BR_1110_webversion

w w w. b r i l l i a n t p u b l i s h i n g . c o mNovember | 2010$10.00

TM

page 8

page 12

Social Media

instant access!

15 Trend

Tips

Wendy Wagner

Performance Plus Marketing LLC

A S I : 9 5 2 8 0 | S A G E : 5 7 5 9 0 | P PA I : 1 1 4 1 5 4

Ca lendars | G r e e t i n g C a r d s | F o l d e r s | F r a m e s & M o r e

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features:8 Social Media - Instant Access

departments:6 publisher’s letter

7 contributors: who’s who in the industry

12 trend watch: 15 trend tips

18 technology: click and you shall receive

20 branding: cross channel branding

22 visionary: capitalizing on apps

26 marketing: promotional marketing power

27 travel: to high tech or not to high tech

30 incentives: new trends

32 exhibit: quantity vs quality

34 stayingsharp:emotionalfireworks

33 ad index

18

32

8

Vol. 7, No. 11 2010

Wendy Wagner


(Pictured on cover)

4 Brilliant Results | November 2010

Vol. 7, No. 11 2010

Are you CoNNeCted? do you have your social strategy

mapped out? In this issue of Brilliant results we focus on Social Media,

which is certainly one of the biggest trends this year. We have included

some brilliant articles that will get you thinking and planning your next

successful promotions and brand building campaigns. one take away not to

be overlooked…focus your use of social media on what it does best -- which

is connecting individuals in ways that the physical reality of daily life would

not allow. yes, of course these connections are not replacements for face-

to-face meetings, clever messaging, bold leadership, or smart strategy. And

yes, collecting a million twitter followers and Facebook “friends” is not the

same thing as actually altering power structures on a significant issue.

However, massive social transformations always start with small ripples

that, over time, can change the main direction of the tide itself. When

Gutenberg invented the printing press, it didn't automatically and inevitably

lead to the Protestant reformation. But Martin Luther's message was unlikely

to have reached such a widespread audience if the european population

hadn't been made literate by the spread of printed books.

these days, a single company branding effort isn't enough. the world

wants to hear what you have to say, if you aren't building your own brand

in the social media arena and vigilantly trend watching, your company

will suffer. If you want your company to succeed in this brave new world,

become an expert in your field, watch for trends that could be developed

into new products or services, claim a website under your own domain

name, connect with the media both print and digital, and build relationships

with your audience using the ever expanding opportunities presented by

innovative technologies.

publisher’s letter

Brilliant Publishing LLC9034 Joyce Lane

Hummelstown, PA 17036Ph: 717.571.9233Fax: 717.566.5431

PUBLISHER / ADVERTISINGMaureen Williams

[email protected]

717-608-5869

EDITORIALEditor in ChiefMaryAnne Morrill

Senior EditorMichelle Donofry

Style EditorCharity Plata

Asst. EditorMolly Anika

CONTRIBUTING WRITERSMichael Merrick Crooks,

Reinier Evers, Barton Goldsmith, Ph.D., Arnold Light, CTC, Martin Lindstrom,

Barry Siskind, Dr. Peter Tarlow, Steve Woodburn MAS,

PRODUCTION / DESIGNArt DirectorJeremy Tingle

Brilliant Results is published monthly by Brilliant Publishing LLC,

9034 Joyce Lane Hummelstown PA 17036 (717) 608-5869; Fax#

(717) 566-5431. Postage paid at Michigan City, IN and additional

offices. POSTMASTER please send address changes to Brilliant

Results, 9034 Joyce Lane, Hummelstown PA 17036. Volume 7.

Number 11. Brilliant Results subscription rates: one-year $120;

Canadian $160 USD; one-year foreign $225 USD. All subscriptions

are non-refundable. Copyright © 2010 Brilliant Publishing LLC. All

rights reserved. The publisher reserves the right to accept or reject

any advertising or editorial material. Advertisers, and/or their agents,

assume the responsibility for any claims against the publisher based

on the advertisement. Editorial contributors assume responsibility for

their published works and assume responsibility for any claims against

the publisher based on published work. No part of this publication can

be reproduced in any form or by electronic or mechanical means,

including information storage and retrieval systems, without written

permission from the publisher. All items submitted to Brilliant Results

become the sole property of Brilliant Publishing LLC. Editorial content

does not reflect the views of the publisher. The imprints, logos,

trademarks or trade names (Collectively the “Marks”) displayed on

the products featured in Brilliant Results are for illustrative purposes

only and are not available for sale. The marks do not represent the

implied or actual endorsement by the owners of the Marks of the

product on which they appear. All of the Marks are the property of

the respective owners and is not the property of either the advertisers

using the Marks or Brilliant Results.

Maureen [email protected] 717-608-5869

brilliantresults™

Have A Brilliant day!

www.bri l l iantpubl ishing.com6 Brilliant Results | November 2010

contributors

a Michael Merrick Crooks owns Crooks Advertising Alliance, an advertising and promotional marketing company that specializes in creative problem-solving. He’s internationally recognized as a thought-leader for his ability to strip away the status-quo to reveal the obscure obvious. To learn more about his creative, writing and speaking services contact Crooks through www.CrooksAdvertising.com.

b Reinier Evers, Founder of trendwatching.com, is an accomplished trend watcher, entrepreneur, and presenter. He has been quoted as a trend expert in numerous business publications, including BusinessWeek, Time Magazine, New York Times, and Advertising Age. On a corporate level, Reinier has worked with leading brands like Young & Rubicam, KLM Airlines, SonyEricsson, Schiphol Airport, Electronic Arts, InterContinental Hotels Group, INSEAD, MasterFoods, and Unilever.

c Barton Goldsmith, Ph.D. For more than two decades Fortune 500 companies, educational institutions, and government organizations have relied on Dr. Barton Goldsmith to help them develop creative and balanced leadership. He is a highly sought-after keynote speaker, business consultant and author. His columns appear in over 500 publications, including the Chicago Sun-Times, the Detroit News, and the Los Angeles Business Journal. He may be contacted through his web site www.BartonGoldsmith.com.

d Arnold Light, CTC, CEO & President of Fire and Light has 35 years of marketing experience specializing in incentive and loyalty marketing helping multinational corporations develop and implement B2B and B2C results oriented performance improvement programs. For additional information visit www.lightconsults.com.

e Martin Lindstrom, a respected branding and marketing expert, was selected as one of the world’s 100 most influential people by TIME magazine. The founder, CEO and Chairman of the LINDSTROM company (Sydney), Martin speaks to a global audience of approximately one million people every year. He has been featured in numerous publications, and on major broadcast and financial television network programs, his previous book, BRAND sense, was acclaimed by the Wall Street Journal as one of the five best marketing books ever published. His latest book; Buyology – Truth and Lies About Why We Buy – a New York Times and Wall Street Journal best-selling book has been translated into 37 languages and is on almost all major best-seller lists worldwide.

f Barry Siskind is an internationally recognized trade and consumer show expert. He is the author of six bestselling business books including Powerful Exhibit Marketing. Read his newest book, Selling from the Inside Out for an in depth guide to a successful sales career. Visit Barry at www.siskindtraining.com.

g Dr. Peter Tarlow is the founder and president of Tourism & More Inc. Dr. Tarlow has appeared on National televised programs such as Dateline: NBC and on CNBC. Dr. Tarlow organizes conferences around the world dealing with visitor safety and security issues and with the economic importance of tourism and tourism marketing. He also works with numerous cities, states, and foreign governments to improve their tourism products and to train their tourism security professionals. For additional information visit www.tourismandmore.com

h Steve Woodburn has worked in the promotional marketing/promotional products industry for the last 24 years and works as a Senior Account Executive with Staples Promotional Products. He believes in the power of social media and you can find him @stevewoodburn on Twitter.

