Rewards & Recognition (March 2011)

Second Annual EEA Conference & Expo Scheduled for June 1-2, 2011.
Dittman Garners MarCom Awards.
NGC Offering Bulk Groupon Gift Cards and eCodes.
RPI Offers Certification Programs, Webinar.
Engagement Event Returns $2 for Every Dollar Spent.
Authenticity, Tree-Pruning and the 'Wisdom of Crowds'.
Gift Card Landscape Has Shifted, Bringing New Vistas, Values.
White Paper Links Social Media and Performance.
About Selling Communications Inc.

News Briefs

Second Annual EEA Conference & Expo Scheduled for June 1-2, 2011

If you were at last year's Enterprise Engagement Alliance Networking Conference and Expo, you know it drew rave reviews for the level of serious business discussion and learning that went on over the two-day period. So be sure to mark your calendar for this year's second annual event, scheduled for June 1-2. Who will be there? Marketing, promotion and incentive companies seeking new growth markets and innovative solutions to bring to their clients; corporate practitioners seeking new strategies and resources to improve performance and advance their professional careers; professionals who wish to become certificated as engagement practitioners and participate in the EEA's Speakers Bureau program. This is your chance to be a part of the growing field of Enterprise Engagement, a unique, two-day opportunity for suppliers and consumers of engagement products and services to learn specifically how they can profit from this new business opportunity. Conference attendees will have the opportunity to meet suppliers covering all of the critical issues of engagement, including: Leadership, Training, Communications, Rewards & Recognition, Engagement Surveys and Polls, Consumer Loyalty Programs, Measurement and Incentive Programs.

● Go to www.eeaexpo.org for more information

Canon

Dittman Garners MarCom Awards

Dittman Incentive Marketing was twice recognized by the MarCom Awards, an international competition for marketing and communication professionals involved in the concept, writing, and design of marketing and communication programs and print, visual and audio materials. Dittman has won a total of 21 MarCom Awards over the past six years. This year it won the MarCom Gold Award for a retail sales contest for Montblanc entitled Time to Drive Success. Dittman also received the MarCom Platinum Award for its white paper, "Social Behavior Engages Motivation 3.0: How attributes of Social Media are changing corporate performance systems and re-inventing trust."

●For more details, go to www.dittmanincentives.com

NGC Offering Bulk Groupon Gift Cards and eCodes

National Gift Card is now offering its customers Groupon Gift Cards that are valid for immediate use on any Groupon deal. Cardholders simply create a free account at www.groupon.com, and start exploring daily deals on the best stuff to do, see, eat, and buy in any of Groupon's more than 300 worldwide cities. Or they can use their gift card toward a huge discount at a major national retailer. Groupon Gift Cards and eCodes are available in $25 and $50 denominations with no minimum orders. Other denominations are available with a minimum of $1,000 per order. Discounts are available on bulk purchases.

● Go to www.ngc-group.com/

Nikon

RPI Offers Certification Programs, Webinar

Become a Certified Recognition Professional through Recognition Professionals International's CRP program, to be held March 29-31 at Rideau Recognition Solutions in Montreal, Canada, and also at the RPI Annual Conference in San Antonio. For more information on schedules, content, presenters and fees, go to http://recognition.org/cde.cfm?event=341932.

CRP Courses will also be offered at the RPI Annual Conference in San Antonio, TX, on the following days:

Saturday, April 30 – CRP II (Strategic Planning & Measurement)
Sunday, May 1 – CRP III (Recognition Management & Maintenance)
Wednesday, May 4 – CRP IV (Applying Recognition Systems)

For full Conference info, click here.

Finally, you can download a free webinar entitled "Key Components of a Recognition Program," sponsored by RPI and presented by Kevin Cronin, Executive VP Client Strategy for Rideau Recognition Solutions, and Melissa Minkow, Manager of Special Projects at Errand Solutions. Cronin and Minkow explain the key components of a recognition program, including recognition from a strategic perspective; measuring results; communicating the recognition plan; and a review of the Seven Best Practice Standards. Click here to open the webinar tool with PowerPoint slides and audio.

FutureShow

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Insights from ESM Rewards & Recognition e-News

Engagement Event Returns $2 for Every Dollar Spent

The Enterprise Engagement Alliance (EEA) recently announced that research measuring the return on investment (ROI) of an annual meeting of healthcare insurance brokers that stressed training, relationship-building and networking opportunities found the sponsoring company enjoyed a return of almost $2 for every $1 invested in the program. Initial results reported in March revealed that the program had a profound impact on the way brokers thought and felt about the company, its products and its people. Part 1 of the report, The 'ROI in Channel Partner' Conferences – A Case Study, noted that the annual gathering translated into higher sales, performance and engagement among those who attended. Part 2 of the report examines the actual change in sales of Allsante, Inc.* products among program participants, summarizing the ROI the company achieved from the event. EEA analysis of the methodologies and findings reveals that Allsante earned significant ROI from its annual event. "After all variables were accounted for, a highly credible and conservative estimate of 190% ROI was arrived at," says Allan Schweyer, Chairman of the EEA. "In other words, the company enjoyed a return of almost $2 for every $1 it invested in the first six months following the event, and our researchers say it's likely that the returns, if calculated after another six months have passed, will be even greater." Parts 1 and 2 of the study, The 'ROI in Channel Partner' Conferences – A Case Study, can be downloaded at www.enterpriseengagement.org

* The company in this report is referred to as "Allsante, Inc." at the firm's request, due to competitive reasons.

Advertise here!

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In the Next Issue of Engagement Strategies Magazine

The March/April issue of Engagement Strategies Magazine is in the mail! Here's a look at what you'll find inside:

Authenticity, Tree-Pruning and the 'Wisdom of Crowds'

In a revealing Q&A with ESM's editors, author and motivation guru Derek Irvine talks about how building a culture of recognition offers the most direct path to engagement. To make sure you get your copy of Engagement Strategies Magazine, update your subscription today!

Gift Card Landscape Has Shifted, Bringing New Vistas, Values

Four industry experts discuss how recent changes in the marketplace are affecting the use of gift cards as a motivational tool. Read more >>

Enterprise Engagement Alliance

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News From Selling Communications Inc.

White Paper Links Social Media and Performance

A new White Paper, How Social Media is Changing Corporate Performance, discusses how lessons learned from Social Media are helping corporate employee-engagement experts capitalize on the momentum in self-motivated, peer-driven participation. Corporate recognition, rewards and incentive programs for employees are actually the unsung pioneers of the kind of 'social points' activity like we see in Social Media games like Farmville and others. By leveraging the power of online systems, corporations can provide a familiar social environment similar to those in which people have already chosen to engage during their own time. You can bring the power of Social Behaviors to your employees by offering intrinsic/extrinsic motivation rewards and recognition programs. Peer-to-Peer awards let people recognize each other. Team-based activities allow for relationship-building and trust. Wellness programs show that you care about employees' health challenges and that you want to help through education and online tools. Open 'suggestion programs' accelerate innovation by creating a meritocracy. To view the full report, go to www.dittmanincentives.com

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About Selling Communications Inc.

Selling Communications, Inc. is a fully integrated, target marketing, media and technology agency that improves results for clients by focusing on the people who matter most. We can help your business grow and save you money by targeting key prospects, getting their permission and strategically integrating your marketing and sales communications with the specific audiences most likely to affect your business performance.

Take advantage of these SCI services to improve your business development: