Resource Library - Whitepapers

In today's economic environment, employers are struggling to find every advantage possible to thrive, grow or simply to stay in business. For most US based organizations payroll represents the largest expense. Advantages therefore, come first and foremost through better talent management.... [ read more ]

Employee surveys have the potential to help companies understand the relationship between human capital and the bottom line. Yet, if not managed carefully, surveys may fail to realize their potential as strategic organizational tools. Why? Because many organizations are successful in designing reasonable questionnaires, generating high participation rates and gathering a lot of good information. But where survey processes most commonly break down is in the “hand off” between a survey team, perhaps working with the assistance of an outside consultant, and line managers throughout the organization.... [ read more ]

“Research Has Clearly and Consistently Proved the Direct Link Between Employee Engagement, Customer Satisfaction and Revenue Growth.” ~ Harvard Business Review, 2000 If there ever was a true debate around the linkage between employee engagement and organizational success, that debate has long since ceased.... [ read more ]

‘Repeat business or behavior can be bribed. Loyalty has to be earned’ - Janet Robinson While Ms. Robinson may have been referring to brand loyalty or product loyalty as opposed to customer loyalty programs in the above quote, her words illustrate a very important concept. Incentive programs don’t start with built-in loyalty and customer buy-in. Without question, incentive programs need to generate loyalty – not only from senior management, but also from the customers they’re trying to entice. An effective program will excel for both management and customers when it is built with a foundation that provides a clear vision for success. In fact, many established programs have been assembled using five critical building blocks that inspire brand loyalty among customers. ... [ read more ]

There’s a reason for the old adage: “You can’t manage what you don’t measure.” Anyone who has ever tried to run a business knows that’s true. But it is also true that you can’t manage what you measure only once each year. When it comes to employee and customer engagement, most of us collect information through annual surveys, analyze the results, share them in a high-level report and perhaps devote part of an executive meeting to discuss the implications. Like performance reviews, this is usually done once a year – if at all. ... [ read more ]

This study, conducted by Prof. Frank Mulhern and Patricia Whalen of Northwestern University, identified a significant gap between the view of human resources and employees on the role of employees on delivering customer satisfaction, but found that companies with a close link between human resources and marketing outperform companies that don't.... [ read more ]

This study analyzed attempts by a dozen diverse companies to integrate their external and internal marketing practices.... [ read more ]

The Heisman Trophy is college football’s most prestigious award, and DeAngelo Williams is the first University of Memphis football player to be within reach of this coveted trophy. With such a high-level honor at stake, Jennifer Rodrigues, athletics media relations director, knew she had to create a buzz about Williams that was as big as the player’s Heisman dream.... [ read more ]

Presents an overview of the essential elements involved with performance improvement strategies. Breaking new ground, "people performance management" takes familiar disciplines and integrates them across functional lines to maximize results.... [ read more ]

While it is widely believed that employee attitudes and engagement directly influence customer experiences and customer spending behavior, there is little empirical evidence that has explicitly demonstrated this. This study, subtitled "An Empirical Analysis of the Relationship between Employee Attitudes, Customer Attitudes, and Customer Spending," combines results from an extensive survey of employees and customers at a hotel chain with the actual spending patterns of customers. Results show a direct, measurable relationship between the employee and customer perceptions of the hotel brand and customer spending behavior. ... [ read more ]

This paper introduces the discipline of "People Performance Management" as developed by the Forum for People Performance Management and Measurement, a unit of the Integrated Marketing Communications Department of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. People Performance Management refers to an integrated process designed to help firms maximize long-term financial performance through a strategic focus on their most valuable asset -- human capital.... [ read more ]

Compelling research links financial results and customer satisfaction to engaged employees and channel partners.... [ read more ]

Improving economic conditions, an impending skilled labor shortage, and the proven link between low turnover and profitability are forcing organizations to take a new look at employee retention. This paper suggests that sound retention strategies can not only head off a future problem, they can save money and improve sales today.... [ read more ]

There’s amusement to be had for all at a carnival. There are spinning, flashing rides, whimsical music and, of course, icy snow cones. These things came to mind when Lynne DuVivier, president of Westport, Connecticut-based The Creative Factor, Inc. (UPIC: CREATEIT) was approached by HBO to develop a campaign for its show, Carnivàle.... [ read more ]

This study, sponsored by the Incentive Research Foundation (IRF), looks at questioins that are rarely posed in relation to sales incentive programs: How do sales incentives affect procurement and cost of goods? Shipping? Cash flow? It suggests that developing an incentive program with a focus on sales growth alone, with no consideration for other business functions can produce 1) an adverse affect on cash flow, 2) a possible disruption in supplies, 3) extra shipping costs for ordered merchandise, and 4) a possible impact on customer quality. A "business process" approach, on the other hand, one that takes into account the impact on other business functions, "enables the planning and creation of the needed infrastructure and additional investments, where necessary, to support the results arising from the sales incentive program," the author says.... [ read more ]

A study designed to determine which aspects of selling respond to incentive travel and how that response can be measured. Researchers surveyed 1,800 subscribers of Meetings and Incentive Travel magazine and 3,000 members of the Canadian Automobile Dealers Association. To present an in-depth picture of incentive travel, and to provide a practical template for determining program ROI, the authors made a point of recording views of both the people who win the awards and those executives who allocate the money to fund them. ... [ read more ]

This study addresses the role of cash and noncash reward systems in corporations to provide a better means of determining when to use which type of award system.... [ read more ]

In 1999, the Incentive Federation requested that the Center for Concept Development conduct focus groups with incentive users in the New York, Los Angeles, Dallas, Chicago, and Atlanta areas.... [ read more ]

The Incentive Federation Inc. has commissioned a survey involving current users of merchandise and travel items for motivational applications. The Center for Concept Development (CCD) was asked to analyze the data collected in this survey and to prepare this report on the survey findings.... [ read more ]

The Incentive Federation Inc. has commissioned a survey involving current users of merchandise and travel items for motivational applications. The Center for Concept Development (CCD) was asked to analyze the data collected in this survey and to prepare this report on the survey findings.... [ read more ]

The Incentive Federation contracted with GfK, an international market research company, to develop and conduct a market sizing study of the U.S. marketplace for incentive travel and merchandise. Results showed that, overall, 34% of companies used either incentive travel or merchandise incentives in 2006, spending a total of $46.1 billion on incentive programs. Breaking down that total, the study finds that companies spent $13.4 billion on incentive travel and 32.7 billion on merchandise incentives. In addition, more than half of the study participants expect their future spending on incentive programs to increase.... [ read more ]

Determining the right mix of compensation, benefits, training, and rewards & recognition... [ read more ]

No doubt some people might dismiss Integrated Marketing as a passing fad, and who would view the burgeoning discipline of People Performance Management and Measurement (PPMM) as a buzz phrase or "flavor-of-the-month" marketing strategy.... [ read more ]

Promotional products can increase traffic to an exhibitor’s trade show booth. A 1991 study by Exhibit Surveys Inc., found that using promotional products can give you an advantage over other exhibitors for buyer attention.... [ read more ]

This paper explores the different types of consumer, dealer, and aftermarket incentives used in the automotive industry. It also looks at how advertising agencies view incentives. It examines traditional incentive strategies and concludes with advice on program implementation.... [ read more ]