Visible Communications, and co-author of the “Principles of Results-Based Program Design,” published by the Incentive Marketing Association; and
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Four experts in the corporate marketplace provide insights for anyone in management tasked with utilizing brands in any type of organization gifting or event; incentive, recognition, or loyalty program; or amenity program.
, Owner, Schaffer Partners Inc., a leading master fulfillment company in Cleveland;
Tactical Session: Sales Incentives Effective Design. (60 minutes.) Click here.
Great insights on ROI-based sales incentive design and the power of brand story-telling. In a little more than 30 minutes, IRF and EEA Academic Advisor
Allan Schweyer; HMI Performance Icnetives exec
Lincoln Smith, and ROI of Engagement and Business Operating System expert
Todd Hanson, CRP, CPIM, of Catalyst Performance Group pack in multiple insights on how to design a more effective, ROI-based sales incentive program. Afterwards, Weber Grills grillmaster Kevin Kolman tells the Weber brand story and show how to turn a Weber gift into an experience, even in the time of Covid.
Effective Employee Engagement Tactics. (60 minutes.) Click here.
Summary: There is big news in the people management space. The Securities & Exchange Commission now requires US public companies to disclose their human capital practices and metrics, including how they recruit, develop, and retain employees and measure those activities, with year-to-year comparable metrics. This session will address the state of employee engagement measurement today and provide clear guidelines on how to design measurable human capital management and engagement strategies aligned to the organization's purpose and goals.
Panelists: Solange Charas, Founder, HC Moneyball, a SaaS-based human capital analytics and benchmarking platform, and who has held senior-level HR positions with leading firms;
Al Cini, Founder of the BCAT brand alignment methodology and platform;
Peter Goldberger, Senior Partner, the Incentive Team, a sales engagement specialist; and
Barb Hendrickson, President of Visible Communications and editor of the Certified Professional of Incentive Management program of the Incentive Marketing Association.
Summary: Traditional length of service award programs are evolving to strategies to promote key organizational goals and behaviors. Our panelists agree the recognition is becoming a key internal branding process to support organizational goals. Here are other highlights from the show: Recognition was traditionally a low-level tactic because it was mostly used to focus on length of service. As organizations focus more on promoting purpose and key values, recognition gains more importance in the organization. Organizations are now using employee recognition apps to gain more intelligence about how employees feel and engage with the organization and their peers. Some of the essentials for a successful recognition program include: • Management support. • Authenticity. • Ongoing training of management on the principles of recognition and appreciation. • Effective, ongoing communication. • Integration of training with learning and other human resources activities. • Performance measurement. The speakers agree that increasing pressures on public companies to disclose human capital practices and outcomes will promote increased use of recognition strategies.
Panelists: Kylie Green Senior Vice President, Global Sales Reward Gateway;
Tom Short Co-Founder and Chief Customer Officer of Kudos, and
Dr. Paul White President, Appreciate at Work.
The Role of Distributors in Brands and Engagement. (60 minutes.) Click here.
This show interviews a brand representative and two distributors and their growing role in the worlds of brands, rewards and recognition programs, and other engagement services.
Panelists: Guy Achtzehn, President of The Marketing & Sales Group, Inc, and The Promotional BookStore;
Woody Kaye, President, CEO at Corporate Values, Inc.; Branded Promotional Products; Brand Communication Solutions,
Eric Pehrson, Promotional Problem Solver at Creative Studio Promotions.
Motivational Event Update: Pandemic Spurs Big Changes in Group Travel. (30 minutes.) Click here.
The US demand for group motivational events is holding up surprisingly well, with programs already taking place this year, according to the panelists. The post-pandemic future looks like there will be an even greater focus on experiences, interaction, and creativity.
Key findings:
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The US motivational event business is picking up faster than the Canadian market, as the US market appears to be less risk adverse.
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A greater focus on ROI and clarity of purpose over the last decade has helped hold up demand for group incentive travel better than occurred after the onset of the great recession in 2008. That said, there remains a significant need to educate organizations on the financial value of these programs, as the programs based on supporting organizational goals, rather than thank you programs, have stood up the best.
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Many companies moved group incentive trips to individual programs during 2020 rather than canceling the programs altogether.
