Author Archives: Lyndon Evershed

Recruitment and onboarding new staff

What are you doing to recruit and welcome great talent?

We are in a new decade for recruitment and recovering from a pandemic and economy challenges. We have new generations entering the workplace, as Gen Z hit the market. People are living longer. Diversity and inclusion are key, exposing richer, wider talent pools.

UK HR Professionals are gearing up for a new war on talent with research finding that:

• Only one in fifty HR Professionals (2%) thought the war for talent was over or “that it’s going to be easier to find and retain talent in 2021”.
• Almost two-thirds (65%) reported that “organisations will need the best people on board to help them rebuild” following the pandemic.

As the saying goes ‘You never have a second chance to make a first impression’. This is particularly true for organisation’s looking to attract the best talent. And this is more than just about the recruitment process. Welcoming new employees into your organisation is particularly important.

HR leaders can have a positive impact on recruitment and onboarding process change, from role requirement changes to incorporate additional digital skills for hybrid working, to training and assessments online. The new normal is digital and many of your new recruits will be used to using technology daily.

When onboarding and running induction programmes, considerations will need to be given to whether the new employees are working on premises or elsewhere. Ensuring that those important first impressions and connections are made with managers and co-workers will be a priority to ensure the team connect for ongoing collaboration, productivity and innovation.

In a study by Glassdoor, they found that great employee onboarding can improve team retention by 82% and increase productivity by up to 70%.

As well as the usual onboarding sessions to bring new employees up to speed on company culture, values and purpose as well there will be a need for knowledge sharing and skills training. Using branded products as a reward for completing stages of onboarding and training will ensure the learning is retained and there are reminders to hand. New recruits will be eager to advance through these stages to start contributing to a company that has invested in their new career.

Are you engaging enough?

Find out and take the test!

Limelight’s Employee Engagement Assessment has been designed to show HR professionals their blind spots and provide instant, actionable steps on how to improve your employee engagement.

Six recommendations

Be flexible with the hiring process and acknowledge how the pandemic is affecting candidates as well as your organisation

It’s difficult to attract talent and showcase what makes your organisation unique, from the working environment, facilities, atmosphere and their new work mates. You’ll need to understand candidates’ tolerance for onsite interviews, with many opting for remote interviews web-based, even during the final interview processes.

Consider how you can make these an experience and engaging. Look at ways to subtly reinforce your values. Eco friendly branded merchandise and recruitment packs sent to candidates can deliver great impact and deliver key messages – even contracts!

Incorporate culture into your hiring process 

Candidates make assessments and develop opinions about an organisation from the moment they first interact with you – right the way through until they leave. Understanding which moments have the most impact during this journey is vital.

With so many potential workplaces available, your company values will ultimately help top people choose their next long-term job. If you’re looking to catch the eye of the best talent out there, investigate bringing your values to light by sending company merchandise early in the hiring process.

Make the recruitment process more human 

With high competition in the job market (for top talent), make sure your hiring process is a humanised one that’s differentiated from other companies and competitors. Consider candidates being sent personalised and friendly messages after sending in their application.

Make the process enjoyable too. Provide candidates with access to any resources they might need during the hiring process. These could include employee handbooks, videos, and other tools – such as an existing member of staff, that introduce a potential hire to the company, its values, leadership style and culture.

Build a brand for recruitment 

More than ever, the experience inside your organisation is visible to those outside your organisation. Sites such as Glassdoor, LinkedIn and other social media or alumni networks give your people the freedom, power and medium to share their views and experiences. Get it wrong, and you’ll struggle to compete for quality talent, but get it right, and your employees will do your employer marketing for you.

Welcome packs and onboarding kits are great for integrating new starters or attracting talent whilst promoting your brand in the marketplace. Celebrate your culture and use swag as a great way for employees to champion your brand.

Adapt your onboarding process to accommodate remote, or virtual starters 

It is important that HR teams review and adapt their processes accordingly so new starters can feel included both when on premises and away from the office.