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Social Media – Instant Access

The best way to introduce social media into a business is to start

small and be focused. A company doesn’t have to embrace every

tactic that is released in the social media sphere to be able

to use the social medium.

Wendy Wagner


8 Brilliant Results | November 2010 www.bri l l iantpubl ishing.com

SoCIAL MedIA IS definitely the next big thing

in numerous companies and incorporating it successfully

into existing and new marketing, branding and motivational

campaigns is an on-going challenge. Performance Plus

Marketing, LLC, based in roswell, Georgia, is one company

that has been designing and implementing customized, creative

performance solutions while developing social media expertise.

Working with Fortune 500 companies since 1996, their solutions

are customized for each client based on the client’s unique

objectives, audience and budget. the company was recently

honored to receive the Incentive Marketing Association's Circle

of excellence Award for Best Sales Incentive Program for the

program it developed and implemented for Novo Nordisk to

launch its diabetes medication, Victoza.

Brilliant results had the opportunity to interview Performance

Plus Marketing’s Vice President Client Services, Wendy

Wagner. Wendy has over 17 years of marketing experience in

promotion, pricing, channel and product management working

with and for Fortune 100 companies. A speaker at the ItMe

Show in Chicago, Wendy’s topic focused on social media and

delved into leveraging social media technologies to better

engage employees and customers. She has examined how

these technologies can be applied to incentive and recognition

programs to increase program and participant engagement.

Following are Wendy’s responses to several questions Brilliant

Results felt our readers would find informative.

BR: In your opinion what makes social media important

to business growth and more than just passing fad?

WW: Social media is not just a passing fad. It’s part of the

evolution of communication. Businesses that can effectively

communicate internally and externally will reach a higher level

of success than businesses that communicate ineffectively or

resist embracing social media as a key communication tool.

Social media scares many business decision makers today,

because they don’t understand it or how to effectively use it.

Some of the former comes from age bias - not being part of

a demographic that embraces social media as a way of life.

the other fear comes from a lack of understanding about social

media, its benefits and what to do with them...

Social Media – Instant Access

Basically, it comes down to this: Social media is another

communication tool that allows a business to deliver its message

with more reach to a targeted audience. In a Forrester 2009 study:

60% of Americans use social media •

56% of users feel they have a stronger connection with, and are •better served by, companies when they can interact with them in a social media environment

93% of social media users believe their company should have a •social media presence

85% of users believe a company should not only be present but •also interact with its consumers via social media

BR: What is the most effective way for a company to utilize

social media?

WW: the most effective way for a company to utilize social media

is to know your audience. If your audience target is Baby Boomers,

then you are going to have to use some of the more traditional forms

of social media.

For example, according to Forrester research, more than 60

percent of those in the Boomer generational group actively consume

socially created content like blogs, videos, podcasts, and forums.

What’s more, the percentage of those participating is on the rise.

37% of Boomers socialize over social networking sites and chat •rooms

62% of Gen X socialize over social networking sites and chat •rooms

81% of Gen y socialize over social networking sites and chat •rooms

BR: What trends do you see developing in the future for

commercial/business use of social media?

WW: We continually track the rapidly changing world of social

media, mining the trends we spot for commercial and business

applications. Some of them include:

the shift from Search engine optimization (Seo) to Social •Media optimization (SMo)

Changing privacy expectations and regulations •

decentralizing of social networks •

Continuing rise of content aggregators and curators •

Social media augmented reality •

Redefining influencer marketing •

rating and ranking everywhere of everything •

Pioneering moves by Google •

thinking beyond “nowness” •

Social media everything and the return of digital media??? •

Growing popularity of mobile media applications •

enhanced business functionality tools •

BR: How can promotional/incentive merchandise be

incorporated into a company's social media outreach?

WW: Like the incentives industry, social media is a very people

oriented channel, so it only makes sense that the two can be

combined to drive competition, share best practices, foster instant

November 2010 | Brilliant Results 9www.bri l l iantpubl ishing.com

access and gratification and personalize incentives programs

for each demographic or participant.

the most effective social media/promotional and incentive

effort is one where people get the recognition or are mentioned

for what they are doing well. In addition, the dynamic nature

of social media allows program changes to be instantly

communicated to team members. other tools that are being

increasingly used effectively in promotional/incentive programs

include:

Contests: Get competitive juices flowing and healthy •competition among your teams

Podcasts: to share best practices and product updates •

texting: Contest reminders and sales results •

twitter: Awards mall specials and holiday reminders •

Blogs: Managers share thoughts, articles and news with •the sales force

iPod touch: Preloaded with information the sales force can •demo “on the fly”

Microsites: Instant access to regional or district sales •goals, compare rankings among colleagues

online and Second Life Games: used for continuing •education and training

online Chat – instant access for program questions •

BR: What is your favorite social media site? Why?

WW: Professionally my favorite social media site is Linkedin.

I have found Linkedin to be a great way to share information

and bounce ideas off of others who are facing the same

business challenges. My contacts include current and former

co-workers, business partners, competitors and business

prospects. I also follow several companies and belong to a

variety of marketing and industry groups.

Personally my favorite site is Facebook due to its true social

nature. I can share information and pictures with my family

who live in different states and keep up with friends, both new

and old.

BR: Whatarethespecificsteps/guidelinesabusiness

should follow when adding a social media aspect to its

marketing, branding and motivational campaigns?

WW: Many companies focus on enhancing their

employees’ knowledge and skills of the products or services

they are offering, in order to turn them into better customer

service representatives or sales people. others provide slick

packages and rewards that don’t always satisfy or recognize

an employee’s contribution fully. (Most often in the employee’s

mind) However, the intangible element that actually makes

for successful performance improvement and employee

engagement is really about tLC. tLC helps instill involvement

and passion in staff about what they do to give their best and

deliver a great customer experience.

It takes tLC

track, Listen and Change

TrackCreate an inventory of what you are currently using to •engage employees

List what improvements do you want to make •

Work with internal departments like human resources, •marketing, product development, and account management to determine shared organizational goals

Prioritize your goals •

Work with senior management to ensure goals reinforce •strategic objectives

Include stakeholders and employees in building the •community and communicating

ListenIdentify who is using social media in your company •

What is their message? •

How are they saying it? •

Who are they saying it to? •

What social media tools do they currently use? •

ChangeStart small and focused •

Act with purpose •

Be transparent •

Let the community moderate itself •

Monitor heavily •

Leverage your experts (Gen X and y) •

BR: Is there any formula for breaking down the cost

of social media to a company?

WW: there isn’t a set formula. A great deal depends on how

much a company can do in-house and what they may have to

outsource. Again, the key is to start small and be focused. If a

social media program is executed well and achieves success,

it becomes a perfect platform in which to continue investing.

BR: Remembering time costs money, How much

would you recommend a company project for budgeting

purposes when it comes to social media?

WW: u.S. companies that use social media mainly to

deepen customer loyalty spend significantly more money than

those that use social sites for brand awareness, customer

acquisition or other core marketing purposes, according to a

new study by the direct Marketing Association*.

the study, conducted with loyalty research company

Colloquy, found that the average social media spending per

company to reinforce customer loyalty was $88,000 in 2009,

compared with $53,000 for brand awareness and $30,000 for

customer acquisition

the results demonstrate that marketers remain unsure of

how to use social media as a marketing channel, according

to the DMA. This is reflected in how small social marketing

budgets are compared with overall spend; most companies

in the study allocate less than 4% to 5% of their marketing

budgets to social media, the study found


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BR: Which sites should companies utilize in the

social media sphere? Is there 1 or 2 sites that are

"better" than others?

WW: the sites a company chooses to use really

depend upon the audience that the company wants

to reach. Advertising on popular social media sites is

expensive. However, there are ways to use social media

that are less expensive. For example creating a blog,

video or podcast.

the best way to introduce social media into a business

is to start small and be focused. A company doesn’t have

to embrace every tactic that is released in the social

media sphere to be able to use the social medium. do

what fits your market and your company.