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Motivational events in the future will focus much more on flexibility, customization, personalization, and a reimaging of the conference experience to make it more interactive and focused on relationship building.
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The pandemic has reinforced the need to work with professional motivational event planners, as opposed to group-tour-oriented travel agents, because of the need for expertise in contract negotiations; creativity in site, venue, and experience selection; ability to manage hybrid live and virtual events, and other specific engagement tools.
Panelists: Rick Garlick, Vice President, Magid, a management consulting firm,and Chief Research Officer, the Incentive Research Foundation;
Stephen Cook, Owner, Lorandus Meetings & Communications;
Jacque Salentine Busby, Chief Incentive Strategist, Luxe Incentives;
Kate Cardoso, Director, Strategic Services, HMI Performance Incentives.
Employee Engagement Essentials: It Starts at The Top. (30 minutes.) Click here.
This EEA Zoom show on Employee Engagement Essentials is designed to provide management at every level a time-efficient way to learn about effective practices in the design and implementation of employee engagement strategies.
Key findings:
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Organizations with high levels of employee engagement consistently outperform their competitors.
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Employee engagement since the pandemic has fallen to record lows.
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If the CEO is not leading the effort, success is unlikely.
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The key challenge with employee engagement assessment surveys is that there is rarely accountability for action.
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Employee engagement should be focused on the goals of the organization, and not engagement as an end.
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Organizational purpose and performance goals should drive engagement design, not satisfaction surveys.
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Today’s managers at all levels have to not only have the soft skills to coach, support, and identify opportunities and challenges, but understand the business of people: how the various engagement tactics work together.
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When selecting an engagement strategy or tactic, ask how it fits into the overall plan, aligns with other tactics, and can be aligned with others.
Panelists.
Michael Anderson, Partner at Anderson Global Talent LLC and Chief Human Capital Officer in the Obama Administration, as well as of Housing and Urban Development;
Rick Garlick, Vice President MAGID, a management consulting company and Research Advisor for Incentive Research Foundation, and
Kevin Sheridan, a worldwide expert on employee engagement, author of multiple books on employee engagement, and developer of the PEER assessment product.
Individual Travel Essentials: Surge Expected in Individual Incentive Travel. Click here.
This Brand Media Coalition Youtube show featuring experts in individual incentive travel finds that while the pandemic halted travel over the last year, many companies replaced group travel with individual programs—a trend many expect to only accelerate as the pandemic recedes.
Key findings:
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When groups began canceling last year, many offered recipients vouchers for individual travel programs.
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Return on investment can easily be built into travel programs by basing the award on the level and value of the achievement.
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Now that more people are feeling comfortable about travel, point redemptions for individual travel in programs are beginning to pick up again.
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The desire for individual travel will surge as the pandemic recedes, not only because of pent-up demand but because Millennials especially prefer individual over group events, but because of the significantly reduced complexity and internal political considerations involved with individual travel over group events.
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As travel resumes, there will be more interest in off-the-beaten path destinations and unique and authentic cultural and other experiences.
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It is critical to work with experienced and established incentive travel vendors to ensure that recipients not only can access their individual awards when they wish but also that they receive the necessary customer support in case an issue arises. This is especially true for bucket-list types of experience, such as major tournaments or entertainment events.
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Look for vendors who can provide the support necessary to make the travel experience as seamless and comfortable as possible to reduce the stress involved with planning and logistics.
Panelists: Peter Friend, Founder and President at Global Hotel Card by Expedia and Global Experiences Card Powered by Viator;
Rick Garlick, Vice President, Magid; Chief Research Advisor, Incentive Research Foundation,
Marc Matthews, CEO, Founder, Pulse Experiential Travel.
Essentials in Golf Incentives, Rewards, and Gifting. (30 mins.) Click here.
Few consumer categories went through a bigger transformation than golf as a result of the pandemic. Locked-down families went to golf courses in record numbers and brought the kids, as it was one of the only activities that remained safe. This Enterprise Engagement Alliance Zoom Show, sponsored by the Brand Media Coalition, provides the essential information incentive, rewards, recognition, and gifting planners need to get the most out of their golf programs, whether merchandise, travel, or both.
Panelists: Corey Wolfe; Director of Sales, Links Unlimited;
Marc Matthews, President & CEO, Pulse Experiential Travel;
John Geysen, Director of Product Marketing, HMI Performance Incentives.