To help make up for the fact that some new employees won’t be in the office, focus on helping them feel informed and connected. They should feel immediately part of the team during onboarding and orientation. A “welcome” message from the CEO, other leaders or their new teammates is one example of how you can make new hires feel important, alongside sending office equipment and company merchandise to get them ready in advance for day one.

Communicate COVID safety measures and new office protocols in an engaging way

A clear and transparent plan for returning to the office is vital to ensure employees are confident that their employer is treating their health and safety with the upmost importance.

To ensure your people remain safe whilst working from your premises, use something tangible as a method of communicating and engaging effectively, whilst equipping your people with products to keep them and others safe from infection. Consider sending staff essential PPE packs, important guidelines and a welcome back message to encourage their safe return.

We can help!

Limelight can create bespoke Welcome or New Starter packs for onboarding new talent or bringing back remote staff, contractors or others that have had a prolonged time away to the office. We can work with you to source, brand and dispatch any staff pack you need to across the globe – location has become irrelevant.

Employee retention

What are you doing to retain your valued employees?

High employee turnover can damage your company. It reflects badly on your brand. It can affect productivity. Employee churn increases recruitment costs and can create a negative working environment.

When employees feel they have organisational support and wellbeing resources, they will be more likely to recommend their company to a friend, less likely to leave and more likely to be engaged.

Research from The Work Institute found that 3 out of 4 employees could have been prevented from leaving their jobs. Voluntary resignation reasons included:

• 22 out of 100 employees left for Career Development
• 12 out of 100 left for Work-Life Balance
• 11 out of 100 left because of Manager Behaviour
• 9 out of 100 left for Compensation and Benefit
• 8 out of 100 left for Well-Being
• 8 out of 100 left for Job Characteristics
• 5 out of 100 left because of the Work Environment

The same organisation found that the average cost of an employee leaving their job is 33% of their salary. Churn adds significant operational costs, compromising growth and profit.

Improving employee retention reduces the risk of losing staff and facing the costs and disruption caused from recruitment. Higher retention and excellent word of mouth will also position you more successfully within the competition for talent.

Are you engaging enough?

Find out and take the test!

Limelight’s Employee Engagement Assessment has been designed to show HR professionals their blind spots and provide instant, actionable steps on how to improve your employee engagement.

Eight recommendations

Understand why your employees leave and build retention campaigns triggered by managers and staff

People leave jobs if expectations and needs are not met or exceeded. In the majority of reports the three top reasons were career development, work-life balance, and manager behaviour.

Conduct onboarding surveys or encourage your team to have conversations about what drives employees early in the employment lifecycle. If it’s incentives or recognition, start to reward and thank your people. Continually assess the dynamic of your teams, management styles and the overall working environment. What else could you do or provide to your people as they grow along with your organisation.

Retention efforts should start on day one, and this makes the onboarding process crucial to retention success

The onboarding process can also act as a predictor as to whether the employee will be short- or long-term. Make an impact during this process, provide up-to-date equipment, technology and welcome packs and company merchandise – everything they need to feel prepared, ready and part of the team from day one.

Successful onboarding should accomplish three things for employees, once complete they should:

1. understand what makes the company unique
2. learn exactly how their jobs help fulfil the company’s mission
3. experience the mission and values of the company at every touchpoint.

By creating better experiences during the onboarding phase, you can build emotional connections early in the employee journey.

Be aware that needs and expectations change across the lifecycle of an employee

An employee’s needs and expectations at two weeks will be different to that at two years. This should be reflected in your reward and recognition scheme. Differences between worker diversity groups across generation, nationality, sex and belief systems will also need to be considered.

Retaining your talent can be supported by various means including financial rewards, job security, professional development, company culture and values, work-life-balance and flexibility, physical and mental wellbeing, ESG, charity and community involvement, incentives and recognition from peers and management.

