. Therefore it’s important for incentive compa-nies to offer their salespeople a unique mix of jewelryitems. Jewelry is special and luxurious. It invokesemotion, elevates personal prestige and defines theindividual. These are basic motivators when selectingthe items offered through these programs. Men mayselect items ranging from cuff links to fine timepieceswhere women may opt for diamond pendants, earrings and rings.

The CorporateChoice manages to stay ontop of the competitive globaljewelry markets. They man-ufacture jewelry with boldtrademark style and offerfresh designs yearly. TheCorporate Choice under-stands the important role jewelry plays in ever evolvingfashion trends. They special-ize in creating merchandisethat bridges all occasions.

Today The CorporateChoice has an expansiveline of exciting designs inrings, pendants and earringsthat feature diamonds andgenuine gemstone designs inwhite or yellow 18K, 14K and10K gold, in addition to plat-inum. The Corporate Choiceis the place for the latest injewelry trends, 3-StoneDiamond Jewelry, CirclePendants and the verypopular “Journey”Diamond Jewelry.

The impressive marks incentive programs scoreevery day makes their use an easy choice. And becauseit has stood the test of time and is certain not to loosefavor anytime soon, jewelry is a formidable incentivereward. The ultimate success of a jewelry incentiveprogram depends upon selecting fashions that will turnfast. Loading up with trendy styles that will soon loosetheir desire will clog a program and guarantee its failure.

Make certain your jewelry selections are correct…make certain your jewelry source is a professionalincentive jewelry supplier. •

Suzi Gattone is a National Sales Executive for the BercoCompany with several years experience in the jewelryindustry. She is affiliated with the Corporate Choice as anincentive sales consultant. For additional information,please contact her at 800.621.0668

BY: SUZI GATTONE

Let Jewelry Be Your Best Salesperson

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TELECONFERENCES ARE ESSENTIAL to marketingprofessionals because they enable geographicallydispersed teams to quickly touch base, make decisionsand move forward with initiatives. Unstructuredconference calls, however, can waste valuable timeand put you no further ahead than when you pickedup the phone. Use the following tips to facilitatetop-notch teleconferences.

TAKE PROPER PREPARATORY MEASURES.

Determine which individuals need to be on thecall and then send each invitee a memo or e-mailnoting the agenda, date and time of the meeting.(Be sure to take into account participants’ timezones when scheduling the teleconference.) It’salso beneficial to give people ample time to preparefor the meeting by distributing copies of marketingplans, creative briefs or other materials that will bediscussed. And if you’re using a dial-in option,remember to give each participant the correctphone number and access code.

ESTABLISH GOALS AND GUIDELINES FROM THE GET-GO.

At the outset of the teleconference, ask partici-pants to identify themselves so everyone knowswho is taking part. Reiterate the main points to beaddressed, the desired outcome and the expectedduration of the meeting. To minimize confusion,remind people to speak clearly and slowly, and tostate their names each time they comment.

QUARTERBACK THE CONVERSATION. As a moderator, it’s your role to keep the meet-

ing on track. Don’t be afraid to speak up and tactful-ly redirect the conversation if tangential banter,crosstalk or a long-winded participant is overtakingthe meeting. If a few people are dominating theteleconference, keep the less-vocal participantsengaged by calling on them to share their ideas orfeedback. For example, you might say, “Jennifer,I’m interested in your thoughts on the cost of thenew promotional item? Do you think it’s the bestwe can do?”

Tips for Effective TGood Call:

BY THE CREATIVE GROUP

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e TeleconferencesOFFER VERBAL CUES.

Because those on the other line can’t see yourfacial expressions and body language it’s criticalyou verbalize your thoughts. While nodding yourhead and smiling is effective in face-to-face meet-ings, a conference call requires you to make yourvoice heard. A simple, “Yes, I understand” or “I seeyour point” can go a long way toward aiding theflow of the conversation.

BEWARE OF BACKGROUND NOISE. Whether you’re facilitating or not, it’s critical to show

common courtesy to your colleagues by resisting theurge to multitask. If you must hammer away on yourkeyboard, ruffle papers or eat your lunch during themeeting, be sure to put yourself on “mute.” In addition,if you’re taking a conference call outside the office,avoid using a cell or cordless phone, which tend to havestatic. If you’re working from home, find a private, quietarea far away from barking dogs and crying children.