BR: How much time per day, week, month should

a company spend participating in social media?

WW: Social media is an interactive medium so it

needs to be updated regularly. this requires a company

to dedicate resources to keeping the content fresh and

changing. At a minimum, this requires weekly updating.

the more a company interacts with its audience the more

successful its social media campaign will be.

BR: Doyouhaveanyfinalthoughtstosharewith

our readers?

WW: remember Marketing 101

Social media is just one component of an effective

marketing strategy; it doesn’t replace your strategy.

Clearly define your business problems and marketing

objectives. then design a balanced mix of traditional and

social media that fits. You don’t need to be involved in

every “hot” form of social media. Concentrate on channels

that make sense for your business.

Companies need to integrate new information flows

associated with the communities that already exist

within their companies. New management strategies and

practices will be critical, including redefining the scope

and role of alliances as well as the overall boundaries and

policies of corporations.

the key message for you is “get in the game.”

employee engagement is absolutely essential. research

has proven the links between engagement, performance,

advocacy and staff retention levels, so try a little tLC.

When you do, the benefit to the employer and the brand

are endless.

Brilliant Results thanks Greg Schmalz, Senior ConsultantUtopia Communications Inc. (www.utopiacommunications.biz) for facilitating our interview with Wendy Wagner. For more information about Performance Plus Marketing, LLC please visit their website at www.performplus.com.


15 Trend Tips

BY: REINER EVERS

trendwatch

15

Let'S FACe It, the only thing that separates you—

passionate Ceo, marketer, entrepreneur—from being in

the know, is the time that must be devoted to tracking and

applying trend content. And yet, when we ask professionals

if and how they spot and apply trends; we're told they're

still having a hard time getting a handle on the basics. So

here are 15 trend-watching tips, some practical, some more

contextual, for you to run with today:

1. Know Why You Are Tracking Trends

In business, everything begins and ends with consumers.

Which means knowing, understanding, and applying

consumer trends and insights will forever be a holy grail to

business and marketing professionals. tracking consumer

trends, then, is a crucial way to gain relevant inspiration,

helping you dream up profitable new goods, services and

experiences for (and with) your customers. In short, trend

watching should ultimately lead to profitable innovation.


2. Don’t Get Your Trends Mixed Up

trendwatching.com has always focused on consumer

trends, providing insight that can be instantly applied.

However, this leaves two key trend categories that must be

tracked to provide invaluable context. In general, switched-on

companies and individuals track at least three trend levels:

Macro trends, Consumer trends, and Industry trends.

Macro Trends — Most management consulting firms will

be able to help you with macro trends. For a dIy approach,

consider the SteeP approach:

Social | Technological | Economic Environmental | Political

Consumer trends — 'Consumer trends' still scream

'fashion' for some. Sure, black may be the new white,

and cashmere miniskirts may re-conquer the catwalks in

2013, but the consumer arena is obviously infinitely more

complicated than that. In other words, fashion in all its variety

and excitement, is just another part of the world of consumer

trends. In no way does it define consumer trends.

Industry trends — Needless to say, all three levels of

trends constantly converge, impacting each other, if not

overlapping. Just remember that industry trends, which firms

are so keen on understanding, are at the mercy of macro and

consumer trends, not the other way round.

3. Know a fad when you see (or smell) one

We still get asked about how to distinguish between

consumer trends and fads. All we can say is this: whether

pigs are the new cats, or pizza cones are (again) the new

'it' snack, these phenomena won't dramatically change the

consumer arena. At most, they're yet another manifestation

that consumers want to be unique or crave convenience

and surprise. the latter are actually trends. the products

are fads.

4. Don’t apply all trends to all people

one massive mistake both trend watchers and brands

make all the time, is to assume or pretend that a certain

consumer trend will affect or be embraced by all consumers.

No. remember, in life and in trends: beauty is in the eye of

the beholder and virtually every trend has its anti-trend.

Furthermore, the new doesn't always kill the old.

e-commerce may be booming, but real world retail is far

from dead. Has retail changed in response to e-commerce?

Sure. So, in trends always try to figure out what the 'and' is,

not just the 'or', and your trend spotting skills will improve

immensely.

5. Be (very) curious

those who track trends have to possess some rare kind

of intuition. Not true. It's actually quite easy to do. observing

the world around you, with an open mind, is something many

professionals have unlearned, but it's something that we're

all born with. Basically, if you want to spot and understand

trends, you can.

Be curious and be open-minded: ask yourself 'why'

whenever you notice something new, instead of immediately

looking for shortcomings.

Also realize that you are not necessarily your customer:

your professional interests should be broader than your

personal interests. you may not be excited by something

new, but others are.

Look cross-industry — yes, yes, we know, what you

really want to hear about is trends affecting your industry or

sector. the thing is, innovative / groundbreaking / bar-raising

customer experiences may well be happening in industries

other than your own. Sticking with your own industry will

thus not only severely limit your sources of inspiration, but

will also make you miss important changes in consumer

expectations.

Last but not least, if you're obsessed with what your

competition is doing, you will always end up copying them.

Never dismiss anything too quickly. Just because you

would never use a certain innovation, doesn't mean others

(your customers included) won't buy it either. Many of today's

success stories, from smart phones to twitter to the Airbus

380, were widely dismissed, questioned, and ridiculed from

the day they were imagined, announced or conceived.

6. Have a point of view

Increased curiosity paves the way for acquiring a point of

view about the world around you, for comprehension. When

you have a broad point of view, even tiny observations start

to make sense.

Surprisingly, for such an essential part of one's business

skills, a point of view is still rare in the business world. to stick

with consumer trends: the point of view you want to develop

could be summed up by a succinct answer to the question:

“What is the (short-term) future of consumerism?”

7. Benefit from an unprecedented abundance of

resources

Surely there's never been a more exciting time for eager

trend watchers to be in business, soaking up the insights,

the spottings, the reports, the live dispatches from the global

consumer arena. In a world that's now fully connected, where

countless smart professionals and amateurs are not only

spotting, observing, thinking and innovating, but also putting

their findings and insights online, for all to see, deliciously

valuable resources are up for grabs, many of them free or

dirt cheap. For our checklist of where to spot changes in

consumer behavior, new trendsetting products or just super-

smart thinking on where our societies are headed at large

visit www.trendwatching.com.

8. Name your trends

A quick thought on naming trends: we feel it's crucial

to describe trends as imaginatively as possible. Sure, we

regularly take flak about our names (TRYVERTISING

anyone?), but here's why we do it:


· Arouse curiosity. Strange names invoke interest, make

people sit up and listen, and make them want to know more.

A well-chosen name radiates the promise of a story, of

something important. And if that name is unlike anything

else (even if it's stupid unlike anything else), who can resist

the desire to find out and not miss out?

· Create a common language. You will find that groups

and teams will rally behind a named concept more easily

than behind something generic.

· Coin, own and track. Coming up with an as yet unknown

name means it's easier to coin something. Now coining isn't

about ownership, or claiming you're the first one to come

up with an idea: everything is already out there anyway.

But it's convenient to coin a new name, because you get to

(temporarily) lead the discussion. It also facilitates tracking:

Googling your unique trend name will instantly lead you

to other experts' take on 'your' trend. Which often means

more insights, more examples. tracking ‘MAturIALISM’ for

example is a breeze; tracking any variation on a statement

like 'consumers are more daring and thus expect brands to

be daring, too', isn't.

oh, and just how do we come up with our names? early

on, we were inspired by Faith Popcorn’s (www.faithpopcorn.

com) approach: mix and match two or three words that define

the trend, creating a new word that preferably hasn't been

used by anyone else (a quick Google search will usually

reveal just how unique a made-up word is).