Keep compensation and benefits current 

Be sure to pay employees a fair wage for their work (or better) and offer them competitive benefits. This might seem obvious, but you’d be surprised how few companies offer increases that keep up with an employee’s development and rising worth.

But paying higher salaries isn’t always feasible across the entire company. Instead, look for opportunities to provide spot rewards and recognition. Quality merchandise and SWAG packs can be used as a thank you and seen by other team members as aspirational drivers.

Understand the cost of your employee churn rate

Once you know the churn rate, you should calculate the cost of employee turnover. Look at your organisation as a whole and at departments. Include any costs necessary for the calculation such as exit and recruitment fees, loss of time, impact on productivity, impact on team morale and any other measures.

Then, factor in the cost of different strategies you might use to reduce the rate. If you increase employee benefits, rewards, and improve the working environment, could these offset the cost of replacing employee(s) and reduce the overall employee churn rates?

Perks can make your workplace stand out to potential new hires and re-engage current staff 

Perks can also be a tactic to improve employee morale, whilst times are good and during those difficult times. Look again at flexible schedules and remote work options, these are becoming the perks many professionals value most.

Ensure that provisions are in place for your talent. For example, together you have identified that flexible working is important to them. How are they going to remain connected to your culture and brand? Have access to tools, equipment and systems when working remotely? Use a collection of branded products to communicate and keep them productive and engaged. Have these ready to support changing work habits and patterns.

Wellness programs are important, becoming more popular and expected 

Keeping employees fit – mentally, physically and financially – is just good business. The pandemic prompted many leading employers to expand and improve their wellness offerings to help employees feel supported and prioritise their well-being.

Stress management programs, health screening, retirement planning services and reimbursement for fitness classes are just some ways your business might improve your employee wellness.

When introducing such programmes, use this as an opportunity to equip your people with branded fitness clothing, equipment and products – great for brand exposure and bringing everyone together during team activities.

Make sure you have the right people and team 

It’s difficult to build a good team if the turnover is high, but sometimes an employee – no matter what you do – just doesn’t ‘fit’. And no matter how effective they might be at their actual work, an employee who is a bad fit can create a toxic culture.

The morale of remaining employees might drop when people around them leave. If they need to also take on additional responsibilities, then productivity and morale can be further impacted. Recognise and reward their commitment, especially whilst they continue to perform their own responsibilities and take on another’s. This can be as simple as a letter of appreciation from management, or much more.

We can help!

Keeping good staff, removing toxic elements whilst being able to bring in new recruits with fresh ideas is a tough ask.

Limelight can assist you with your reward or recognition program to help recognise and retain your talent. Creating an awards program that meets your corporate objectives is another great way or motivating staff using promotional products as rewards.

Employee recognition

People want to be recognised and rewarded for great work.

The goal of an employee recognition programme is to encourage and reinforce positive behaviours that results in exceeding objectives and boosting business results. Recognition is an excellent motivator, driving employees to aim for positive reinforcement.

HR can utilise carefully considered and creative merchandise as a tool to reinforce positive behaviours and recognise employee achievements.

Psychologists divide positive reinforcement into four types, differentiated by the type of reinforcer.

1. Natural reinforcers occur as a result of the behaviour. We can all relate to the advice of ‘study hard and you’ll get good grades’.
2. Token reinforcers are given for certain behaviours. These could be Employee of the Month recognition through to gifts or incentives.
3. Social reinforcers are approval of a behaviour. A public thank you for a job well-done or mentions in internal communications help with recognition.
4. Tangible reinforcers are psychical or tangible rewards. Creative expressions that are meaningful will live long in the minds of the employee.

At the other end of the spectrum, those who receive no praise will feel that their work is not up to par or that the manager doesn’t rate their performance. These feelings can create a negative working environment. Getting the balance right is crucial.