DON’T KEEP THEM WAITING. Call waiting is great feature — except when

you’re on a conference call. Disable your phone’scall-waiting function before the teleconference.Clicking over to another call could derail the meeting

by leaving your colleagues with the difficult andannoying task of trying to talk over hold music. Ifyou must take an incoming call, hang up and dialback into the teleconference.

PLAY IT SAFE. Steer clear of the ultimate phone faux pas: the mute-

button mishap. There’s nothing worse than making asarcastic or snippy quip to the person sitting next to youonly to discover the subject of your criticism heardevery word. The safest and simplest approach is to onlymake comments you’d be comfortable offering if everyparticipant were in the same room.

Finally, be respectful of people’s time by monitor-ing the clock and adhering to your original schedule.If it’s approaching the ending time and there is stillground to cover, set aside the last five minutes toschedule a follow-up meeting. By keeping the meet-ing on track, you’ll ensure that your next marketingteleconference is smooth and productive. •

The Creative Group is a specialized staffingservice placing creative, advertising, marketingand web professionals with a variety of firms ona project basis. For more information, visitwww.creativegroup.com.

Whether you’re facilitating or not, it’s critical to show commoncourtesy to your colleagues by resisting the urge to multitask. If you must hammer away on your keyboard, ruffle papers or eatyour lunch during the meeting, be sure to put yourself on “mute.”“ ”

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Leashables (Oralabs, Inc.) an industryleader for lip balm products was inter-ested in the creation of an incentive pro-gram that would allow them to tracktheir distributor’s sales totals andreward them for achieving pre-set goals.

Leashables turned to Ego Id’ fullcolor tags with laser etched barcodes and provided them to their distributors.Throughout the year, as the salesperson orcompany accumulated sales with Leashablesthey also received “frequent flyer” points ontheir Ego Id Ticket. The data was tracked inter-nally by Leashables and once a certain levelwas achieved the distributor qualified for an allexpense paid trip to Denver to ski in theRockies and to spend the afternoon at theirfacility to be further educated on the quality oftheir product line.

“The idea of Ego Id as a corporate incentiveprogram has been a true sales driver forLeashables. Leashables intent was to focus oneducating and rewarding distributors in the mar-ket as well as to performers for Leashables byusing the Ego Id Ticket to incentivize the cus-tomer. We’re big fans of the Ego Id rewards sys-

tem and look forward to a longterm relationship with this cre-ative marketing product.”Brady Anderton, Sales &Marketing, Leashables/Oralabs

The San Diego CooperativeCharter School is a small K-8

public school with a limited budget. Theyrequired an innovative solution to support theirfundraising and school merchandise needs. Theschool decided on two items, the Ego Id full colortag with and without serialization, plus a customweb interface. The plain back tag was purchasedby the school’s parent organization and sold asschool merchandise. The serialized tag was incor-porated into the school’s annual gala celebrationserving as both a raffle ticket and commemorativefor the event. Participants registered their ticketsonline prior to the festivities thereby making themeligible for the raffle and garnering the school avaluable fund raising database for future use.

“As a 501C3 parent cooperative charter school inour second year of operation, we had neither thebudget nor the ability to create an integratedfundraising and merchandise program. The Ego Idtag proved to be an amazingly cost effective way forus to achieve our institution’s goals. Parents and chil-dren alike loved the tags as a merchandise item, andthe ability to require participants in our gala event toenter demographic information through an on-lineregistration process linked from our school’s homepage not only extended our outreach capabilities thisyear, it gave our institution a jump start on nextyear’s fundraising efforts. We now possess a data-base that we will be able to utilize for years to come.”

Jennifer Curries, Board of Directors San DiegoCooperative Charter School


SUCCESS STORIES SUCCESS STORIES SUCCES

EGO ID TAGS

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CESS STORIES SUCCESS STORIES SUCCESS STORIES

WCI Communities, Inc - Palm Beach Gardens, FLFor almost 60 years, WCI has built the finest

communities and towers with an incomparablelevel of quality, design and unrivaled amenities.WCI is the trusted name for exceptional homes andextraordinary lifestyles. When it comes to livingwell, nobody does it better than WCI.

Since 1946, over 165,000 people have put theirtrust in WCI to build not only their homes, but alsotheir communities. To accomplish this, WCIdemands the highest quality construction andcustomer service, and consistently strives to sup-port the needs of the community. Their homesrange from the upper-$100s to over $10 million,and offer world-class amenities including cham-pionship golf, tennis, boating, fine dining, andspas and fitness. Their strategic partners includesome of the most recognized names in the world,including multi-national hotel chains, AudubonInternational, Greg Norman, and well-known golfand tennis professionals.

