Resource Library

The Marketing Agencies Association (MAA) provides members, primarily executives at promotion marketing agencies, with professional support, management development, research, and a forum for the exchange of ideas. The MAA website also provides a search function for marketers looking for a professional marketing agency.... [ read more ]

Measurement is a key element in any performance improvement effort and particularly to the development of any incentive or recognition plan. The intent of this paper, published in October 2010, is twofold: First, it updates a performance measurement methodology originally published in 1992 called the “Master Measurement Model of Employee Performance”; second, it addresses how to measure the short and long-term impact and ROI of incentive and recognition plans. This paper is targeted primarily at professionals who design incentive and reward programs, whether they are organizational staff or external consultants, as well as for those that support and implement the programs, whether they conduct training, deliver the rewards and incentives themselves, or manage the programs. ... [ read more ]

This report presents a series of cases involving companies that implemented sales incentive programs. It makes a case for the use of post-hoc or post-program measurement of ROI to demonstrate the impact of the programs on sales performance.... [ read more ]

Meeting Professionals International (MPI) the world's largest association of meeting planners, and meeting-industry suppliers, makes articles, books, and other research materials available through the MPI Resource Center. The resource center serves as a clearinghouse of information related to the meetings industry, and for a fee, depending on the nature of the research. MPI can offer information and articles on meeting planning companies, or rent lists of MPI members who provide professional meeting planning services. MPI publishes a monthly magazine, The Meeting Professional. MPI's publishing lineup also includes an annual membership directory that capsulizes late-breaking industry news. MPI has five special-interest groups, including one dedicated to sales and marketing. MPI maintains a "special interest group" for independent meeting planning companies. This group is currently the organization's fastest growing membership segment. MPI also publishes a monthly magazine, The Meeting Manager, which members receive free. MPI operates an online communications system, MPINet through CompuServe, which, as a networking and information resource for meeting planners and suppliers, allows meeting professionals to communicate with each other in a "private forum.” ... [ read more ]

A study on employee motivation and performance in the hospitality industry that looks at strategies for reducing employee turnover. ... [ read more ]

National City Bank’s Bravo! recognition program was designed to motivate 12,000 customer service representatives and customer service leaders to generate a 25% increase in referral volume.... [ read more ]

Federal legislators in 2002 enacted the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX), which was designed to improve the accountability of corporate managers to shareholders and to improve public confidence in publicly traded companies. This white paper is an outline of the potential impact of SOX on the use of performance improvement and incentive programs. ... [ read more ]

This white paper discusses the range of "zero-based performance improvement strategies" that can be developed with the help of full-service incentive and performance improvement companies. It also includes contact information on members of the Incentive Marketing Association's Performance Improvement Council, made up of a dozen organizations dedicated to offering companies solutions-based incentive and performance improvement programs.... [ read more ]

This paper summarizes two basic ROI measurement methodologies using case studies from companies that have implemented measurable sales incentive programs in the past, and offers insights into understanding the data requirements relative to these two methodologies. It explains that Post-Hoc Measurement is essentially the use of field experimentation using historical data, while Outcome-Based Measures considers such areas as accounts receivable and inventory levels that can be affected by sales improvements.... [ read more ]

PROMAX/BDA is a nonprofit, member-owned association of over 2,000 companies and individuals in 43 countries. Members are promotion and marketing professionals in the electronic media. The association's mission is to advance the role of electronic media in increasing the effectiveness of promotion and marketing within the industry, related industries, and the academic community. Membership includes a weekly promotion and marketing newsletter and Image Magazine, published once a year, which features members and their ideas about concepts and opportunities on building businesses in the promotion and marketing industries. Benefits of membership also include a member directory, and discounts on events and videotapes.... [ read more ]

Marketers need not rely on their salespeople to elicit new leads for business. Existing customers are a gold mine for getting referrals—when they are asked! Through direct mail offers of promotional product incentives, marketers can leverage customer satisfaction and secure more valuable referrals. These findings are from a 2005 customer "referencing" study done by an advertising faculty at Louisiana State University and Glenrich Business Studies. *... [ read more ]

The Promotional Products Association International (PPAI) is the promotional product industry’s only international not-for-profit trade association. It offers education, trade shows, business products and services, mentoring, technology and legislative support to its more than 7,500 global member companies. Promotional products are an $18 billion industry, and include wearables, writing instruments, calendars, drinkware and many other items, usually imprinted with a company’s name, logo or message. Since its founding in 1903, PPAI has worked to expand the market, establish standards, enhance the professionalism of the industry and support the growth of member companies. ... [ read more ]