9. Build your trend framework

So, you're open minded, you have amassed your trend

resources, and you're jotting down and naming as many

trends and trend manifestations as you can. Now what?

How to make sense of all your findings and thoughts and

examples, and (especially) understand the impact and

context of various trends? What works for us is to have a

trend Framework: basically a long list of all the trends we've

spotted over the years, divided by main and sub trends, and

how these trends interact with each other.

the easiest way to start building your own trend

Framework is to copy consumer trends from existing trend

curators. Then add your own findings. Your framework will

expand quickly, meaning fewer surprises every time you

spot something of interest: the bigger the framework, the

easier it is to categorize your findings.

Last but not least, by keeping a complete-as-humanly-

doable trend Framework, the majority of your observations

will easily fit with one of the existing trends. Which means

that if a handful of them don't, you may be onto something

genuinely new. So the more trends you track, the easier it

will be to spot a truly new trend.

10. Start a Trend Group (even if it’s just you)

that's right: every company, big or small, should have its

own trend Group. even if that 'group' is just you. the trend

Group doesn't have to employ a dozen staff; it's more a state

of mind. It can be just a (virtual) meeting point and resource

center for those in the organization who love and/or need

trend content.

then tackle the support issue. Without backing from at

least one senior member of the management team, your

trend Group may steadily grow, but results—innovations,

that is— won't make it off the drawing board.

trend Network | once senior support has been secured,

it's time to move on to the fun stuff. Where to find contributors?

easy. Just enlist your colleagues, your friends, your family,

your fans, your lead users, your mainstream customers,

your suppliers, and reward them with presents, your goods

or services, credits on your website or something they can

put on their resume.

11. Secure senior backing or be doomed

you can spot and apply trends like there's no tomorrow,

but if in the end the final decision makers don't share your

sense of urgency or wild enthusiasm for a particular trend

you are confident will make or break the company, you'll

sadly be flogging a dead horse until retirement age. So when

you try to convince the Ceo, the SVPs, the Board or anyone

else consider:

· Sometimes, you may be fighting a language and

perception issue. 'Consumer trends' may still evoke images

of flamboyant fashion designers caressing delicate fabrics,

or crazed teens in Japanese parks clutching the latest

3d gaming consoles. So try talking about the Future of

Business, instead. For more tips on presenting, check out

Presentation Zen (www.presentationzen.com).

· Make sure the trends you're trying to explain are not just about you or your ideas and scenarios. Instead,

be the messenger, the humble reporter. Show real-world examples

of how other firms are already cashing in on a specific trend.

Point out what respected brands are doing, including as many direct

competitors as possible.

· don't immediately present them, but do have numbers

ready at all times to overcome resistance.

· Make it visual. Pictures. Videos. or, better yet: let people

try stuff out. Conceptualize and demonstrate. If you're raving


about new innovations, let people fiddle with them. Or taste

them. or sit in them.

12. Don’t worry about timing or life cycles or regional

suitability or…

When it comes to consumer trends, some business

professionals seem inclined to first and foremost worry.

Here are a few reasons not to be freaked out by everything,

all the time:

What if I'm too early/late? — the impact of major trends is

often over-estimated in the short term, and underestimated

in the long term. Major consumer trends are about deep

social and cultural change, that challenges established

economic and legal structures, meaning things won't

typically completely change tomorrow. So yes, observe

younger, 'unformed' generations to see what new trends are

potentially about to erupt, but realize that sometimes it will

take years to go truly 'mass'.

What if I misread a trend? — trend watching is about

observing the 'now', so it's hard to go wrong there.

Will a certain trend apply to my country? — First of all, why

limit yourself to one market or country? If you think your ‘own’

country isn’t ready for a trend, why not introduce it to another

country that is ready?

Secondly, you only have to dive into one of the many global

youth tribe studies to find further proof that when it comes

to brands, when it comes to consumption, the similarities

worldwide far outnumber the differences.

13. Apply, apply, apply

Applying trends is all about innovation. Marketers

and entrepreneurs often tell us they use our trends as

'conversation starters'. Here are the four ways we like to

apply trends with some hands on examples from the real

world:

Vision: the eco/sustainability trend recently inspired

Procter and Gamble to set out an ambitious long-term

"environmental sustainability vision", establishing "end-

points" that "are long-term in nature because some of them

will take decades to come to fruition".

New business concepts: these have led to numerous new

and innovative airlines around the world, offering everything

from no-frills to cheap chic.

New products, services, experiences: Add ‘something’

new for a certain customer segment.

Marketing, advertising, Pr: Speak the language of those

consumers already ‘living’ the trend like well-known brands

(Mini) that come up with risqué campaigns that resonate with

their forward-thinking, more casual audiences.

14. Have some fun

trend watching is about coming up with exciting new

products and services for your customers, nothing more

and nothing less. Around the globe, billions of new, aspiring

middle-class consumers, as well as hundreds of millions or

prosperous, demanding consumers are looking for innovative

brands to serve them. even major challenges like environmental

sustainability mean an insatiable need for solutions, for years

to come… hence our tip to have some fun.

15. Let others do some of the work for you in 2011

you do Not HAVe tIMe to do ALL oF tHe ABoVe

yourSeLF. So to clarify:

we're not saying you should spend 12 hours a day on trend watching. You just need to do more of it than you do now. Which brings us to our bonus tip: let trend professionals do part of the

work for you, even if it's just to help you hit the ground running.

For free trend information, please visit www.trendwatching.

com/trends, and for not-free Premium Service (including the

2011 trend report) visit www.trendwatching.com/premium.


BY: STEVE WOODBURN, MAS

technology

HoW MuCH WouLd it be

worth to your brand if you could interact

with current and potential customers when

they are most interested in your products...

at the point-of-sale; while they were reading

one of your advertisements or even using

a promotional product from your company?

And what if they could garner information

on your products and promotions by simply

using their cell phone’s camera?

Welcome to the world of 2d barcodes,

also known as Qr codes, the next generation

of barcodes, which are accessible, by most

anyone who has a cell phone with a camera.

they’re called 2d because the information

is encoded both horizontally and vertically

which allows for more data to be packed into

these weird looking little symbols. this is

fairly new technology; however savvy brands

are using 2d barcodes not only to provide

information on their products and services,

but in promotions and mobile marketing

campaigns.

89% of all cell phones hitting the market

now have cameras in them, which are key in

being able to access the information on a 2d

barcode. the picture

to the right shows just

a few examples of

what these symbols

look like, but like

the old days of VHS

vs. beta there are

many different varieties of these barcodes

vying for attention and ultimately the

market will determine which ones become

commonplace. unlike the ubiquitous 1d

barcodes, this new version stores much more

information including and most importantly

for this discussion, hyperlinks back to a

company’s websites, landing page or other

information on the Net. It’s now possible to

create links from objects in the real world

to data in the virtual world. Marketers and

brands that understand how powerful this

new technology is will be able to attract tech-

Click and You Shall Receive


savvy consumers and offer an experience that is interactive

by delivering anything you would see or hear on a webpage

to a Smartphone.

So how does this work in the real world? It’s fairly

simple: a brand creates a 2d barcode through one of many

providers, encoding their information into the symbol, which

could include websites, video or audio. their barcode is

printed onto products, literature or advertisements and when

an interested consumer sees it they use their phone with

a camera to take a picture of the code. Some companies

and even individuals are even printing their barcodes on

stickers, which they can stick anywhere they think their target

audience will be. Some of the 2d barcode providers require

an application to be downloaded to recognize the symbol

while newer versions simply require you to take a picture and

then text it to a number which will automatically send your

phone to a website or possibly a video or audio link.

Here’s how just a few brands are using this technology

now to connect with their customers and prospects:

Australian winemaker Lindemans is using 2d barcodes on •their Point-of-Purchase literature to tell their story to consumers as well as enter them into a mobile sweepstakes for travel and prizes.