WCI’s East Coast Marketing Manager, MatthewDoyle, considered dozens of customer loyalty gifts,seeking one commensurate with it’s own standardsof excellence, before deciding to run with a highlycustomized i-gifts™ program. The program willship a personalized i-gifts™ shipment every-other-month to just under 100 new homeowners for anentire year. What’s unique about the program isthat WCI is shipping them not after they’ve movedin, but before, with the final shipment arriving asconstruction on their new home completes. WCIlikes to pamper its customers and the intent of theprogram is to build relationships and foster thedevelopment of an elite community long beforehomeowners move in.

WCI chose the i-gifts™ program because thequality of the products was consistent with thecommunities they develop. Also important was thefact that Elite Corporate Gifts & Rewards™ offered

custom packaging including tissue sealed with aWCI gold sticker and ribbons adorning each giftstating the name of the community. Additionally,Doyle liked the fact that the program was easy toadminister, and once it was set up, would run onautopilot for a year. The personalized attentiongiven to WCI by Elite’s dedicated AccountRepresentative, Marie Palmieri, and her commit-ment to creating a solution that met WCI’s needs, iswhat closed the deal.

i-giftsTM

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THAT’S USING YOUR NOODLE!Las Vegas is the No.1 business location for conven-tions and tradeshows in the U.S. The economic bene-fit to the tourism industry is significant. At theExhibitor 2007 show hosted at the Mandalay BayConvention Center, Exhibit Concepts, Inc. helped outthe Las Vegas community in a deeper and more mean-ingful way. They donated their exhibit to the local LasVegas YMCA.

Embracing the theme, “Use Your Noodle… ThinkExhibit Concepts!” this tradeshow company designeda creative marketing campaign using the universallyrecognized foam swimming pool noodles. These light-weight neon green noodles were custom manufac-tured to 12’ lengths and formed the basis of the exhib-it booth.

Designed by one of Exhibit Concepts’ seniordesigners and 24-year veteran, Matt Ziessler, thebooth’s design reflected how a one-time exhibit canbe recycled bringing fun and enjoyment for years tocome. Jeff Korchinski, VP Sales & Marketing atExhibit Concepts states, “This is a win / win situation.We’re able to show our appreciation to the communi-ty that’s a major venue in our industry and bringsmiles and fun to the patrons of a wonderful organiza-tion like the YMCA.”

YMCA Branch Executive, Mary Seefeldt, andMembership Director, Adam Gradisher of theDurango Hill Community Center, attended the showas guests of Exhibit Concepts. Following the showExhibit Concepts arranged to transport the noodlesto the YMCA. These noodles will be a welcomeaddition to support their Tiny Tots & Senior aquaticsprograms. According to Mary Seefeldt, “We arethrilled to be the charity of choice for ExhibitConcepts. Not only will we have the opportunity topromote our wonderful programs at the Exhibitor2007 show, but the donation of the swimming poolnoodles will provide YMCA swimmers with evenmore pool fun this summer!”

THAT’S USING YOUR NOODLE.The YMCA of Southern Nevada is a 501 (c)(3) not

for profit organization dedicated to building strongkids, strong families, and strong communities. It isgoverned by a volunteer board of directors and hasserved the community since 1944 locally. Currently,the YMCA of Southern Nevada serves more than20,000 people a year through our youth programs,older adults programs, swim lessons, teen programsand outreach programs.

Headquartered in Vandalia, Ohio, Exhibit Concepts,Inc. focuses on design, fabrication and full turnkeyservices to the tradeshow, mobile marketing, andbriefing center industry.

SUCCESS STORIES SUCCESS STORIES SUCCESS

Exhibit Concepts, Inc.

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LOVE THEM OR HATE THEM, Show special discountsare an established part of the tradeshow culture.These powerful incentives serve many purposes:they can draw traffic to your booth, reward loyalcustomers and persuade new prospects to giveyour company a shot. Show specials work so wellthat they’ve ceased, really, to be special anymore.They’re rather everyday occurrences. Buyers cometo the show expecting show specials. They knowthey can save money, sometimes lots and lots ofmoney, by placing large orders at this time.

This is a good thing, right?

