Rewards & Recognition (November 2009)

• EEA Announces 2010 Networking Expo
• Don't Miss This Important Webinar on Engagement Research!
• Innovative Products Win People's Choice Awards
• Groupe Aeroplan to Acquire Carlson Marketing
• Industry Insider...
• The State of the Industry
• Electronics: Get Wired!
• Ammunition: What Does the Latest Research Reveal?
• The Architecture of Competition
• Whitepaper Connects Engagement with Economic Recovery
• About Selling Communications Inc.

News Briefs

EEA Announces 2010 Networking Expo

The Enterprise Engagement Alliance will hold its first annual EEA Networking Expo at the Doral Arrowwood Hotel Conference Center in Rye Brook, NY, June 3-5, 2010. The event is designed to help organizations profit from engaging their key audiences and engineer new ways to use rewards and recognition to drive performance. A slate of interactive education sessions will enable attendees to share the latest and most effective policies, procedures, strategies and tactics in the field of engagement, offering unique, actionable ideas and information they can use to boost performance and profitability, and build relationships with all key audiences. Exhibitors representing the top products, programs and performance-improvement companies will be available during eight hours of dedicated exhibit time, as well as at other networking events and activities during the EEA Networking Expo, to share their extensive expertise with attendees. The Doral Arrowwood is convenient to all major metropolitan areas in the Boston/NYC/Philadelphia/Washington, DC corridor, located only 10 minutes from Westchester Country Airport and 40 minutes from New York's LaGuardia airport. More information about the Enterprise Engagement Alliance Networking Expo >>
 

Don't Miss This Important Webinar on Engagement Research!

On Tuesday, February 9, the Enterprise Engagement Alliance and the Human Capital Institute will sponsor a webinar entitled "Return on Value by Engaging Talent: What Leaders Can Do," presented by Rodger Stotz, Chief Research Officer of the Incentive Research Foundation, and James Dittman, President of Dittman Incentive Marketing. The webcast will focus on a research report highlighting the economic reasons to engage talent, discussing what leaders can do to create value from talent engagement. You'll hear examples of leaders and organizations that excel at engagement and gain insight to achieving high levels of engagement in your own organization. (Exact time of the Webinar to be set shortly) Register now >>

Innovative Products Win People's Choice Awards

Three innovative products earned People's Choice Awards at the recent Motivation Show in Chicago. The products were selected by votes from show attendees who viewed more than 50 items on display in the Innovative Products Gallery. The winners are:

• EarthGear – Heys USA BioCase. Made of 100% polycarbonate – nearly indestructible to protect belongings inside – the BioCase features an exclusive biometric security system that stores up to eight fingerprints.
   
• EarthGear - Swany Walkin' Bag. Designed to replace bulky briefcases and shoulder bags, its durable nylon material and built-in, retractable pull-out seat holds up to 300 pounds, and the bag is fully compliant with airline regulations.
   
• Incentive Concepts - Oreck Halo. The only vacuum in the world that kills germs, viruses, bacteria and dust mite eggs with UV-C light and without chemicals, the Halo features a unique HEPA 13 filter bag and on-board attachments.

Groupe Aeroplan to Acquire Carlson Marketing

International loyalty management corporation Groupe Aeroplan Inc., headquartered in Montreal, recently announced that it would acquire U.S.-based Carlson Marketing from Carlson Companies Inc. at a purchase price of $175.3 million USD. The deal is expected to close in December 2009. Carlson Marketing is recognized for leading-edge loyalty marketing services, engagement and events management. It also has strong client relationships with leading brands in the financial services, automotive, high tech, consumer packaged goods and pharmaceutical industries. Groupe Aeroplan is a major player in the international loyalty management marketplace. It owns Aeroplan, the leading loyalty program in Canada, and Nectar, a coalition loyalty program in the U.K. It also operates programs in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Bahrain. Current plans are for Groupe Aeroplane and Carlson Marketing to continue to run separately and independently – with no planned staff reductions or relocations. President and CEO Jeff Balagna will continue to head the Carlson Marketing management team. Says Balagna: "We look forward to joining forces with Groupe Aeroplan and significantly strengthening the scope of our loyalty marketing, program management and engagement and event offerings for customers, employees and business channels. Together we become the world's leading loyalty management provider, able to offer a vastly expanded network of loyalty marketing capabilities."

Industry Insider...

A new gift card program from Maui Jim allows companies to show their appreciation to valued customers and top employees by being able to select from any of the company's world-class sunglasses online at www.mauijim.com. Card amounts are available in $25 increments and recipients can select their own style, frame and lens color. For more info, call 1-800-614-6790....Paramax has announced the addition of the Amazon.com Gift Codes on Demand solution as a new award option to its Awards Marketplace technology. Amazon.com Gift Card claim codes are delivered immediately to the recipient through Paramax's Awards Marketplace and can be used towards millions of items in over 40 product categories on Amazon.com. For more information, go to www.paramax.com....Joe Romeo in Canon USA's Special Account Sales Division recently received an award for Outstanding Performance/Top Salesman for the Year of 2008 in the Special Account Sales Division. The award was presented at Canon's National Sales Meeting in Melville, NY....Hinda Incentives recently honored two key partners with its 2009 Golden Carrot Award during a special presentation at The Motivation Show in Chicago. Sharp Electronics and Apple were selected as this year's winners by demonstrating a solid commitment to providing innovation, service and cutting-edge products to the multi-billion incentive market....Meredith Partnership Marketing and GiftCard Partners, Inc. recently announced the introduction of GiftCard Partners Bonus Plus, a new suite of B2B gift cards featuring Meredith brands. The first two products on the market include a Subway gift card with a 1-year subscription to Fitness magazine and a CVS/pharmacy gift card with a 1-year subscription to your choice of Meredith magazines, including Better Home and Gardens, Family Circle and Parents. Additional Bonus Plus cards will roll out in the next several months.

