March 2006

Inside This Issue
How to Transform Your Employees Into Brand Ambassadors
People Performance Management Research Report
Marketing Innovators -- On the Road
Kotler Says...
Marketing Innovators


How to Transform Your Employees Into Brand Ambassadors


Ad Age recently reported that GlaxoSmithKline, the $35.4 billion pharmaceutical giant, is training its 8,000 U.S. sales representatives as public relations ambassadors to help raise the company’s as well as the entire pharmaceutical industry’s image. It goes without saying that the pharmaceutical industry needs to take major steps to polish its reputation, but it behooves other industries and companies, regardless of their public persona, to also be proactive in this respect. All companies should see to it that their employees are true ambassadors of the product or service to which they owe their paycheck. After all, the best PR starts at the grassroots level. Here are five macro tips on how to transform your employees into a powerful PR force: Read more.


 

Marketing Innovators -- On the Road

Marketing Innovators has been garnering quite a bit of attention and recognition recently as a thought leader in the world of people performance management. Here’s a look at our key speaking engagements coming up—and yes, we are proud.

March 25, 2006: Chicago Chapter of the International Society for Performance Improvement

 

April 6-11, 2006: 44th Annual International Performance Improvement Conference, Dallas

 

April 30-May 3, 2006: National Association for Employee Recognition, Naples, Fla.

 

May 3-4, 2006: The Incentive Show, New York

 

September 26-28, 2006: The Motivation Show, Chicago 


















Kotler Says…


Marketing guru Philip Kotler is the S.C. Johnson & Son Distinguished Professor of International Marketing at the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University. His most recent book, According to Kotler, is a series of FAQs. Here’s what he has to say about integrated marketing communications.

 

QUESTION: There is a great deal of hype about integrated marketing communications. What is the status of this subject today?

KOTLER: In the past, we taught separate courses on advertising, sales promotion, public relations, and other communication tools. Read more.

In the News

People Performance Management Research Report


The impact of three sets of organizational characteristics—organizational culture, organizational climate and human resource systems—on employee satisfaction and engagement was examined in the 2005 study “The Road to an Engaged Workforce.” The primary goal of the study, conducted in behalf of the Forum for People Performance Management and Measurement and overseen by Dr. James L. Oakley, Assistant Professor of Marketing at the Krannert School of Management, Purdue University, was to better understand how the complexities of an organization can be made to fit together to create an optimally functioning system. Read more.

Links

Marketing Innovators' Case Studies

Forum - For People Performance Management and Measurement

Incentive Marketing Association (IMA)

Incentive Gift Card Council (IGCC)

International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI)

National Association for Employee Recognition (NAER)

Promotion Marketing Association (PMA)

Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)

WorldatWork

Marketing Innovators

Marketing Innovators, based in Rosemont, IL has provided a diverse roster of clients nationwide, from Fortune 500s to small family businesses, with innovative incentive solutions since 1978. Marketing Innovators utilizes measurable, trademarked tools to develop customized incentive, motivation, loyalty and recognition programs that address the unique performance needs of each client. Our signature award platforms, featuring gift cards, travel, merchandise and/or debit cards, have been highly successful management tools for improving the attitudes and performance of employees, customers, sales teams, channel partners and vendors.