Performance Solutions
Published by: Performance Improvement Council of the Incentive Marketing Association
Full-service incentive and performance-improvement companies are dedicated to providing a full-service approach to incentive and performance-improvement efforts.
Zero-Based Strategies: Where to Find Them
At the heart of every successful incentive campaign is a strategic program and a goal. Motivating people to achieve a specific result goes beyond offering exciting awards. It begins with a sound business strategy and a multifaceted campaign to make it happen. That can include such key elements as:
- Setting realistic goals and qualification levels
- Establishing appropriate tracking and reporting systems
- Providing training, reinforcement, and feedback
- Distributing regular communications via print or the Internet
- Holding motivational meetings
- Getting employee involvement
There is a select number of full-service performance-improvement, incentive, and loyalty companies that offer a wide range of these services on an integrated basis to help organizations achieve short- and long-term business objectives.
Zero-Based Strategies
These companies pledge to provide zero-based solutions based on their client's specific "people performance" challenge, be it a program to increase product sales, to improve customer satisfaction, or do both. Whereas many incentive-fulfillment companies focus solely on providing merchandise and travel incentives, these performance-improvement companies are committed to developing programs that address each client's overall performance issues.
These companies can be distinguished in the following ways:
- They focus on understanding your business before making recommendations.
- They develop programs to achieve specific results in a specific time, using whatever combination of strategies makes sense for the situation.
- They can organize a complete solution, integrating all of the elements in the most effective manner.
Beyond that, each is distinguished by its experience with different types of audiences and programs. Some, for example, place greater stress on consumer loyalty strategies, while others focus on business-to-business solutions. At least one specializes in offering fully integrated consumer and employee loyalty services across an entire organization.
Where to Find Them
Nine of the leading full-service incentive and performance-improvement companies have organized the Performance Improvement Council as part of the Incentive Marketing Association. The Council's purpose is to support research on incentive use, develop incentive education and training, and help enlighten corporate America about the benefits of professionally structured incentive programs.
Members of the Council are described in the following summary. You may contact them directly or contact them from this page. Simply click on the companies you'd like to hear from, click on Submit, complete the brief profile on your needs, then click on Go. Your request will automatically be routed to the companies you select.
Performance Improvement Council
These companies are dedicated to offering companies solutions-based incentive and performance improvement programs. Feel free to contact them individually or compose a single e-mail and send it to several of them.
Anderson Performance Improvement Company is the visionary leader in the performance improvement field. Together with our customers, our people plan and implement creative, innovative solutions that accelerate our customers' progress into the future. Anderson Performance Improvement designs and implements behavior-based incentive and recognition programs that include analysis, measurement, communications, training, reinforcement, and rewards. Call Louise Anderson at 651-480-8600; e-mail landerson@andersonperformance.com; go to http://www.andersonperformance.com. Headquarters: Hastings, MN.
Carlson Marketing Group, the world leader in relationship marketing, has international capabilities that span 27 countries. Ranked by Advertising Age as the No. 1 marketing services agency in the U.S., Carlson Marketing Group helps global Fortune 1000 clients improve their sales and profits by designing and executing marketing solutions that create and strengthen relationships with employee, channel partner, and consumer audiences. Call John Von Rentzell at 763-212-5000; e-mail jvonrentzell@carlson.com; go to http://www.carlson.com/. Headquarters: Plymouth, MN.
Dittman Incentive Marketing is a creative quality leader in the field of incentives, motivation, and performance improvement. The company was named by a leading publication as one of the five most innovative incentive companies in the U.S. An award-winning company with a 24-year history, Dittman has a proven track record as a creator of original, one-of-a-kind motivation and education programs targeted at end-users, distribution customers, direct salespeople, and nonsales employees, to achieve critical corporate goals. Call Jim Dittman at 732-745-0600; e-mail jdittman@dittmanincentives.com; go to http://www.dittmanincentives.com/. Headquarters: New Brunswick, NJ.