BMC YouTube Show: Interest Grows in the Storytelling Power of Brands. Click here.
Corporate buyers are showing increasing interest in the more careful and selective use of brands, but overall awareness of the corporate rewards and gifting market and the expertise involved remains low, according to the panelists on the Enterprise Engagement Alliance show, “The Power of Brands,” on the Brand Media playlist of the Enterprise Engagement Alliance’s Human Capital and Enterprise Engagement Youtube channel.
Click here for the show.
Key findings:
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Painfully few corporate buyers know that there is a business and experts focused on the strategic use of brands to engage key people as part of ROI-based programs.
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Carefully selected brands create emotional connections that can endure for years or more and create brand ambassadors.
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Best advice for buyers considering using gifts is to: Establish clear objectives, qualitative, quantitative, or both; put yourselves in the shoes of the recipients in terms of selecting brands and offerings that show you know them and that reflect well on your own organization.
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Best advice for brands getting into the corporate market: Be patient, it takes time to get brands into programs and start seeing redemptions; provide effective information to tell your story and the demographics and psychographics of your customers.
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Customization and personalization of the reward experience is more important than ever, which can include tasteful decorating or imprinting, or personalized gift boxes or presentations.
Panelists: Brian Galonek, President, All Star Incentive Marketing.
Rick Garlick, Vice President, Magid, and Research Advisor to the Incentive Research Foundation;
John Geysen, Director of Product Marketing, HMI Performance Incentives;
Megan Shea, IP; Director of Loyalty Programs, Links Unlimited Inc.
Total Rewards 2.0: At the Convergence of Rewards, Recognition, and Benefits. (45 mins.) Click here.
Organizations can maximize the impact of their rewards, recognition, and benefits programs if they align these efforts under a holistic approach known as Total Rewards 2.0. That’s one of the key findings of this Enterprise Engagement Alliance YouTube show designed to help management at all levels optimize the results of their engagement efforts.
Key findings:
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Most companies do not currently align their benefits and rewards and recognition programs as part of an overall employee engagement strategy, but that began to change even before the pandemic and has accelerated since then.
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Most companies have low levels of engagement in benefits programs, because even senior management are not aware of all the options. These programs and employee engagement can be greatly enhanced through a one-to-one conversation between an employee and a regular person representing human resources each month.
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Very few companies have any awareness of upcoming Securities & Exchange Commission human capital disclosure requirements that likely will include metrics on worker engagement and turnover; pay and benefits; turnover; health and safety, and diversity, including that of the board. These disclosure rules will also affect large private companies in their supply chains as well as private-equity financed companies.
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Companies that wait to address the workforce disclosure requirements risk significant embarrassment if they are not even yet aware of their current metrics and a plan to enhance them. Human resources management may be called in quite suddenly to address return-on-investment metrics of their various activities with little time for preparation or optimization of results.
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There are now a wide variety of benefits programs offering clear discounts on entertainment, amusement parks, restaurants, local businesses, travel, cars, health and wellness services, and much more that can provide more value than the typical raise in pay.
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Traditional recognition and incentive companies have not become involved with benefits because it’s not in their background but represents a significant and natural growth extension with clear ways to benefit their clients and their own companies.
Panelists: Maggie Drucker, Co-Founder, Chief Relationship Officer,
Prosperbridge;
Missy Dunn, Vice President, Client Salesof
Abenity Inc.;
Matt Gregory, Assistant Vice President of
Lockton Companies;
Darwin Hanson, CEO,
TMevolution.com;
Bob Randall, CEO,
Transcend Engagement.
Engagement Solution Provider Profiles
An 24/7 online opportunity to learn about different types of practical solution providers as if you were talking with them at a trade show.
BCAT Brand Alignment: A process and assessment platform for building a consensus around a brand or culture of an organization or team in order to achieve better results.
Catalyst Peformance Group: A leader in the design and implementation of business operating systems to help CEOs more effectively manage their organizations.
ProsperBridge: A financial wellness and progress service that companies can offer to help employees to better manage financial goals and challenges and get more out of their company's employee benefit programs.
CarltonOne: A leading supplier of Enterprise Engagement technology, employee engagement, gifting, and employee company stores to help organizations bring ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) into practice.