Demonstration that employees feel valued should be part of your company culture. A year-round programme adds benefits as employees and leaders are seen to be appreciated and appreciative. The first Friday in March is National Employee Appreciation Day – a celebration day with the purpose to strengthen the bond between employer and employee.

Employee recognition by their manager increases trust. It is also a motivator, and it is said to lead to an increase in productivity and innovation. A win:win for all involved.

In the CIPD Reward Management Survey, February 2021,70% of employers use variable rewards and recognition. Of those, 44% said that they had made changes to their existing arrangements or had plans to do so by March 2021.

“Employers do recognise that the pandemic has changed work, the workforce and the workplace massively in a relatively short space of time. However, as they’ve been so busy dealing with the day-to-day people consequences, they haven’t had time to reflect on what the implications of this new reality mean for how they could – or should – reward, and recognise, employee contributions.”

CIPD Reward Management Survey, February 2021

Are you engaging enough?

Find out and take the test!

Limelight’s Employee Engagement Assessment has been designed to show HR professionals their blind spots and provide instant, actionable steps on how to improve your employee engagement.

Seven recommendations

Reward your people who demonstrate positive behaviours and values 

Employees want to work in a culture that demonstrates they are appreciated and valued. HR should introduce values and initiatives that continually support and drive those types of behaviours. Creating a great company culture results in higher productivity, lower attrition and greater employee engagement. This also leads to greater customer satisfaction.

We recommend that you recognise employees for those quick wins and project achievements that regularly occur at the workplace. Use this as an opportunity to tell your employees specifically why they are being recognised by management. And make sure their peers understand why they are acknowledged for hard work. This builds morale, improves the culture and shows appreciation in a sustainable way.

Thank You packs, spotlight awards and performance related products are all great to reward your team – so is a letter from the boss.

Implement a real-time peer-to-peer recognition system

Value-based rewards should be a key component of your employee recognition program. Employees who take part in a value-based recognition program feel more appreciated for their work every step of the way. Knowing you’re doing a great job is one thing, hearing others say it out loud adds a different dimension.

This can be tactile (like the stars on the board approach) or using your communication channels (internal or external like giving kudos on LinkedIn). Either way, look to instantly commend great work, and curate value-based packs and products for your employees to acknowledge their peers based on the values they portray.

Don’t be afraid to go public with your rewards and recognitions

Publicly rewarding the employees who demonstrate your company values in their work will go far beyond delighting that individual alone; your appreciation will act as an example to other team members and encourage them to exhibit similar behaviours, whilst also demonstrating to those outside your organisation that you appreciate your people and live your values.

These individuals should not just be selected by the management team. By encouraging peer recognition too, you’ll be able to ensure positive behaviours don’t go unnoticed, and it’ll encourage staff to live by the values as look for them in others. However, you decide to show your appreciation and reward your team, be sure to do so regularly and in a timely manner to provide the most impact and positive reinforcement.

Manage your talent with the appropriate recognition

Talent management and employee recognition can significantly affect the level of employee performance and contribute to overall organisational success and positioning.

Managers should know the best time and approach to provide feedback and recognition, in order to endorse high levels of engagement; otherwise, too much or inappropriate recognition could adversely affect an employee’s intrinsic motivation.

Provide a variety of recognition options for managers (or employees) to choose from that:

1. reflects performance
2. matches motivations
3. fits personality types, and
4. can be delivered with maximum impact

Ensure that you reward regardless of role and locations 

Most workforces consist of multiple different work functions from caretakers to C-Suite, spread across offices, warehouses, shops, client premises or at home.

It is important to have an aligned recognition program which supports keeping all workers engaged and performing, regardless of function or location. Even though contractors or consultants aren’t technically ‘employees’ they fundamentally support your organisations objectives, and hopefully align to your values – therefore should be included in your recognition program. Likewise, employees working remotely deserve the same rewards as those that would sit two desks away from their line manager.

