What gets a salesperson fired?

Last month (read here)we reported on the characteristics hiring managers look for when evaluating prospective candidates for positions in their organizations. In this article we follow up with a focus on the characteristics most likely to lead to dismissal.

Developing Successful Contests

This is the second article in our new Event Presentation category, including recent research on successful contests.

It’s amazing for me to see so many contests poorly presented and executed during events at all levels of sport , including high school, college, and professional. Some people say they realize their contests are less than desirable but that’s what their sponsors wanted. Others argue they just don’t have the budget and/or resources necessary to develop successful contests. Regardless of the excuse, the bottom line is every contest you present to the people attending your event represents your brand. By showcasing a contest that does not meet your organization’s standards, you jeopardize your event presentation and your organization’s reputation. I realize this sounds a little dramatic, but the reality is it’s true. Our job is to enhance the experience of those attending our events and prevent people from forming negative impressions regarding our brand.

How Sponsorships Work: Three Main Takewaways

Sitting around the table with Chris Hibbs (Senior Director of Sales & Marketing ), Ryan Huzjak (Director of Partnership Marketing), and J.R. Rudgers (Partnership Marketing Development Analyst) at the Bears conference room at Soldier Field last month, we reviewed the overall results of our study of the team’s anchor sponsors. Toward the end of the meeting, Ryan asked, “What are the main takeaways?”

Why should banks, auto, insurance, and wireless invest in sponsorships?

Congress, the media, and Americans don't complain when they see Coke, McDonald's, or Miller Lite sponsor sporting events. They get it.

Coca-Cola sponsors the Chicago Bears. If passionate fans of the Chicago Bears buy more Coke than Pepsi, we aren’t particularly surprised. They do, in fact. Over half of passionate fans and over one-third of all Bears’ fans frequently observed Coke’s activation efforts during the Bears 2010 season. These engaged passionate fans see the Coca-Cola brands as more distinct and reported consuming 27% more Coke products than those in the Chicago market unaware or unobservant of Coke’s activation efforts with the Bears.

That, in a nutshell, is how sponsorships work. Passionate fans are motivated to observe the sponsor’s activation efforts, see the brand as distinct from competitors, and buy the more distinct brand.