Transcend Engagement: Provides a complete suite of employee engagement advisory services, performance management, and management-employee relationship management, along with an employee engagement platform.
And more to come
Rewards, Recognition, and Brand Media
Card Now, a leading provider of gift cards activatable on demand via a smart phone app.
Brand Media Profiles: Ugg and
Weber and
more to come
Master the Principles of Enterprise Engagement to Achieve Organizational Goals and Enhance Your Career
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Profit from a new strategic and systematic approach to engagement to profit from the principles of Stakeholder Capitalism, enhance your organization’s brand equity; increase sales, productivity, quality, innovation, and safety, and reduce risks.
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Get trained to become a Chief Engagement Officer for your organization.
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Learn how to create Sustainability or Integrated Reports for Your Organization or Clients.
Learning and Certification: The Enterprise Engagement Alliance 2.0 education program, the only learning and certification platform for boards, executives, and managers seeking to understand the implementation principles of Stakeholder Capitalism, human capital management and measurement, and ROI of engagement. For more information, contact Bruce Bolger at Bolger@TheICEE.org or 914-591-7600, ext. 230.
Resources:
ESM at EnterpriseEngagement.org, an online trade publication founded in 2008 that features news, profiles, research, and more on the field of Enterprise Engagement, the implementation process for Stakeholder Engagement, and the EEXAdvisors.com buyer's guide and resource directory. This includes a comprehensive resource library on Stakeholder Capitalism, human capital management, measurement, and ROI of engagement.
RRN at RewardsRecognitionNetwork.com, an online trade publication founded in 1996 that features news, profiles, research and more on rewards, recognition, gifting and brand media, and the Brand Media Coalition, the only guide to the story-telling power of brands and where to source them for business, event, promotional gifting, and rewards and recognition. This features a comprehensive resource library on brand media, rewards, recognition, incentives, gifting and more.
The Enterprise Engagement Alliance Human Capital Management and ROI of Engagement Youtube channel featuring one-hour and 30-minute panel discussions with experts on multiple topics on Stakeholder Capitalism, Human Capital Management reporting and measurement, and engagement tactics.
Books:
Enterprise Engagement: The Roadmap 5th Edition
The first and most comprehensive book on Enterprise Engagement and the new ISO 9001 and ISO 10018 quality people management standards. Includes 36 chapters detailing how to better integrate and align engagement efforts across the enterprise. (312 pages, $36.)
Services:
• The International Center for Enterprise Engagement at TheICEE.org, offering: ISO 10018 certification for employers, solution providers, and Enterprise Engagement technology platforms; Human Resources and Human Capital audits for organizations seeking to benchmark their practices and related Advisory services for the hospitality field.
• The Engagement Agency at EngagementAgency.net, offering: complete support services for employers, solution providers, and technology firms seeking to profit from formal human capital management, reporting, and ROI of engagement practices for themselves or their clients, including Brand Alignment audits for brands and Capability audits for solution providers to make sure their products and services are up to date.
• C-Suite Advisory Services—Education of boards, investors, and C-suite executives on the economics, framework, and implementation processes of Enterprise Engagement.
• Speakers Bureau—Select the right speaker on any aspect of engagement for your next event.
• Mergers and Acquisitions. The Engagement Agency’s Mergers and Acquisition group focuses on helping organizations focused on people sell to the right buyer and on assisting engagement solution providers seeking an exit or merger. Contact Michael Mazer in confidence if your company is potentially for sale at 303-320-3777.
Enterprise Engagement Benchmark Tools: The Enterprise Engagement Alliance offers three tools to help organizations profit from Engagement. Click here to access the tools.
• ROI of Engagement Calculator. Use this tool to determine the potential return-on-investment of an engagement strategy.
• EE Benchmark Indicator. Confidentially benchmark your organization’s Enterprise Engagement practices against organizations and best practices.
• Compare Your Company’s Level of Engagement. Quickly compare your organization’s level of engagement to those of others based on the same criteria as the EEA’s Engaged Company Stock Index.
• Gauge Your Personal Level of Engagement. This survey, donated by Horsepower, enables individuals to gauge their own personal levels of engagement.
For more information, contact Bruce Bolger at Bolger@TheICEE.org, 914-591-7600, ext. 230.
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