Papa John’s pizza created a mailer with a 2d barcode. •When scanned by a mobile phone consumers were

directed to their website where they received a promotional code for a free pizza

Axe, the cutting edge line of men’s grooming products, •created 2d barcodes that when activated delivered exclusive videos featuring comedians from the “Axe twisted Humor tour.”

the movie Avatar produced Point-of-Purchase materials •using JAGtAG’s 2d barcodes to deliver a short Avatar video as well as the opportunity to opt-in to receive ongoing promotional updates on the blockbuster movie.

this is what’s called “pull-technology” which means the

consumer initiates the inquiry and the results (roI) involve a

much higher level of interaction than other traditional forms

of static marketing. the applications for this technology

are as infinite as a brand’s imagination and include product

advertising, promotions, sweepstakes, brand affinity and

sampling.

As for promotional products, this technology can now

enable a product handed out as a giveaway or gift to actually

drive recipients to become involved with a brand. Imagine

your company has introduced a new product and is exhibiting

in a tradeshow to get the word out. Imprint a 2d barcode on

the promotional product you are using and pull recipients to

your website to learn more about the product. offer rewards

to the first 50 or 100 people who access the barcode, develop

a video they can watch on the new product or give discounts

for orders placed online by those who got there using the

barcode.

tough times call for innovative solutions and 2d barcodes

can bring a whole new dimension to your branding efforts.

And based on how retail and other businesses are beginning

to embrace these codes the trend of using them for

promotional branding is only going to increase.

89% of all cell phones hitting the

market now have cameras in them,

which are key in being able to access

the information on a 2D barcode.


FIVe yeArS AGo, you

were likely to be asked, "What's your

Internet strategy?" today's question

is, "What's your channel strategy?"

If within 30 seconds you can

summon up a reasonably sound

answer to this question, forget about

reading the remainder of this article.

If you can't, reading on might be

worth the effort.

one of today's realities is that new

communications media are hitting

the market every year. I don't need to

name the plethora of choices already

on consumers' plates -- the Internet,

the personal digital assistant (PdA),

WebtV, the wireless application

protocol (WAP) phone -- all of which

appeared within the last decade.

the problem is that consumers

haven't yet found a way to increase

the number of hours in the day. So

the likelihood is that as more media

channels land on the plate, the

Cross Channel BY: MARTIN LINDSTROM

branding

Branding


consumer has less time to deal with

them. And, consequently, facilitating

their use is becoming more complicated

for professional communicators and

brand builders.

ten years ago, a media, or point-

of-contact, plan was rather simple

to comprehend and construct. If

human interaction was required, only

two media channels were available:

face-to-face or phone contact. In

addition, of course, there were the

monologic, one-way media: not as few

in number but just as simple to quickly

comprehend.

Well, the world has

changed. outdoor media

channels are no longer

confined to posters and

billboards. they can include

everything from mobile

phones, PdAs, WAP, iMode,

and short message service

(SMS) as well as billboards.

dialogic, two-way interaction

is no longer limited to face-to-

face visits or phone calls: It

encompasses almost every personal

communication tool.

So given this complex

communications fact, my question is:

Have you optimized all your consumer

touch points, or are your touch points

relying on haphazard coincidence?

In other words, what's your channel

strategy? Just as airlines deploy "yield

management" to optimize the value of

every seat, your channel management

strategy should be built on yield-

management principles. there is one

"but" to this parallel. optimized channel

management reflects two principles:

cost-effectiveness and branding. By

"branding" I don't mean a company's

ability to vociferate its name as many

times as possible; I mean a company's

ability to create the strongest possible

relationship with the consumer while

exposing its identity.

And that's the tricky bit. you might

claim that any interaction between the

consumer and the brand would be a

fine way to create brand loyalty. This

may be possible for some brands and

for some consumers but certainly not

for all brands and all consumers. And

this is where your channel strategy

justifies itself.

Let me give you an example from

Charles Schwab, arguably the world's

largest discount broker. It has been a

pioneer in managing and optimizing

consumer touch points. When other

companies were closing down their

branch offices in favor of online trading,

Schwab established storefronts. And

the results were amazing: 80 percent

of all new accounts were opened face

to face, in Charles Schwab offices.

Having established that contact, 70

percent of these new customers were

comfortable with having their accounts

managed via the Internet -- from their

very next contact with the company.

you see, it was important for these

customers to make initial contact with

the company via a real face. Human

interaction with a real person in a real

store established requisite consumer

trust. this trust, developed early on,

then enabled Internet transactions to

take place right away; the trust made

the convenience and cost- and time-

effectiveness of the online medium

mutually beneficial to the consumer

and Charles Schwab.

this isn't the solution for every

company. Company - consumer

communication is a dynamic process

that demands change according to

target group, time, mutual objectives,

and a host of other variables. Some

target markets might do anything to

avoid human contact; others crave

it; others still need a mixture of

communication channels.

And, for any group,

preferences established at

one point in time are likely

to change with altering

circumstances and with

consumers' increasing

knowledge of alternative

media channels. I remember

when I used to prefer dealing

with a real person when

checking on my bank details.

For me, those days are long

gone.

The benefits of online communication

are clear: It enables companies to

track consumer behavior cost- and

time-effectively. Not surprisingly, face-

to-face dialogue is more cost and time-

consuming and is harder to track than

interaction generated online. tracking

communications established via the

screen achieves great cost savings.

But the moral of this story is

that establishing consumer touch

points isn't just about cost. Personal

interaction is a splendid channel

for establishing loyalty and building

brands simultaneously.

So why haven't you created a

channel strategy yet? It might channel

more consumers to your brand than

you could ever imagine.

Well, the world has changed. Outdoor media channels are no longer confined

to posters and billboards. They can include everything from mobile phones, PDAs, WAP, iMode, and short message

service (SMS) as well as billboards.


BY: DANIEL BURRUS

visionary

No oNe CAN deny that apps

for smart phones are revolutionizing

the way people not only use their

phones, but also how they function

in daily life. From apps to help you

relax to those that simplify to-do lists

or teach you a new skill, there’s an

abundance of apps in virtually every

category imaginable. In the itunes

store alone there are over 125,000

apps, and over two billion downloads

have taken place.

For the companies that create and

market the apps, making money from

them is obviously a goal. In the past,

companies made money from apps

by either charging for them, placing

a pop up ad in the app, or by giving

the app away with the hopes the user

would buy some other related product

or service. But that was yesterday,

and the future is already starting to

look very different. In fact, companies

that still rely on those old, outdated

methods for income from their apps

don’t realize the true income potential

of apps or how they can transform the

business landscape.

Capitalizingon the Next Revolution in Software – Apps


one company, Visionary Apps, has

embraced the future of apps and how

to make money from them. In fact,

they were making money on their first

release of apps before they were even

available for download. three weeks

after the official launch, one of their

apps was the 17th most downloaded

app and was rated #6 in business

apps. And even though all three of

the company’s initial apps are free to

the end user, each has the potential

to earn millions of dollars each year.

In essence, Visionary Apps has

successfully redefined how companies

can earn money from their apps.

The Defining niche of Apps for smArT phones & smArT pADs

If you look at the many categories

in the apps stores, you’ll see that most

of the companies developing apps

have a narrow view of what apps

can be used for. they’re currently

creating simplistic and basic apps,

such as foreign language translation,

to do lists, airport gate information,

currency conversion, etc. these

things are useful, but their value is

low and they’re easily duplicated and

essentially commodities. Visionary

Apps has seen the future, and it’s with

enterprise level apps – apps that can

help a profession or industry do more

with less, work smarter, or be better.

