Whitepapers

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.

Published by: Incentive Gift Card Council of the Incentive Marketing Association

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.

Published by: Incentive Performance Center

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.

Published by: National Association for Employee Recognition

Section 274(j) of the Internal Revenue Code contains specific rules on the tax treatment of “employee achievement awards.” As a general rule, the employer cannot deduct employee achievement awards, unless they meet certain criteria.

Published by: National Association for Employee Recognition

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.

Published by: Forum for People Performance Management and Measurement

This paper discusses four psychological processes that can be categorized as items that directly affect the perceived value of an incentive or recognition award. In particular it looks at factors that increase the perceived value of earning the award because the awards are earned rather than purchased.

Published by: Incentive Research Foundation

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.

Published by: Forum for People Performance Management and Measurement

Compelling research links financial results and customer satisfaction to engaged employees and channel partners.

Published by: Forum for People Performance Management and Measurement

The cost of employee disengagement to U.S. companies in terms of lost productivity, accidents, theft, and turnover is estimated to be as much as $350 billion per year. Disengaged workers are often absent (even when they are at work), disconnected, and often pessimistic about change and new ideas. They have high rates of absenteeism and tend to negatively influence those around them. Engaged workers, on the other hand, are significantly more productive, interact more positively with other employees and new hires, and are much more likely when they interact with customers to create relationships that generate loyalty and increased business. This white paper looks at the best measures available for building engagement among employees along with looking at the ROI for investing in those measures as a way for managers to demonstrate the economics of engagement to top executives.

Published by: Human Capital Institute

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.

Published by: - Performance Improvement Council of the Incentive Marketing Association -

This study, a follow up by Prof. James Oakley, identified key internal levers that affect employee satisfaction and, more importantly, the level of engagement.

Published by: The Forum for People Performance Management and Measurement

This study, conducted by Frank Mulhern on behalf of the Promotion Marketing Association with the support of the Forum, identified key challenges facing organizations attempting to fully integrate external and internal marketing.

Published by: The PMA/Northwestern University

Engagement Event Returns $2 for Every Dollar Spent <br/> 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. Parts 1 and 2 of the study, The 'ROI in Channel Partner' Conferences – A Case Study, can be downloaded here.

Published by:

This white paper highlights four key areas that impact organizational adoption of integrated marketing and motivate employees to think about and cooperate with integrated marketing efforts beyond their functional silos.

Published by: Forum for People Performance Management and Measurement

This paper looks at the types and applications of gift cards and gift certificates and reviews the research that points to the efficacy of gift certificates and cards in achieving business results. Gift certificates and cards have been shown to increase sales, improve employee performance and build loyalty, foster teamwork, and create new markets, among others.

Published by: Incentive Gift Card Council of the Incentive Marketing Association

Subtitled "Linking Recognition to Improved Job Performance and Increased Business Value - The Current State and Future Needs," this study, cosponsored by the Human Capital Institute, the Forum for People Performance Management and Measurement, and the Incentive Research Foundation, synthesizes recent research by analyzing case studies of successful recognition programs and recommending further investigation into workplace recognition. Recognition's value is demonstrated by recent studies that show a high correlation between recognition and improved employee engagement, which in turn improves job performance and captures business value. It also finds that organizations that actively improve employee engagement through recognition financially outperform their competitors.

Published by: Incentive Research Foundation, Human Capital Institute, Forum for People Performance Management and Measurement

Each year in the United States, organizations spend tens of billions of dollars on cash and non-cash rewards for consumer, distributor, sales and employee incentive programs –merchandise, gift cards, group and individual travel programs, time off, cash, etc. But few organizations invest the necessary time to understand which rewards should be used for which people to encourage what outcomes

Published by:

Historically, incentive programs, unlike other sales and marketing strategies, have endured economic downturns. In fact, according to a review of past Incentive Federation and industry studies, the incentive industry managed to grow following the recessions that occurred in the late 1980s, after September 11, 2001, and during the downturn of the late 1990s, following the dot-com collapse. In fact, there is no evidence that the industry suffered serious declines following the recession in the late 1970s/early 1980s, and the industry continued to prosper even during the Great Depression when the industry’s trade magazine at the time, Premium Practice, was filled with advertising pages.

Published by: Incentive Performance Center

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.

Published by: Forum for People Performance Management and Measurement

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.

Published by: Forum for People Performance Management and Measurement

With the increase of postal rates over the past several years and dwindling advertising and promotional budgets, many companies are tempted to reduce or eliminate investments into pre-show mailings with promotional products in tradeshow settings. Is this a wise choice? The results of a 2004 study by Georgia Southern University indicates the answer is NO.

Published by: Promotional Products Association International

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

Published by: The Forum for People Performance Management and Measurement

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

Published by: Northwestern University

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. *

Published by: Promotional Products Association International

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.

Published by: Promotional Products Association International