Not necessarily! Remember that attendees aresmart people. They know that you’ll be offeringincentives. They expect to find good deals. Theyalso know, often to the penny, what their budget foryour products or services is. To make the most oftheir resources, savvy attendees:• Hold off buying from you before the show• Buy large quantities at discounted prices during

the show• Hold off buying after the show until the newly

acquired stock is depletedWhile this may make for great show num-

bers, it isn’t necessarily great for your company.It’s important to step back and viewtradeshows as an integrated part of your entiremarketing campaign. Consider not only what isgood for your show performance, but for thecompany as a whole.

For most companies, the truth is that an artificialorder spike is not nearly as valuable to you as steadi-ly increasing sales numbers. Strategic re-thinking ofyour incentive plan can enable you to meet attendeeexpectations by offering attractive show only spe-cials and as, an added bonus, even out and growyour overall sales numbers?

Making this change can be as simple as chang-ing the timing of your show specials. Instead ofoffering savings only on sales made during theshow, consider the following options:

• Offer pre-order options to your best customers,allowing them to purchase new merchandisebefore the show.

• Offer tiered discounts: one level of savings fororders placed at the show, another for orders paidfor at the show.

• Enroll customers in a buyer’s club or other program,offering discounts on subsequent purchases, madewithin a given time frame. For added punch, make thediscounts progressively larger with repeat purchases,enticing customers to buy from you again and again.

One innovative manufacturer even offered acalendar of savings, spelling out to attendeesexactly how much they could save on their pur-chases, depending on when they made them. Thisproved to be a valuable planning tool, allowingcustomers of every size to coordinate their pur-chases at times that offered maximum savingswith times that their cash flow allowed. By put-ting the focus on what would be of value to theattendee, this manufacturer generated a lot ofbusiness throughout the year.

What can you do to get the most return on yourshow specials? Remember, sometimes giving a littlecan get you a lot! •

Susan A. Friedmann, CSP, The Tradeshow Coach,Lake Placid, NY, works with companies to improvetheir meeting and event success through coaching,consulting and training. Author: “Riches in Niches:How to Make it BIG in a small Market” (May 2007),and “Meeting & Event Planning for Dummies,”

For additional information, visit her website:www.thetradeshowcoach.com

Using Show Specials to Improve Your Business Year Round

Enhanced Incentives:

BY: SUSAN A. FRIEDMANN, CSP

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ESSENTIALS ESSENTIALS ESSENTIALS ESSENTIALS ESSENTIALS

BR0507_Section01.qxl 4/30/07 8:12 PM

creo


Free Product Information. May 2007 Issue.For free product information from these suppliers, complete and mail this page to:

Brilliant Results Magazine 9034 Joyce Lane Hummelstown, PA 17036.Or fax to (717) 566-5431PLEASE CIRCLE ITEMS OF INTEREST.

Name Title

Company Industry

Address

City State Zip

Phone Fax E-mail

Supplier Page No.

3M® Back Cover

Aprons, Etc. 45

Ashworth® Corporate Inside Front Cover

Baumco 45

Evans 15

FeatherLite by Sierra Pacific Apparel Inside Back Cover

GROLINE 23, 33, 37, 43

Key-Bak® 22

Neet Feet® 45

Pepco Poms 13

Sierra Pacific Apparel 7

Snugz 13

Sonoma Promotional Solutions 45

TaylorMade® 5

TJ MAXX® 3

Warwick Publishing 11

TM


brilliant results

BR0507_Section01.qxl 4/30/07 8:08 PM


You: “Hey Bob, how did you get that nifty BBQ with the built-in TVscreen, karaoke system and roulette wheel combo that is sitting on yourpatio?”

Bob: “Oh, the company gave that to me for increasing sales by 20%, con-tributing an idea we could patent and losing 84 lbs in their wellness pro-gram!”

Ever receive a Gift Card? You first check the amount then start rear-ranging your schedule so that you can get to the store or go online and pickout your freebie. It’s a holiday! You are going to go shopping on someoneelse’s dime. You haven’t felt this giddy since you were six and Aunt Madgerewarded you with ice cream for all the ‘satisfactory’ marks on your firstreport card*.

Some things never change. We got a little older but we still love to berewarded and the savvy VP knows that a well-constructed Incentive pro-gram can do a lot of things for the company.

Sales incentives are common. But, how about all those hard-workingfolks in other departments that would like a shot at something? Ask anynon-sales related employee if they, too, would be interested in a rewardsprogram and you’ll be running back to the safety of your office. There aremyriad ways you can get your non-sales related folks to step it up and con-tribute more to your unrelenting bottom line.

