Case Study of the Week

Low Cost, Long Lasting Promotional Tool
Drives Sales for One Communications’ New Corporate Store

Challenge: How to maximize awareness—at minimal cost—of new company initiatives

If you’re looking for an inexpensive way to quickly generate awareness or drive sales over time for new programs and promotions, consider the story of One Communications. Patsy Keady, the firm’s marketing manager, needed an inexpensive way to let employees know about the company’s new internal retail store: where to find it, how to use it—and why they should.

Solution: Distribute a useful, branded promotional item to get—and keep—people talking

A paper memo or e-mail would be quickly forgotten; Patsy needed something long lasting, something people would keep around and see often. With that in mind, we created a promotional sticky note cube that would:

· Generate buzz immediately during distribution
· Communicate the where, how and why of using the store
· Be useful and therefore stay out on desks for some time to come
· Fit within a tight budget

Result: New store orders continue to pour in months after launch

The buzz is out! Patsy reported that the offices were abuzz with talk about the new service after the cube distribution. “Our employees were so excited about the store,” she said. “They kept asking me when it was going to open.” The buzz has stayed out as well: since launching the store in mid-February, orders for the company’s branded merchandise continue to pour in—and are expected to continue at a steady pace for the foreseeable future.

Why To Give Retirement Recognition Gifts

After many years of hard work, an employee's retirement is always bittersweet. You feel sad to see that employee leave, but you recognize that everything has its time and place. A considerate way to wish your former employee farewell is with a retirement gift. Watches, awards, and gift sets have long been favorites, but the options are ultimately limitless. As long as it fits your company's culture and your employee's taste, you can count on a positive experience that will be enjoyed by all involved.

Recognizing your employee's contributions will be appreciated deeply and help reinforce fond memories. It will end your business relationship on a positive note, and it will please your other employees to see their comrade sent off with such a fitting farewell. It's an excellent way to create a positive work environment, and you are sure to see happier and harder working employees.

Travel Reward Programs

Now more than ever, travel programs are becoming increasingly popular employee incentive gifts. To allow for your employees to enjoy an additional personalized experience, incorporating merchandise is the easiest way to make the most out of any travel rewards program. According to Incentive Magazine's 2006 travel survey, nearly 100% of readers who plan travel incentives include merchandise in their programs. While merchandise is used mostly for room gifts or to complement a program, 25% of planners also employ it to promote the incentive. Here are some great gift ideas that can enhance any travel rewards program :

Golf Accessories- The popularity of golf has been rising rapidly among both men and women in the past few years. At almost every high-end resort, one-on-one training and assessment programs are also becoming increasingly available. Gifts like imprinted golf club bags and personalized golf balls make great additions to any trip, and can be enjoyed by nearly everyone.

Electronics- Gifts such as customized iPods and handheld games are ideal particularly when visiting destinations that require long flights. Distributing these items ahead of time will ensure that your employees have something to keep them busy during their trip. More great electronic items include airline power adapters, which will keep your workers' laptops charged, and travel compasses for exotic vacations.

Leather Passport Holders- Particularly in light of revised United States regulations that require passports on return trips from the Caribbean, Mexico, and Canada, many companies are now distributing leather passport holders during the run of their incentive programs. Handing out these holders ahead of time not only reminds employees to strive for the reward, but also lets them know that if they really want to win the incentive, they need to get their travel documents in order.

Travel Bags- "We give our top clients a leather travel toiletries bag with a plastic bag inside that contains three regulation sized plastic bottles," says Jane Margulies, president of TEAM, a New Jersey based company. With new travel restrictions that allow only certain liquids and gels to be carried on airplanes, practical toiletry bags like these make excellent travel accompaniment gifts for every employee.

Case Study Of The Week

Challenge: To Gain Exposure
An employer in Ohio was struggling with the ever-increasing costs of providing healthcare benefits. As a relatively small employer, larger competitors were able to provide better insurance plans which were luring away his best employees. After some research, the employer opted to offer his employees a supplemental insurance policy that would help to cover dental expenses. The problem was that employees were not aware of the new option, and the employer wanted a way to remind his employees of the new insurance plan so that they would continue to work with him.