Recognise fairly and develop a recognition program that doesn’t discriminate

Employees not only deserve good pay and benefits; they should also be treated fairly. They want to make a substantial contribution to the organisation and be valued and appreciated for their efforts.

Show appreciation and implement ongoing recognition programs which are all inclusive and do not discriminate in any way, shape or form.

Timing of reward and recognition is everything

When it comes to recognition, timing is vital. The act of recognition needs to occur when the high-quality performance is still at the forefront of both your managers and the employee’s mind. If high performance is continued amongst the same members of the team, this should also increase the frequency of recognition.

The recognition act needs to be carefully timed, so it does not lose meaning. It also needs to be appropriate and proportionate to the achievement in question. The bigger the achievement the bigger the reward.

We can help!

Limelight understands that using corporate merchandise in your employee recognition program provides your workers with something tangible and branded to reward greater productivity, positive attitudes, and results.

We’re here to help deliver a selection of merchandise suitable for all levels of recognition. Showing your appreciation for outstanding performance can highlight your commitment to your people and be aligned to company values to reinforce positive behaviours and attitude to work.

People performance

When your people are at peak performance, innovation increases.

Maintaining workforce motivation and measuring people performance is a core focus for all organisations. Having a motivated and productive workforce helps you accomplish your goals.

There is constant pressure to maintain and develop employee motivation. A survey by Inpulse, an employee engagement consultancy, found that employee motivation dropped by nearly a fifth over the past two years, from an average score of 21% to 17% in 2021.

The Inpulse survey concludes that businesses are experiencing negative emotions “like never before”, and that employers must take care to address the burnout and resilience problems of their workforces by accurately measuring and responding to employee sentiments.

To motivate your teams, you need to benchmark each employee to understand where they currently are and where they want to be. There are six core factors which are said to influence people performance:

1. Job satisfaction
2. Training and Development
3. Employee Engagement
4. Goals and Expectations
5. Tools and Equipment
6. Morale and Company Culture.

These factors are not static. They change over time as an individual’s personal circumstances change.

In recent research of more than 800 people about what they missed about the workplace, the results were stark:

• 24% said they missed nothing
• 53% said their friends and teammates
• 27% missed small talk at the coffee machine or water cooler.

With a changing workplace environment, HR will need to put in place a revised approach to Employee Performance. HR needs to adapt to flexible working, introducing new people into a hybrid workplace and maintaining motivation of their people in the new world of work.

Are you doing enough?

Find out and take the test!

Limelight’s Employee Engagement Assessment has been designed to show HR professionals their blind spots and provide instant, actionable steps on how to improve your employee engagement.

Eight recommendations

Maintain a motivated team by meeting their task-based needs

Many people still believe that the more work you get done, the more productive you are. This is a common misconception that must change. This issue needs to be resolved to ensure your employees are motivated and willing to add extra time and effort to produce better quality work.

Consider providing your people with visible training and learning opportunities, alongside tools and products to help them achieve the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)or standards required of them. Provide productivity packs and the best products and equipment for their routines and tasks. This will boost efficiency and reduce time spent on repetitive, mundane tasks.

Breakdown end goals into bitesize objective-based rewards

Define specific objectives and set out how to achieve each individual objective and champion each success. This approach is powerful for specific or project-based work to be carried out a step at a time. This method creates a culture of ‘working towards a common goal’. As each objective or milestone is realised those involved are aware of their achievement, this helps to improve moral and motivation.

Each stage can be rewarded with products and perks. Not only is the individual more aware of their accomplishments, but so are the team – encouraging others to strive for the same level of performance.

Rethink the way you develop your people and reward progress

Managers need the tools and framework to implement personal development plans based on reflection of an employee’s performance and needs.

Continually assess and help managers communicate progress with feedback that is timely, impactful and personal. Consider curating a selection of product-based perks, to be unlocked as teams and individuals achieve their goals.