The first three apps launched by

Visionary Apps were real estate apps:

Complete Foreclosures, Complete

Homes, and Complete rentals

(www.completerealtysuite.com). the

company is, in essence, leading a

revolution in how people buy and

sell real estate through apps on their

smart phones.

to see the power of their apps,

let’s look at one of their free apps:

Complete Foreclosures. Complete

Foreclosures has over 1.6 million

distressed properties in its database.

And when a user opens the app, it

is instantly updated with the newest

information. Before this app, even real

estate agents didn’t have access to all

the foreclosed homes in the area, as

MLS is limited in terms of foreclosure

listings. realize that there are many

categories of foreclosed homes, and

few of them make it into the MLS.

examples include bank owned homes,

CapitalizingNovember 2010 | Brilliant Results 23www.bri l l iantpubl ishing.com

auction homes, and short sale homes,

and the public has no way to access

all these listings. Additionally, most

people have no idea how to buy a

distressed property.

Visionary Apps did some research

and found that there are 120 million

searches a month for foreclosed

homes. yet, there was no app for

it. they also looked at the reality of

the real estate market. In January

2010 over 315,000 homes went into

foreclosure, which was up 10% from

January 2009. So, on a national level,

the problem is still growing.

the worst part about a foreclosed

home, aside from the homeowner

losing their home, is that when

homes in an area begin going into

foreclosure, the surrounding property

values go down. that then forces

more people into foreclosure, which

makes property values go down even

more. It creates a negative spiral.

Visionary Apps decided that the only

solution was to get those homes sold

and flushed out of the system, so they

created an app that helps people find

distressed properties for sale and

then shows them how to buy them.

how iT works…AnD how They mAke money

the Complete Foreclosures app

is simple to use. A user simply clicks

the “Nearby Foreclosures” link to see

a map indicating nearby distressed

homes. Click on a point of interest and

the app shows the details of the listing,

along with a photo of the property.

the user can even click on a Smart

Buying Guide, which explains how to

buy the particular property, whether

it’s an auction home, bank owned

home, or short sale. there are even

driving directions to the property. And

if the user has particular parameters

in mind, they can do a custom search

based on square feet, number of

bedrooms, etc.

Sounds great for the end user, but

what about Visionary Apps? How are

they making money with this great

free service for people?

In addition to seeing the listing, the

user can also be instantly connected

to a foreclosure and real estate expert

who understands foreclosures for

more information and to help with

the sale. Visionary Apps charges

real estate agents a monthly fee to

be listed as the expert in a particular

zip code – with only one agent per zip

code allowed. once an agent secures

a zip code, any home in that zip code

has him or her listed as the foreclosure

expert who can help. Most agents

purchase multiple zip codes. When all

the zip codes are sold, this one app

can generate $1.1 million per month.

But it doesn’t stop there. Visionary

Apps goes further by giving people

the solution at the moment of need.

In other words, the solution appears

when the problem arises. For example,

when you’re looking at a foreclosed

home, you need an agent. the app

gives you an agent. After that you’ll

likely need a mortgage. Visionary

Apps is selling zip codes to mortgage

companies too. After that, you’ll need

a moving company. they’re selling

zip codes to moving companies…and

to remodelers and to other services

a person would need along the way.

However, you won’t see any of these

solutions in the app until you’re at that

point of need. So for each service

provider category, once all the zip

codes are sold, that’s another $1.1

million per month per category.

finD your own Vision

Has Visionary Apps redefined real

estate and apps at the same time?

you bet. Most companies create an

app, put it out there, and then move

on to creating another app. Visionary

Apps is creating a brand. they’re

not a business with an app; rather,

the business is the app. this is a

revolutionary way of looking at apps

and the power of them.

So the point is that there are many

ways to make money from apps, even

if the app is free. the model Visionary

Apps created is just one example. to

create your own income-generating

app, you simply have to find what’s

right for your company. When you

keep your focus on the future of where

your industry, customers, and

technology are going, the possibilities

for game-changing apps…and your

profits…are endless.

Visionary Apps did some research and found that there are 120 million

searches a month for foreclosed homes. Yet, there was no app for it.


BY: MICHAEL M. CROOKS

marketing

The Retail Babysitter: Promotional Marketing Poweri AlmosT lAugheD ouT louD. A clerk TrieD To explAin The feATures AnD benefiTs of A hAir Dyer To A womAn who hAD A smAll chilD wiTh her. The clerk’s sAles ATTempT wAs inTerrupTeD eVery 20 seconDs wiTh, “mommy, look AT This!”… followeD by mommy’s horrifieD look As she foresAw Three possible ouTcomes: 1) Junior wAs AbouT To mAim himself; 2) Junior wAs AbouT To mAim someone else; 3) mommy wAs AbouT To spenD wAy more ThAn she inTenDeD on someThing ThAT she DiDn’T wAnT — ThAT wAs AbouT To be broken inTo AT leAsT 5 pieces.


Since it wasn't my kid, I found

it hilarious. the salesperson was

exasperated. And mommy? Well,

mommy finally said, "hell with it",

took devil Child by the arm and left

the store after a carefully stacked

display of towels suddenly became

un-stacked — because Junior wanted

the towel on the bottom.

When children hinder the sales

process, salespeople can't effectively

do their job and profits suffer. Smarter

retailers know they MuSt occupy the

children if they want mommy and

daddy's attention. that's where retail

Babysitters come in.

For a promotional item to serve as

an effective retail Babysitter it should

meet the following criteria:

1) Be age appropriate;

2) Be clean and mess free;

3) Consume children's time.

A fourth criteria that, while

not mandatory to keep kids from

sabotaging your sales efforts, is

VItAL if you want to get the best

r.o.I.:

4) Whenever possible, retail

Babysitters should contain a tangible

component to aid in the continuing

promotion of your business or service

off-premise.

Logoed items that meet the above

criteria include puzzles, waterless

tattoos, coloring books, crayons, your

letterhead and custom logo’d activity

sheets.

Businesses such as flooring

showrooms, vehicle dealerships

and furniture stores where children

remain visible, can create a children's

area with carpet, a table and chairs.

Suggesting to small children that they

make a card or picture for mommy

and daddy can work wonders. you

can provide your letterhead, 8 1.2"

x 11" sheets of construction paper,

logoed boxes of crayons and logoed

stickers or sticker sheets.

Waterless temporary tattoos can

also be used in this way as they

transfer well to paper products as well

as the skin. themed coloring books

with your imprint on them along with

the crayons are another good option.

For older children, create custom

activity sheets. For instance, the

sheets for a flooring store could

contain a word search where kids

search for words such as flooring,

carpet, vinyl, etc.; a word jumble; a

maze and other activities.

If you can't create a Kid's Corner,

placing a coloring book & crayons

with some stickers or waterless

tattoos in a logoed paper lunch bag

or drawstring backpack can fill the

bill. Many kids will sit on the floor next

to the parents, look through the bag

and begin to play with the items in the

paper bag.

to aid in off-premise promotion

of your business, offer a monthly

coloring contest. The kids either finish

a coloring book picture while at the

establishment or finish it at home. The

parents can drop the finished picture

off later. (this gets them back in the

store). Pictures are displayed and

once a month, one or more winners

are chosen and the picture goes up

on the winner's wall. each child who

turns in a drawing gets an entry prize

of some sort with the monthly winners

getting larger prizes. (Monthly winners

must come in to claim their prize.)

To provide the most benefit to

your establishment, all prizes (water

bottles, plastic flyers, knit caps) carry

your logo and contact information.

you can also get lot's of play out of

featuring selected children's drawings

in your monthly newspaper/print ads

and on your website. you can also

use the drawings to create a custom

business calendar.

If you work with a competent

promotional products consultant, they

can be on the lookout for and bring

select items to your attention that are

on closeout or are seasonal specials.

this will also serve to keep your

prize selection fresh and seasonally

appropriate.