Let’s say you are a manufacturer looking for more clients. Set up anIncentive program for everyone in the company so as to encourage everyemployee to talk it up out there and refer people to you. Get the folks inFinance and Customer Service on board and then put the Incentive pro-gram together that will reward them for helping the cause!

Are sick days costing you? Would you get a better insurance rate foryour company if you could show them how many employees are in yourexercise classes after work?

Or, would your customers love to be able to go online and pick outsomething for themselves as a thank-you for referrals? Would they remaineven more loyal to you because you showed them your appreciation?

Whatever your objective, whatever you want and/or need to have hap-pen, the right Incentive program can provide you an incredible return-on-investment. Whether it is to reduce accidents, improve customer service,decrease sick-days, create awareness, launch a new product or program oreven increase sales, get the assistance you need. Your Distributor hasamazing Incentive companies who’ll help you set the criteria, assignpoints, promote it, measure it and report it all back to you, on-going.

Would this kind of program speak volumes about how you take personalinterest in your people?

You bet. It’s ALL Personal.

Dave Ribble, MAS, is President of The Company Image/Geiger and hasbeen in the Promotional Products/Incentive industry for over twenty years.*He doesn’t have an Aunt Madge but does love ice cream and creatingIncentive programs that work. 818.906.9894 and/or www.TCI4Me.com.

It’s ALL Personal

Dave Ribble

“Get the folks inFinance and

Customer Serviceon board and then

put the Incentiveprogram together

that will rewardthem for helping

the cause!”

BR0507_Section01.qxl 4/30/07 6:23 PM

BLACKHAWK NETWORK, a subsidiaryof Safeway Inc., is a prepaid and paymentsnetwork, a market leader in card-basedfinancial solutions and the largestprovider of third-party prepaid cards.Blackhawk Network develops uniqueproducts in easy-to-use formats anddelivers them to consumers through anexclusive retail network of leading gro-cery, mass, convenience, drug and spe-cialty retailers. The network includesmore than 60,000 storefronts and reaches morethan 135 million consumers each week.

For corporations seeking to build an incentiveprogram, Blackhawk Network also offers a turnkeysolution for rewarding customer loyalty or recog-nizing employee contributions. Headquartered inPleasanton, California, Blackhawk Network has officesin the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.

Recently Brilliant Results had an opportunity toask Teri Llach, Blackhawk Network’s Group VicePresident of Marketing and Product, about gift cardtrends. A Magna Cum Laude graduate of theUniversity of California, San Diego with an MBAfrom the University of California, Berkeley whereshe was recognized as the top marketing graduatein her class, Teri provided some insights into thedynamic growth of gift cards as motivating andmarketing tools. Her management experience atIntuit and Clorox before becoming Vice President ofMarketing at The Learning Company, an educational

software company, provided her with adiverse corporate background.

Arriving at Blackhawk Network in2001, Teri launched the direct marketing,coin conversion and check cashing opera-tions. More recently she has managedtrade, consumer, and product marketingfor Blackhawk’s prepaid card program.

BR What is on the horizon for BlackhawkNetwork and the prepaid industry?

TL: As the popularity of prepaid cards continueto grow, Blackhawk Network is working on easierand more innovative ways for organizations smalland large to provide prepaid products that meetthe goals of their incentive programs for consumersand employees.

Blackhawk Network also plans to develop newcategories of prepaid products, while working withpartners and retailers to actively shape the direc-tion of the marketplace. In addition, BlackhawkNetwork will continue to expand internationally.

Stay tuned – we have exciting products and serv-ices in the works that will be launched this year,and we are confident these products will continueBlackhawk Network’s prepaid market leadership.

BR: What other trends do you see developing inthe incentive sector regarding gift cards?

TL: Many of our corporate customers are using giftcards to help increase employee loyalty. Employee


TheLast Word

Teri Llach

Gift Card Trends ~Freedom of Choice

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retention is in the forefront of many super-visors’ minds, and prepaid cards, especiallygift cards, provide a personalized solutionto show their employees that their hardwork is truly appreciated.

In addition, the variety and availableselection of gift cards offered for theincentive sector will only continue toexpand. For example, Blackhawk Networknow offers exclusive sports cards, good fortickets, concessions and merchandisefrom participating professional and collegesports teams.