Solution: Raise Awareness
The employer decided that the best way to promote his new health care options was through promotional products. Promotional toothbrush covers were chosen because they fit with the dental health insurance policy.

Result: A Reason To Smile
The employer found the promotional product to be terrific exposure. The low price and practical nature of the product made it a great choice for the promotion, and the employer plans to use promotional products for his future publicity needs.

Why To Recognize A New Employee

Starting a new job can be extremely stressful. There are different bosses, co-workers, and expectations to adapt to. It can be overwhelming and frustrating, but a little compassion can make the transition a lot easier. That's where recognition gifts can really make a difference.

When you give a new hire a recognition gift, you are welcoming that employee to your company. Even though it may seem like a small gesture on your part, it means a lot for your new employee because you are making their introduction easier. Recognizing your employee from the very beginning is a smart choice because it starts your business relationship on a positive note. It makes your employee feel at home, and it teaches your new employee right away that your company rewards its workers. Ultimately, this will encourage your employee to work hard. The best part of this strategy is that your simple new hire gift will lay the groundwork for a strong and productive future.

Hot Month Incentive – Promotional Fans

With the heat and humidity increasing over the summer, your employees would love to receive something to keep them cool. Keeping this in mind, using fans to reward employees is a great way to keep your workers satisfied and promote your company at the same time. Lucky for your business, there are many options you have when it comes to choosing a promotional fan. Here are just a few:

Color. One of the great things about many promotional fans is that you can choose from different colors. Whether it's your company colors, or a bright translucent color to get your employees feeling energetic, colorful fans are an ideal promotional choice for the summer heat.

Themes. Many promotional fans also come with the options for differenth themes, such as sports. If you are in the sports industry, or you know your employees are sports fans, there are many fans that come with sports themes, such as football, baseball, and soccer. Your employees will truly feel rewarded when you give them something that shows that you care about their office productivity and their outside interests. What's more, certain hand-held fans can come in different shapes, which makes it fun and easy to find one to fit your company.

Novelty. Perhaps the most exciting thing about promotional fans are the choices you have when it comes to different features for your promotional fan. Your employees will love being rewarded with fans that mist or light up to reveal a promotional message, and would also enjoy fans that come with items like carabiners and flashlights.

Gift of the Week: The Decision Maker

Not all employee incentive gifts have to be serious ones. In fact, for your next reward program, consider distributing a fun item like this Decision Maker! Referred to as the "magic 8-ball of the 21st Century," this gift is sure to put a smile on any employee's face.

Similar to the classic magic 8-ball, this small toy features six standard answers including: "Sell," "No," "Try," "Yes," "Later," and "Buy." Simply ask a question, press the button, and dynamic blue lights will select the answer to whatever you're dying to know! Amusing and practical, the decision maker can be used as just a toy or can act as an entertaining paperweight too.

The best part about this product is that anytime your employees show it off to their friends, or a client notices it on their desk, everyone will see your logo displayed largely in the middle of it. This lets your customers know that, while your company definitely means business, you also know how to have fun!

Sometimes everyone can use a little break from their daily routine-help your employees take a minute to relax, and maybe even make good choices, with the Decision Maker!

Gift of The Week: Espresso Maker

When searching for a product to be used for your next employee reward or incentive program, a great way to go it is to look for a product that you would want for yourself. If you see a product that makes you think “I want one,” chances are your employees will like it as well. One of these great products is the Espresso Maker, an item that many employees will work hard to earn.

This sleek machine is good for the home or the office, as its compact size makes finding a place to put it easy. Any time your employee needs caffeine, they'll be able to use this quality and handsome looking espresso machine to give them the boost of energy. Not only does the gift include the machine itself, it also comes with two porcelain espresso mugs, also capable of being imprinted with your company name and logo. And your recipients won't have to worry about buying new filters – the one that comes with this espresso machine is re-usable and dishwasher safe.

Overall, this product will let your employees know that you really care about their achievements. And with a product like this dangling in front of their noses, they will be more likely to reach the high standards that you set for them. As an added bonus, once your employees have earned this useful product, they'll be able to provide themselves with the added energy to keep going!