Children can be a salesperson's

worst nightmare. But with a little

thought and the right promotional

products to serve as retail

Babysitters, children can actually

become an asset as you use them to

leverage favor — and sales with the

parents —and achieve brilliant

results.

The Retail Babysitter: Promotional Marketing Power

If you can’t create a Kid’s Corner, placing a coloring book & crayons with some stickers or waterless tattoos in a logoed paper lunch bag or drawstring backpack can fill the bill.


tHe tourISM INduStry has long

grappled with the issue of how much is too much

technology. In some ways technology has made travel

easier. travelers can book their own hotel rooms, airline

tickets and even make reservations on-line. Smart

phones allow us to find locations without getting lost;

learn about what restaurants are in a particular city

and even make dinner or show reservations. Business

people expect decent Internet service, preferably in their

room, and a fully equipped business center at the hotel

in which they are staying. Many airports today offer

free Wi-Fi service for busy travelers, and smart phones

allow almost unlimited email access. these technical

advances, however, have a negative side to them. due to

communication advances we are never out of touch, even

when we wish to be. Cell phone etiquette has become

almost non-existent, and privacy advocates worry about

the intrusiveness of CCtV (Closed Circuit television

Cameras) in much of the public arena.

technological advances also permit many tourism

businesses to automate processes that were previously

dealt with by people. Improvements in voice recognition

and call-routing technologies have led to the creation of

voice-activated portals, allowing customers to perform a

range of tasks, from simple bill enquiries to more complex

line-fault diagnosis and reporting. However, the downside

of these advances is that tourism is all about people and

customer service. thus, the depersonalization of the

industry has lowered its charm and the fun of travel. If

the travel industry is to obtain "brilliant results" it will have

to find a way to personalize efficiency. That is the travel

industry will need to create the mechanism that permits

the automation of technology to interface with the need

for personalized service.

Another challenge that technology produces for the

travel industry is the issue of complexity. Most travelers

hate complexity. We vacation to get away from life's

complications, business people have enough problems

simply being away from home or the office, the last thing

that they need is added complexity. Furthermore, as people

age their tolerance for new complexity decreases. thus,

travel businesses that desire brilliant results are going to

have to find a way to offer efficiency without increasing

complexity. the old motto, KISS (Keep it simple stupid) is

essential for a successful travel business.

In order to get brilliant results, consider some of the

following:

Am I using technology for technology's sake or am I •simplifying my customer's travel experience? For example, an automated front desk may appear to save money but in the end may create so much confusion that the visitor may never return to that hotel. When it comes to customer service, use people rather than machines.

Is the technology providing information or •service? If the technology is providing simple information then it is probably a good thing. For example, touch screens that give the names of local restaurants, hotels, attractions, times of operation and costs are a major travel hassle saver. on the other hand, no machine can replace a person in cases of emergency.

Periods of economic turndown mean

many tourism providers may desire to turn

to technology as a way to lower costs

and still provide service

travel and tourism

businesses that will put in

the extra effort to combine

the best of technology

with personalized service

will thrive, those that do

not will simply frustrate

and lose customers. It is

not a question of to have

or not have technology, but

rather when and which

technologies are correct

for your business.

BY: DR. PETER TARLOW

travel Tourism: To High Tech or Not to High Tech? Is that the Question?

www.bri l l iantpubl ishing.com28 Brilliant Results | November 2010

Tourism: To High Tech or Not to High Tech? Is that the Question?

NoW tHAt tHe realization

has set in that incentive travel as we

knew it pre 2008 will be changed

forever, incentive companies and do

it yourself corporations who believe

in the power of motivation and

incentives are continuously inventing

new strategies and effective

motivational tools.

For example, the role social

media is and could be playing in the

promotion of motivational programs.

What drives people (employees)

intrinsically is giving them what

they want. So why not use tweets,

Facebook and blogs to recognize

an outstanding achievement from an

employee or even a whole team of

people. this new way of recognizing

good or productive behavior is

definitely taking shape as social

media and offering rewards are all

about motivating people. Keeping

employees engaged in an interactive

way could also greatly enhance

their productivity. Here is where

social media with its awesome

communication ability comes in.

Giving employees a platform and

an opportunity to be involved in

company business is an excellent

vehicle for keeping them (intrinsically)

engaged which then will make them

much more receptive and productive

(extrinsically) in participating in

incentive and reward programs.

one way to incorporate social

media with a new incentive idea

was recently used by Whole Foods,

an international retailer of organic

and health food store, when it

incorporated social media into its

motivational program not only to

keep employees healthy but to make

it fun and offer larger discounts on

store purchases. Called: the team

Member Healthy discount Incentive

Program. the program rules stipulate

that the healthier one is, the higher

one’s employee discount will be. In

order for an employee to qualify for

the incentive, they must start out with

a low Body Mass Index (BMI). this

is a known indicator of the amount

of body fat one has. It’s also used to

screen for weight categories that may

lead to health issues. Along with the

low BMI, one must also have good

blood pressure, low cholesterol, and

not be a smoker. the social feedback

on this new incentive program from

a number of employees and non-

employees has been somewhat

negative as being discriminatory

toward people with excessive weight,

however the program was designed

BY: ARNOLD LIGHT, CTC

incentives

Incentive’s New Trends


to reduce the company’s whooping

$150 million dollar annual medical

bill. (employees are rated on 4 levels:

Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum. the

incentive discounts are: Bronze = 22%

off discount; Silver = 25% off discount;

Gold = 27% off discount and; Platinum

= 30% off discount)

inDiViDuAl TrAVel TrenDs

there’s no question that travel is

the number one motivator, however

with the reduction of group incentive

travel during the past two years due

to a number of factors, the individual

travel experience has emerged as

a way to keep travel as a motivator

on track and at a much lower risk

for companies plus it clearly meets

reduced budgets and gives a lot more

flexibility as to the choices available to

those who earn the award. Below are

just a few examples of how individual

travel has emerged.

An all access prepaid entertainment

and sports travel card, introduced by

Premiere Global Sports gives access

to many sporting and entertainment

events around the world. With this

new Card, the choice now lies in the

hands of the cardholder. the earner of

the card can view the entire available

inventory on line and be incentivized

by what motivates them best, whether

it’s a Broadway play, the baseball

All Star Game, an olympic event

or a major championship sporting

event. the cardholder is assigned

an account manger who will assist

them with their choice and make the

booking. the cards can be used for

employee recognition programs, sales

incentives, promotion prizes or one-

stop client entertainment needs. there

are no restrictions on the number of

cards ordered or the amount of dollars

loaded on the cards; turnaround time

is usually 24 hours. Cards are sent to

the buyer, who can then give them to

employees or contest winners. there

are no transaction fees, and credit can

be stored on the card for later use.

(www.pcevents.com)

Cruises have become a very popular

individual incentive. recognizing

this trend, travelAwardsonline,

an online solution provider for

individual incentive travel awards,

has introduced its new individual

incentive cruise card. one of the

benefits of this cruise card is that

incentive award earners may choose

from more than thirteen cruise lines

worldwide. Beyond the mass market,

premium and luxury cruise lines,

now smaller lines such as Cruise

West, Sea Cloud Cruises and Avalon

Waterways also may offer cruise

experiences as individual travel

awards. the value on the cruise card

is determined by the sponsoring client

and is completely open-ended—any

dollar amount may be associated with

the card's redemption number. this

allows for its use in tiered incentive

programs or for recognizing ad hoc

individual performance or service.

this is a debit card that offers

flexibility to match corporate incentive

and recognition program needs with

participant profiles. Each cruise card

carries a unique 19-digit redemption

number that reflects the dollar value

that is associated with it. recipients

may redeem the award value for their

choice of cruises by visiting the

travelAwardsonline Web-based

catalog. the card will cover

all expenses associated

with a particular cruise.