BR: In your opinion, what is the sin-gle most important benefit that the use ofgift cards offers an organization?

TL: Blackhawk Network’s gift cardsbenefit organizations by convenientlyoffering the best brands that not onlymotivate, but can also be selectedpersonally for each recipient. Unlikeimpersonal cash incentives, which often goto paying the bills or purchasing day-to-daynecessities, gift cards ensure that the receiverstake some time to treat themselves, as well astheir colleagues, friends and families with a giftthey’ll truly enjoy. Gift cards deliver the best ofboth worlds: they not only offer the freedom ofchoice, but also provide a thoughtful way torecognize the recipients’ personal interests.

BR: Can you give our readers an example(s)of the successful use of gift cards in a market-ing/motivation/branding campaign?

TL: Successful marketing/motivation cam-paigns involving gift cards always start withthe best brands. That’s where BlackhawkNetwork fits in – our growing list of card-basedfinancial solution products includes AmericanExpress®, Barnes & Noble Booksellers, Chili’sGrill and Bar®, iTunes Music Card, MajorLeague Baseball, MasterCard®, National

Basketball Association, Nordstrom, Sears,Starbucks Coffee, The Home Depot, Visa® andover 100 others.

BR: Do you remember the last promotionalmerchandise or incentive that you received andfrom what organization?

TL: The last promotional merchandise Ireceived was actually a gift card, which gaveme the power to purchase what I wanted whenI needed it – what a wonderful freedom! I savedthe card for a convenient time, and visited theretailer to redeem the promotion, which in turndrove more customer traffic to the store. •

For more information about BlackhawkNetwork, visit their website at www.blackhawknetwork.com.


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Off The Cuff

Rootin’wear Game Day WrapThe Rootin’wear Game Day Wrap is a new blanket

style designed with added fun and function. This Madein the USA 58” x 58” blanket has an attached corner

hood with drawstring closure and sewn inmittens/pockets.

The Rootin’wear Game Day Wrapcan be made in the color combina-

tions of your choice. Theeye catching appeal of the

coordinating or contrastinghood, mittens and blanket stitch-

ing, make this blanket a great choice forstand-out brand identity.

Three fabric options are available: Polar Fleece,Jersey Sweatshirt Fleece, or Super Fleece with velvetysoft polar fleece on one side and a smooth flat face onthe opposite side. Embroidered logos or designs areavailable on all fabric choices. Screen-printing is avail-able on Jersey Sweatshirt Fleece or Super Fleece fabrics.

Successful potential uses include: Professional,College and High School clubs and sports teams,Tailgate parties, Corporate events, Outdoor picnics/con-certs/ movies, Pool/Hot Tub parties, Health Care set-tings, Car/Boating/Sailing Clubs, Child Care settings,Airline/Train/Bus travel, Camps, …Winter, Spring,Summer, and Fall the Game Day Wrap does it all!

Lakeside Mills

Golf SlipSaverThis uniquely designed golfing footwear accessory

helps everyone walk and play the ball with ‘slip free’confidence in non-golf shoes. Golf SlipSaver is designedfor everyone, from children to the more mature, from thescratch golfer to the holiday hacker. With Golf SlipSaveryou can wear your favorite shoes when playing golf…. oryou can use whatever shoe you are wearing when the

opportunity toplay golf arises.

Because theseslip-on golf cleatswill adjust auto-matically to differ-ent shoes, you canexpect them to fitany shoe youwould play golf in.

Moreover, the integrated ‘leaf spring’ steel plates in theball and heel of the Golf SlipSaver adjust to the player’sbody balance while walking or playing the ball, just likegolf shoes.

For traveling golfers, they are the ideal space savingsolution and can easily be stored in a golf bag pocket andthe cleats can be replaced when necessary.

Capriola Corporation

AwardsOne of the fastest,

hottest trends we seein the awards indus-try today is the useof dramatic, brilliantcolor. The use of colorin an award can beused to accent a com-pany logo, make itmore attention grab-bing, and add a real“wow” factor. Colorcaught the eye ofmany of this year’sARA attendees whovoted R.S. Owens boiled glass awards (see correspon-ding image) as the Best New Technology to hit theindustry this year.

R.S. Owens

New Ideas ~

Quote ~“Innovation is the specific instrument of entre-preneurship... the act that endows resources

with a new capacity to create wealth.”Peter Drucker (1909 -2005),

Innovation and Entrepreneurship, 1985

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