Facilitate coaching or mentoring programmes to optimise employees’ strengths and identify areas for improvement. Add elements to assist with this process, for instance, training kits and tangible coaching aids.

Align the performance of your people with your values and vision 

Careful and creative thinking to understand what motivates your people will lead to improved people performance. Running a company values workshop is an effective idea – for any size organisation. Take time to explain your ethos and purpose to staff, ask for their feedback and involve them in how to deliver against them. Include merchandise that reinforces the message and the experience, this also increases engagement and results in staff feeling valued.

Integrate core values throughout the employee experience 

To successfully promote core values throughout your organisation, it’s vital that you integrate them into every employee-related process, from how and who you recruit, what performance management systems you instigate, through to the criteria for promotions and rewards, and even dismissal policies.

Work alongside your marketing team to ensure your values are incorporated in your branding, promotion and messaging. Encourage your people to become brand ambassadors based on performance – they should live and breathe the company values. Reward them with branded merchandise packs and products to acknowledge their contribution. Not only will your people be driven by a desire to perform, but their peers will recognise highfliers in your organisation.

Hire (or not!) based on your values 

While experience and knowledge can be acquired on the job, values are not so easily transferable, and employing someone with the wrong fit can do more harm than good.

Values should be lived and breathed. Branded merchandise is a great way to communicate subtle (or obvious) references which will go a long way to embed values successfully (and subliminally). Sharing your values with the outside world can also be great for attracting new talent.

Encourage leadership to share anecdotes and regularly praise those who live by your values across the entire business. Everyone will have a clear understanding of the behaviours that see rewards. Just as importantly, employees displaying any conflicting or negative behaviours should be re-educated and managed accordingly.

Performance related rewards for people and teams

Employers can also opt for objective rewards on team-level performance rather than individual level. Both types work well; it’s important to match objectives to the nature of the work. For one job good performance may purely be a factor of individual application; for another it may rely more on teamwork and effort. When striking a balance between individual and team objectives, employers should be careful they do not undermine each other.

Look to productise a wide range of your performance-based rewards. This will provide a broader means to acknowledge performance and increases choice. After all, a reward that one team member may covet, might differ to another.

Sponsor and support team-building events and reap the rewards of engagement programs 

Bring together diverse people and teams who share similar values across the company. This is a great way for HR to foster a great community and encourage cross and inter department collaboration.

HR can develop these engagement programs to better integrate employees, establish company values, objectives and direction, whilst surveying their attitude toward the company and provide avenues to continually explore and expand on the organisation’s values.

Branded merchandise is a tool you can deploy throughout these programs to promote a sense of community and belonging, motivating employees to do their part for the good of the team. They will also do their part for internal marketing and reputation management.

We can help!

Limelight believes that to get employees truly invested in your brand takes more than just unlocking the marketing cupboard and handing out some merchandise. Careful and creative thinking to understand what motivates your people will lead to improved people performance.

Running a company values workshop is an effective idea – for any size organisation. Take the time to explain your ethos to staff, ask for their feedback and make them feel involved. Add in some merchandise that reinforces the experience to add to the feeling of being valued.

Wellbeing of your people

A top priority for HR leaders is now employee health and wellbeing.

This has shifted from prioritising recruitment and retention in recent years. Wellbeing has taken the top spot as HR recognises the value to look after employees and the need to provide a culture that supports employee wellbeing, mental health and flexible working.

Both employees and organisations have adapted remarkably well to the new ways of working due to lockdowns and restrictions. But the pandemic has certainly taken its toll on mental health and wellbeing.

• 51% of poor mental health caused by work was due to pressure.
• 76% of colleagues are considerate of their mental wellbeing, and a further 69% believe the same of their managers.

There is a challenge though for HR and leadership teams. While employees feel supported by colleagues and managers, they do not always feel HR departments (39%) and CEOs and boards (37%) are as considerate of mental wellbeing, often putting the organisation above the wellbeing of their colleagues. It is essential that HR takes the lead in placing employee wellbeing at the centre of your culture.