At checkout, the value

of the online cruise

award selection is

debited from the card,

and the card has no

expiration date. Any

unredeemed value

remains on the card

for later redemptions.

In addition, if the cost

of the selected cruise experience

is greater than the value of the

cruise card, the user may pay the

balance with a personal credit card.

(www.travelawardsonline.com)

While incentive trends continue to

change with these difficult economic

times, one thing is for sure, there’s

more to an employee’s satisfaction

than just a paycheck and the creative

juices keep flowing from incentive and

corporate strategists and providers.

Have A rewarding day…

Incentive’s New Trends

a new incentive idea was recently used by Whole Foods, an international retailer of organic and

health food store, when it incorporated social

media into its motivational program not only to

keep employees healthy but to make it fun and offer larger discounts on store purchases.


WHICH WouLd you rather have: 500

mediocre leads or 25 – 30 high value leads? the answer

is obvious and yet many exhibitors who attend trade shows

try to talk to as many people as possible then go back to

the office with a fist full of business cards and say; “see

what I accomplished.”

the cost of following up on these so-called business

leads is enormous and it leaves your sales reps often

disheartened with the number of rejections they receive.

the solution is three fold:

seT focuseD obJecTiVes

the success of your exhibit program hinges on your

strategic approach. The first step is to focus your efforts

on a single purpose. Clearly articulate what you want to

achieve from your exhibit program. this objective helps

you establish the metrics you will ultimately use to measure

your success. But it is not enough to just say your objective

is to collect high value leads unless you also clearly identify

the profile of what a high quality lead looks like. In a world

filled with highly specialized channels of communication,

trying to be everything to everyone is faulty thinking.

selecT The righT shows

Our discussion of profile helps you select the right

shows and events. talk to the show organizer of the event

you are targeting and learn who the delegates are. this

will be based on the previous year’s attendance or perhaps

those who have pre-registered for this year’s event. Look

carefully and see if there is a match between the potential

audience and the profile you have created. Will there be

sufficient targeted people to justify your exhibit decision?

All too often exhibitors choose their shows by the sheer

volume of attendees. the problem with this approach is the

thesis of our discussion: quantity versus quality.

TrAin your sTAff on how To mine The show for high VAlue conTAcTs.

Suppose you have chosen a show and upon in-depth

investigation you discover that ten percent of the

expected audience fits your profile. If you don’t equip

your staff with the necessary tools to differentiate the

ten percent you have identified from the ninety percent

who are outside your area of interest, they will waste lots

of time talking to people who can add little value to your

strategic exhibit plan.

your training initiative should include setting clear,

focused and measurable objectives for each of your booth

staff. this should include a detailed description of the

profile of those high-value contacts and the skills your staff

needs to do their job efficiently and effectively. The best

tool you have at your disposal is the use of a pre-show/

event briefing. This can be done on-site immediately prior

to the show opening, on-line a few weeks prior to the show

or as part of a sales meeting or conference call. the choice

is yours.

Attempting to reach well-established goals without giving

people the right tools is tantamount to disaster. An NFL

coach whose team is playing in the Super Bowl assembles

the team just before game opening, reviews the plays, the

opponents and the field and then leaves the players with

a final word of encouragement to excite their emotions

so when they enter the playing field they are primed and

pumped and ready to meet the challenge.

your Super Bowl is the next trade show your staff

attends. the trick is to get focused on the right people,

select the right shows and establish the game plan. you

don’t want to get 100 touchdowns; 2 or 3 are often all that’s

needed to win.

BY: BARRY SISKINDexhibit

Quantity versus Quality


Ad Index / Web resource Guide November 2010

3M ® ...................................................................................... www.3M.com/promote ............Back Cover

Aprons, etc ................................................................................www.apronsetc.com ............................ 7

Brilliant results™ Magazine .......................................... www.brilliantpublishing.com .................... 23, 33

Chocolate Inn ® .................................................................... www.chocolateinn.com ........................ IBC

KB Innovative Products by Key-Bak ................................................. www.KBips.com .......................... 11

display Solutions ...............................................................www.displaysolutions.net ............................ 7

Groline © .......................................................................................www.groline.com ......... 3,5,15,17, 25

Promotion express ............................................................... www.tube-dancers.com .......................... 29

Warwick ........................................................................www.warwickpublishing.com ........................ IFC

November advertiser’s index

Free Product Information: For free product information from these suppliers, please complete and mail this page to:Brilliant results Magazine, 9034 Joyce Lane, Hummelstown, PA 17036.Fax to (717) 566-5431 or e-mail [email protected].

Name title

Company Industry

Address City State Zip

Phone Fax e-mail

Please circle items of interest.

BRILLIANT IDEAS ARE HARD TO COME BY THESE DAYS....

Don’t get left behind

by your competition.

Stay in touch with

your cliental by

staying informed.

Brilliant Results

Magazine can do

just that for you!

Visit www.brilliantpublishing.com and sign up for a Subscription to Brilliant Results Magazine. Don’t wait any longer to get in on the best ideas for creating a successful business.


BY: BARTON GOLDSMITH, PH.D.

staying sharp

WHeN SoMeoNe GetS their knickers in a twist

and blows up, how do you handle it? If your current way of

dealing with emotional fireworks isn’t working, here are ten tips

to help you the next time one happens.

1. Start by staying calm. Keep yourself from getting sucked

into the emotional vortex. Asking yourself, “What is the

best thing to do right now?” can help you gain some

perspective and keep your own emotions in check.

2. try to understand what’s going on for the other person.

When you understand, you are more equipped to respond

in an empathetic manner. When people feel that someone

really knows what they are going through, it helps them;

they don’t feel so alone and scared.

3. Let the other person vent. If someone has a

whole bunch of hurt, pain, or anger he or

she needs to release, it has to come

out, and that can be a difficult

thing to experience. Let the other

person get out their negative

feelings, but don’t become a

punching bag.

4. Look for something positive.

there is another side to

every upset, but finding it

can be a challenge. taking

a few minutes to encourage

the person to focus on what

is and isn’t working can be

very helpful and will discharge

a bunch of discomfort.

5. Be open to suggestions. When

feelings get heated, it can be helpful

if another person (family member or

friend) gives his or her input. Sometimes a

fresh set of ears can hear things others can’t.

6. Create a plan. Having some options you have thought

about in advance can be incredibly helpful when strong

emotions are flying around the room. For example, you

can choose to take a time-out or just remain silent. you

can also choose to give the other person some direction.

7. don’t fake sincerity. If you really don’t care, or don’t have

a good answer, don’t pretend that you do, because it will

only cause more upset. the best thing to do is to be honest

and say that you are just not the right person to help at this

time, and perhaps suggest that the other person talk with

a professional.

8. Accept that you might not be able to do anything.

Sometimes people just need to feel their hurt for a little

while. Allowing them to experience their feelings, along

with your emotional support, may be all you need to do.

9. remember that silence can be helpful. Many people are

uncomfortable in silence, but it generally doesn’t last very

long, and a thoughtful minute or two can help heal or give

you perspective on an emotional trauma.

10. don’t make the other person feel wrong.

We all have emotional moments; they are

human and a big part of life. No one is

wrong for having feelings.

emotions are powerful

things, and learning how to

keep them from going nuclear

is a talent that will serve

you and your loved ones

well.

emotional Fireworks

Accept that you might not be able to do anything. Sometimes people just

need to feel their hurt for a little while. Allowing them to experience their feelings, along with your emotional support, may be all you need to do.


Demand quality: Promote your business

with Post-it® Brand products.

3M, P

ost-

it an

d t

he c

olor

Can

ary

Yello

w a

re t

rad

emar

ks o

f 3M

. © 3

M 2

010

There’s

no hiding

from a bad

decision.

Make a good decision.

3M.com/promote or 1-877-863-6961

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