An experiment conducted by Georgia Southern University shows that recipients of promotional products have a significantly more positive image of a company than consumers who do not receive promotional products.... [ read more ]

Once again we see statistically how well promotional products can help market business, thanks to a 2004 study by L.J. Market Research.... [ read more ]

Many traditional forms of advertising and promotion are losing ground to newer media. This trend presents opportunities for the promotional products medium. However, very little research exists documenting the effectiveness of promotional products when compared to and combined with other traditional forms of advertising such as television and print.... [ read more ]

Many traditional forms of advertising and promotion are losing ground to newer media. This trend presents opportunities for the promotional products medium. However, very little research exists documenting the effectiveness of promotional products when compared to and combined with other traditional forms of advertising such as television and print.... [ read more ]

Gift cards have become an important corporate tool for reward and recognition. This paper looks at the growing use of gift cards and how to add to the "trophy value" of gift cards via communication, customization, and presentation.... [ read more ]

Recognition Professionals International (RPI) is the new name of the National Association For Employee Recognition (NAER.) Recognition Professionals International (RPI) is the only professional association at the forefront of workforce recognition through its sole focus on recognition innovations and education as a systematic method for improvements in the workplace. RPI is endorsed by top authorities in the industry, has an impressive membership of Fortune 500 organizations and is the only association offering Certified Recognition Professional (CRP) courses.... [ 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 ]

In the world of talent management, social networks have been used successfully in knowledge sharing, the identification of skills and construction of teams, in recruiting, onboarding and certainly learning. “Social Recognition,” which uses software to enable people to recognize one another, is a relatively new entrant in the pantheon of talent management technology. Yet it draws on practices from some of the world’s most popular internet applications. In connecting peers to peers, and in this case, employees to employees and employees to customers, partners, suppliers and others (the extended enterprise) it opens another dimension in recognition that has the potential to generate powerful cultural evolution within remarkably short timeframes. In others words, social recognition software can be transformative. It can fill a recognition gap quickly and it can extend recognition beyond the organization to help engage customers and other constituents.... [ read more ]

The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) is the world’s largest professional association devoted to human resource management. Our mission is to serve the needs of HR professionals by providing the most current and comprehensive resources, and to advance the profession by promoting HR’s essential, strategic role. Founded in 1948, SHRM represents more than 225,000 individual members in over 125 countries, and has a network of more than 575 affiliated chapters in the United States, as well as offices in China and India. ... [ read more ]

Founded in 1973, SITE is the only international, not-for-profit, professional association devoted to the pursuit of excellence in incentives, a multi-billion dollar global industry. Society of Incentive & Travel Executives (SITE) provides educational seminars and information services to those who design, develop, promote, sell, administer, and operate motivational programs as an incentive to increase productivity in business. Currently SITE has over 2,100 members in 87 countries, with 35 local and regional chapters. Members represent corporate executives, incentive companies, destination management companies, travel & event planners, official tourist organizations, transportation companies, hotels and resorts, cruise lines, trade publications, and supporting organizations such as restaurants and visitors attractions. ... [ read more ]

Sovereign Bank realized that it needed to streamline its customer referral process and provide its almost 11,350 Team Members at nearly 750 community banking offices with a compelling reason to increase their referral activity.... [ read more ]

The Incentive Research Foundation (IRF) surveyed industry professionals during the month of April 2010, asking them about incentive travel programs, merchandise/non-cash programs, and ROI/budget considerations. The most promising data show that respondents appear to be more optimistic about the current economic climate than they were in either the Summer or Fall of last year. When asked, "In your opinion, what impact will the economy have on your ability to plan and implement incentive travel programs?" 69% say it will have a positive impact vs. only 33% in the Fall of 2009 and just 24% in the Summer of 2009. Similarly, those who say the economy will have a positive impact on merchandise/non-cash incentive programs increased from 20% (Summer '09) and 26% (Fall '09) to 41% currently. Still, one-third of those surveyed predict that budgets for incentive travel will decrease this year, while 37% say they'll remain unchanged. Things were a little better on the merchandise/non-cash side, where only 22% expect a decline (down from 51%), while 40% predict an increase and 37% say they see no change in budgets. This indicates that although there's an uptick in optimism about the economy in general, it may not translate into more money for programs – at least not in the near term. ... [ read more ]

The federal income tax considerations for incentive programs are often overlooked. While it is difficult to give technical tax advice that would apply equally to all incentive programs, following certain general income tax principles can make an incentive program more successful and avoid unpleasant surprises.... [ read more ]