Employee wellbeing needs to be prioritised, managed effectively, and led from the board room. When employees are engaged, collaboration, productivity and innovation are known to increase.

Are you doing enough?

Find out and take the test!

Limelight’s Employee Engagement Assessment has been designed to show HR professionals their blind spots and provide instant, actionable steps on how to improve your employee engagement.

Eight recommendations

Improve the workforce experience

Workforce experiences can positively impact overall health and wellness. Help employees better manage their work-life balance and reduce work related stress and burnout.

Healthier employees take fewer sick days, are more productive in work, and are more willing and able to go the extra mile. By offering holistic wellness programmes, incentive programmes, spot rewards, senior leadership acknowledgement and smart working conditions, leaders can support the physical and mental health of their workforce. This has been linked to reduced absenteeism, improved productivity and retention.

Communicate your wellbeing strategy

Psychological, physical and financial wellbeing have been impacted in different ways for employees during the pandemic. Now is a good time to stress the importance of wellbeing initiatives and ensure a strategy is drafted and communicated to employees, so they feel valued and supported.

It is important to engage employees when developing the wellbeing strategy and identify the areas that most require investment and focus. Keep in mind that you will also need to consider how to retain your employees’ engagement as the strategy is rolled out in the medium and long term. Adopt a multi-channel approach, using varied communications (both online and offline) to deliver key messages effectively – a personalised wellness pack might be more effective than an e-voucher or membership. Understand what matters to your people.

Design a thorough wellbeing benefits structure

Structure your wellbeing programme to promote healthy behaviours around the core elements of wellbeing, both during and outside of work hours.

Provide traditional opportunities for employees to socialise organically, such as events, charity outings, birthday lunches. Use as an opportunity to bring cohesion and reinforce values, for example provide branded clothing with your campaign strapline.

Look at physical wellness (more than offering a yoga hour and a discounted gym membership). Explore programs that allow employees to monitor their health in real time, exercise in different ways including during working hours and gain access to health and fitness professionals.

Provide access to educational tools and financial advisors who can help people plan – setting up safety nets will mitigate future uncertainty and reduce stress.

Finally, HR is best positioned to provide career goals and positive feedback that can help assuage any discomfort people may have around their work. Optimising your performance management techniques and policies with wellness in mind will make a world of difference to keep your employees engaged and prevent work from becoming a source of anxiety and stress.

Adopt technology to help address wellbeing issues

Consider providing a comprehensive suite of technology to assist employees in pursuing wellness, such as:

• Emotional tech – improves self-awareness and emotional regulation
• Stress management tech – provides access to resources that help people understand stress and its impacts, and how to manage it
• Collaboration and trust tech – helps deepen group connections and further social bonds
• Cognition tech – guides people to organise their thoughts
• Coaching tech – creates structure for reflection in real time
• Energy tech – provides feedback on how to manage productivity and energy levels throughout the day
• Learning tech – facilitates the learning process so people can adapt more effectively and efficiently
• Wellness tech – optimisation of health and cognition.

By integrating some, or all the above technologies, HR not only does the individual a service, but the business and the culture of the organisation. Employee experience and engagement improves, and so will productivity, retention and business outcomes.

Measure the success of your wellbeing strategy

Evaluating the efficacy of your organisation’s wellbeing strategy demonstrates to your leadership team its value and reduces future friction when passing new wellbeing initiatives. This also ensures it is correctly targeted to your employees’ specific needs.

When deciding how to measure the success of your wellbeing strategy, consider what you are trying to achieve through implementation.

Fine tune your work environment

The physical work environment – noise levels, space, temperature and light – can significantly affect staff wellbeing. Make sure you consult people on how to improve the work environment and take action to ensure it is suitable. Space dividers, quiet spaces and reaching agreement on respectful behaviours to help manage noise levels may help tackle some of the typical issues.