EGR International is a performance improvement and integrated marketing company serving Fortune 500 corporations and their performance improvement, loyalty management, meetings management and marketing communications efforts. For over 35 years, EGR has been recognized as one of the industry's most innovative and creative companies, pioneering the use of leading-edge technology to provide real-time benefits to both its clientele and program participants. A New York City based company, EGR maintains additional offices in Boston, Chicago and Tucson. Call Kristin Gazi at 212-949-7330 or email kgazi@egrinternational.com; go to http://www.egrinternational.com/. Headquarters: New York, NY.
The Incentive Group provides loyalty marketing programs that motivate employees, dealers, and consumers to win mind share and market share. Their new Web-based loyalty programs provide 24/7 access for enrollment, attainment claiming, point-balance checking, an exciting rewards catalog with sort features, reward ordering, and detail reports. Significant promotional and administrative cost savings are realized via the Web. Call Doug Press at 914-948-0904; e-mail dougpress@incentivegroup.com; go to http://www.incentivegroup.com/. Headquarters: White Plains, NY.
ITAGroup is a performance marketing company dedicated to helping clients boost market share, increase sales and profitability, improve employee performance, and increase customer satisfaction through the application of custom-designed marketing programs. Their primary business purpose is to assist clients in becoming more successful by motivating people to action to improve performance and achieve measurable results. Call Beth Schelske at 515-224-3470; e-mail bschelske@itagroup.com; go to http://www.itagroup.com/. Headquarters: West Des Moines, IA.
Madison Performance Group is a full service performance improvement company. Its people, process, tools and techniques are focused on the specific niche of web-based incentive programs. The principle of Madison’s customized solutions is to clearly align corporate objectives with the individual employee or channel partner’s priorities, desires and requirements. The results are often dramatic improvements in: sales, productivity, efficiency, knowledge sharing, training results, cost controls, customer service, retention and more. Call Mike Ryan at 210-934-4269; go to http://www.madisonpg.com. Headquarters: New York, NY
Maritz Performance Improvement Co. is part of Maritz, Inc., the world's largest source of integrated performance improvement, travel, and marketing research services, specializing in helping companies bring their strategies to life through their employees and channel partners. Call Mark Peterman at 636-827-1847; e-mail Mark.Peterman@maritz.com; go to http://www.maritz.com/. Headquarters: Fenton (St. Louis County), MO.
Marketing Innovators, Int'l. is a full-service people performance management company with over 25 years experience in the design and implementation of incentive programs. Our tools include performance tracking systems and analytics, gift certificates and gift cards, debit cards, group incentive travel, individual travel, merchandise awards, and various redemption options (online, phone, fax, mail and email). Call Rick Blabolil at 847-691-1111; e-mail rblabolil@marketinginnovators.com; or go to http://www.marketinginnovators.com/. Headquarters: Rosemont, IL.
MotivAction develops innovative, results-oriented marketing solutions that provide an exceptional experience for every program participant and maximize return on investment for our customers. We are an industry leader in performance improvement, relationship marketing, and travel incentives. MotivAction focuses on building marketing solutions unique to each audience segment. Our technology-based delivery systems allow clients to integrate all marketing programs, sometimes for several audience segments, within one common framework or enterprise-wide platform. Call Jeff Beegle at 763-525-5226; e-mail jbeegle@motivaction.com; or go to http://www.motivaction.com/. Headquarters: Minneapolis, MN.
Motivation Excellence, offers complete incentive design, travel and merchandise awards, communications, administration (including web-based) and ROI-oriented financial rationale. Their innovative, consultive development and implementation focuses on exceeding client expectations. Call Gregory A. Lewis at 847-839-5555; email glewis@meiweb.com; go to http://www.meiweb.com/. Headquarters: Schaumburg, IL.
USMotivation is one of the world’s leading people performance management companies. Working with organizations across all industries to motivate employees, customers and distributors, USMotivation’s programs increase bottom line results, recognize and retain talent, improve productivity and quality, advance sales channel performance, build loyalty, promote corporate goals, and more. Our business units cover each major aspect of performance improvement, incentive applications and fulfillment, including incentive & award systems, meetings & events, powerful interactive solutions, compelling communications, and promotional products & services. For more information, e-mail Alan Townsend, Director, at alant@usmotivation.com or visit http://www.usmotivation.com/.
