â–¶ All Work and No Play Makes for Dull Summer, Study Finds: Flexible schedules and early Friday departures are the most coveted employee summer perks, according to a survey developed by administrative staffing agency OfficeTeam.
The survey polled 457 employees working in office environments and examined how companies utilize cost-effective motivational strategies during the summer months such as staggering customer service reps’ schedules and allowing flexible hours. The most desirable summer benefits as revealed by the poll:
• 38% prefer more flexible schedules;
• 32% prefer leaving the office early on Fridays;
• 6 % prefer activities such as company picnics and potlucks; and,
• 5% would like a more relaxed dress code during warmer months.
Source: OfficeTeam
â–¶ Social Media Not Just for Slackers: Companies dealing with diminished communications budgets are using social networks to compensate, says a recently report by the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) Research Foundation and Buck Consultants.
The Employee Engagement Survey, which polled almost 1,500 employers, found that 79% of respondents regularly use social media to engage employees and encourage productivity, topping even e-mail. The report also found that:
• Company blogs are the most popular social media tool currently in use (47%), with discussion boards ranking the highest for future planned use (33%);
• More than half of respondents (52%) report their communication budgets have decreased, and 35% report their communication staff has been reduced over the past 12 months;
• The most common reasons cited for communication budget and staff cuts are the economic downturn (46%) and organizational mandates (42%);
• 48% percent report that their employee communication strategy has remained the same despite the economic downturn; and,
• 56% of top executives are not currently using social media, and nearly half (46%) of organizations are not measuring social media’s effectiveness.
Source: Buck Consultants
â–¶ Web Ads Most Effective, C-Level Says: Forbes ’ 2009 Advertising Effectiveness study is out, and it shows that advertisers consider digital media an increasingly valuable avenue for improving brand perception.
Forbes polled 112 CMOs and senior level executives on topics ranging from ad networks to e-newsletters to measurement. Among the report’s key findings:
• 43% of respondents said that sponsoring a Web site, page or digital publication is the most effective digital tool when it comes to affecting brand perceptions;
• SEO and e-newsletter marketing are by far the most popular methods of digital marketing among respondents;
• Respondents were least happy with ad networks, with less than half claiming that the results did not meet expectations;
• The success of digital marketing campaigns appear to be measured most frequently by the bottom line, with tangible impact being the most important factor in determining success; and,
• When it comes to behavioral targeting, the strongest concern among respondents was its effectiveness, followed by fear of customer backlash.
Source: Forbes
â–¶ Investing in Innovation Increasingly Important: A recent Frost & Sullivan report reveals that the most important factor in shaping innovation and product development strategies is the growing need for new products (48%).
According to the study, brands that invest in marketing in the midst of a recession generally gain market share when the recession ends. The study also found that:
• The two most pressing challenges are generating and maintaining a pipeline of commercially viable innovations (21%) and identifying and developing breakthrough innovation ideas (13%); and,
• 33% of respondents feel that the global economic downturn is the most important factor in shaping product development strategies. PRN
Source: Frost & Sullivan