Inward’s Brand Ambassador 2013 Survey Findings

This year we thought it would be beneficial to conduct a survey on brand ambassador programs and their overall influence in today’s market. Here are some of our findings!

Involvement with Brand Ambassador Programs is on the Rise!

Organizational participation in Brand Ambassador Programs has returned to pre-recession levels and is steadily climbing.  Organizations are now more likely to fully-embrace Brand Ambassador Programs as shown by an increase of 12% since 2010. We also noticed a greater emphasis that organizations are placing on the Brand Ambassador versus the prior three years with an increase of 25%.

Brand Ambassador Programs’ Effectiveness Improves!

Presently, Brand Ambassador Programs are thought of as consistently more effective by over 7 in 10 of our research panel respondents (71%). Currently, 20% of those interviewed believe that the Brand Ambassador programs are very effective, rising from 10% in 2010.  Those stating that organizations’ Brand Ambassador Programs are somewhat effective jumped from 41% in 2010 to 51% in 2013. Good news!

Perceived Usefulness of Brand Ambassador Initiatives and Activities on the Rise!

In concert, Brand Ambassador Initiatives and activities are finding significantly greater acceptance in organizations versus three years ago. Of particular interest are Emails and Newsletters at 60% (up 31% since 2010), Intranet (branded) to explain Brand Standards at 51% (up 18% since 2010), and Employee Recognition and Reward Programs at 44% (up 24% since 2010). These significant and rapid gains reflect the recent phenomenon of Social Enterprise Networking - be it facilitated through mobile or Internet-directed channels. Make sure that your organization has a strategy in place to deal with this phenomenon!

If you are interested in accessing the full Brand Ambassador 2013 Survey, click here. 

How Gamification Motivates and Influences Employee Behavior

Having engaged employees is a major key to success for any company, but how can an employer successfully achieve this? While there are many ways to increase employee engagement, gamification is definitely one to consider. Find out how gamification increases employee engagement through the facts listed below!

Reward. Employees are human beings, and human beings are motivated by receiving rewards. With gamification, the primary reward mechanism is through earning points, leveling up, or obtaining virtual goods. This, however, is not the only reason gamification motivates and influences employee behavior.

Achievement. By implementing gamification into the workplace you give your employees a new way to achieve. They are given the opportunity to accomplish something challenging and to then be recognized for their success. Many people are motivated by both competition and the idea of winning. Gamification offers just that. 

Engagement. While rewards, achievements and recognition all motivate employees to participate, they are also simultaneously influencing employee behavior. Because these games are designed to teach employees more about their company, while they are building up points they are also increasing their knowledge. With this their credibility and competency as an employee also increases. A more knowledgeable, credible and competent employee will be more willing to fully engage in day-to-day activities. 

To learn more visit www.inwardconsulting.com. 

Keeping Employees Engaged (and Happy) During the Holidays

Keeping employees engaged and happy during the holiday season is quite the feat. To aid you in this challenge we have added a few more tips that we find to be effective during this time of year.

1.   Be Flexible - Implement flexible schedules and allow employees to work remotely during the holiday week. This is extremely helpful for employees who are traveling during the holidays. Offer half days once a week to give employees time to do gift shopping.

2.   Food and Fun - Organize a company pot luck meal, a Yankee Swap gift exchange or Secret Santa event. Give the staff a turkey for their holiday dinner.

3.   Many Hands Make Light Hearts - Engage the group in a charity event day - volunteer at local food bank or homeless shelter. Besides being altruistic, volunteering is a great team-building exercise.

4.   Competition Between Friends - Sponsor an employee contest to find ways to bring the holidays into the work setting to achieve the goals of the company.

5.   Help with Meals - If the company has a catering service or cafeteria, offer discounted prepared food that people can take home to save on the stress of cooking.

6.   Free Gift Wrapping - Set up free gift wrapping stations or even offer free gift wrapping services for your employees.

7.   Give Thanks Often - Increase recognition efforts during the holiday season. While having a sustainable year round recognition strategy should be a priority for all organizations, the holiday season can be an especially stressful time for many employees. It doesn’t take a big holiday bonus; some meaningful holiday cheer can be just the thing they need.