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Insights From ESM Rewards & Recognition e-News

The State of the Industry

As part of our effort to re-brand and re-focus the "Motivation Industry" under the broader umbrella of Engagement in all its various forms and functions, Engagement Strategies Magazine is proud to present a special "e-book" issue on The State of the Industry.

Click this link to download and view this ESM special report and read what key players in the Engagement industry have to say about this comprehensive corporate philosophy that will transform the relationship between companies, employees and customers, ushering in a new era of productivity and profitability. ESM is the official publication of the Enterprise Engagement Alliance, a coalition of companies and associations dedicated to the idea that engagement is an enterprise-wide endeavor that "begins with people and ends with profitability" The EEA's primary mission is to research and promote the importance of engaging people in business, including customers, employees, channel partners and managers.

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In the Next Issue of Engagement Strategies Magazine

The Fall issue of Engagement Strategies Magazine is scheduled to mail this week. Here's a preview of what you'll find inside:

Electronics: Get Wired!

Year after year, electronics remain some of the most sought after incentive products. From televisions to touch-screen GPS units, digital cameras to cellular phones and MP3 players to wireless reading devices, if you're looking for a means to motivate employees or customers, it seems you can't go wrong if your incentive program includes electronic options. Perhaps their popularity can be attributed to the fact that electronics have infiltrated every nook and cranny of our everyday lives. According to data from the Consumer Electronics Association, the average American household owns 23 consumer electronic products and spent a total of $1,229 on electronics purchases in the past year. Adults reported personally spending an average of $725 on consumer electronic products in the past 12 months. Read about the latest electronics gear >>
 

Ammunition: What Does the Latest Research Reveal?

In our annual overview of recent studies on recognition, motivation and engagement, we look at the latest research from the Human Capital Institute, the Incentive Research Foundation, the Forum for People Performance Management & Measurement, Aberdeen Group, TMP worldwide, Hay Group and Watson Wyatt. Find out how people are driving performance and profits >>
 

The Architecture of Competition

Don Peppers says he came to understand the need for both employee and customer engagement through his work in marketing – particularly his study of marketing technology – over the last decade and a half. "The whole one-to-one marketing concept is based on technology," explains Peppers, co-founder with Martha Rogers of Peppers & Rogers Group and 1to1 Media and co-author of the recent book, Rules to Break and Laws to Follow. "It's concerned with the fact that interactive, database and computer technology were making it more possible for companies to talk to customers one at a time, customize products and services for them and hear back from them, as opposed to simply talking at them through mass media. There's a whole architecture of competition now built around this sort of interactive relationship with customers. But at its core, it's driven by technology." Read more of the Fall cover story in Engagement Strategies Magazine >>

Make sure you get your print copy >>  

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News From Selling Communications Inc.

Whitepaper Connects Engagement with Economic Recovery

One of the greatest opportunities to increase corporate profits – and subsequently boost the economy – lies in motivating workforces to improve performance, drive greater customer engagement and ultimately increase revenue, according to a new report from the Enterprise Engagement Alliance (EEA) and the Human Capital Institute (HCI). The Enterprise Engagement Alliance is a coalition of companies and associations dedicated to promoting the importance of engagement, founded  last year by the Human Capital Institute, Peppers & Rogers Group, 1to1® Media and Selling Communications, Inc.

Entitled The Economics of Engagement, the report provides a comprehensive analysis of research in the field of Enterprise Engagement and offers how-to information on benchmarking tools that can quantitatively measure the benefits of employee and customer engagement. These measurement tools are critical to demonstrate the bottom-line impact of enterprise engagement, both to corporations and to the economy as a whole, using financial language that senior executives, investors and economists are accustomed to. Get a copy of the report >>

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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:

• Results Marketing Agency Solutions: Identify and get permission to communicate with the people who matter most through an integrated program rooted in permission-driven databases, direct mail, e-mail, Web sites, brochures, newsletters, public relations and sophisticated telephone sales that produce results. Go beyond the traditional sales and marketing approach by providing useful information and resources to build better, more measurable relationships.
   
• Target media: Build your brand and bring it directly to your power buyers through our stable of established niche print and online magazines in the sales, marketing and meetings fields (including this newsletter).
   
• Integrated Communications Technology: Build permission-based databases through Solata software to effectively communicate with the people who want to hear from you and precisely track the results in real time. Solata is also available to other media companies and marketing agencies seeking to profit from integrated, permission-based marketing and communications.

For more information on Selling Communications, its products and services, contact Jim Kilmetis at 914-591-7600, ext. 229 or send an e-mail to .

Tapping new customers, and keeping those you already have, costs less than you'd imagine...

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