Create an inclusive workplace, where regardless of role, wellbeing is supported. Consider what is required from your work environment, from each stakeholder. The workforce is increasingly made up of many different types of workers, all of whom have more choice and expectations about how, when and where they work.

Company-employed people may be employed on different contracts— full-time, part-time, temporary, at-will, flexible, leased or job sharing. Then there is the contingent workforce who are paid for their time, and gig workers who are paid by task, project or job. Failing to get experiences right for these types of workers can have serious consequences on productivity, culture, cohesion and wellbeing.

Promote a good work/life balance

Encourage your people to work sensible hours, take full lunch breaks and recuperate after busy periods. Senior leaders should role model these positive behaviours where possible. Supporting employees to fit their lives around their work with more flexibility and smart working practices can also keep people healthy, committed and productive and help reduce sickness absence.

Empowerment is key. Give your employees the tools they need to manage their own wellbeing, and they will be happier and healthier longer term. Organise expert seminars or workshops to educate your team on important wellbeing topics (such as how to improve sleep routines, stay hydrated, or reduce refined sugar intake). Rather than just send a presentation, or post-event email, reinforce your advice with workshop packs that include supporting products and information.

Take a proactive approach to wellbeing

Wellbeing shouldn’t be a reactive measure; it should be proactive and strategically implemented. Consider taking steps to understand the issues faced by employees and your organisation and then back it up with investment in the right areas.

To take the lead on wellbeing and engrain it within your people strategies will help create a workplace that works. This involves data gathering, engaging your workforce, measuring results, listening to feedback, and improving your policies and practices.

We can help!

Limelight assists companies to implement measures for new methods of working to ensure their employees work effectively, productively and most of all – safely. Employees will have peace of mind knowing their company is looking after them.

Limelight has a range of wellbeing packages for you to choose from. Sending a wellness pack is a great way to demonstrate appreciation for any employee, at home or in the office.

Adapting to change

We have an opportunity to revitalise and communicate the culture, brand behaviours and values of our organisation.

To emerge post pandemic and to continue high levels of engagement and productivity, your people will need to feel part of a team and culture – remaining connected, even while working apart.

To address this, companies need a cultural change – which is one of the four ‘key enablers’ for employee engagement of the MacLeod Review of 2009. Culture change can positively impact employee engagement – if communicated properly. While internal policies and procedures will identify how your company delivers and communicates change, a rushed, unplanned change can seriously damage the effectiveness of a department, its activities and reputation.

HR can help propel transformation and facilitate positive change. By adapting to change and prioritising people engagement, HR will be central to facilitating collaboration, increasing innovation and productivity.

Are you ready for change?

Find out and take the test!

Limelight’s Employee Engagement Assessment has been designed to show HR professionals their blind spots and provide instant, actionable steps on how to improve your employee engagement.

Six recommendations

Play your key role in the knowledge exchange

HR can bridge the gap between the high-level strategists behind change, and the workers who need to embrace it for company success. Change projects introduced with a limited understanding of day-to-day working practices will fail. That’s where HR is invaluable. You understand employee priorities and challenges and have insights into what their daily lives look like on the ground.

Gain complete buy-in from the management team

Knowing how to manage change effectively doesn’t come naturally to all. Too often change decisions are made and rolled out without a solid plan – with little thought given to the affect such changes have on everyone across the organisation, particularly those tasked with implementation. While HR can set the framework, they can’t control the day-to-day of every team, so manager training, commitment and influence is vital.

Consider creating resources to assist management when implementing change, both online and offline. This could include templated digital communications, onboarding packs and incentives.

No change management project will work without effective communication

To ensure you achieve your change management goals, you need the right messaging to your people in formats that they’ll pay attention to. And you need to ensure the information you share is received and accepted.

That requires more than sending out an email here and there. You need an overall strategy for communication that includes determining how to get the right information to each employee, and track whether they’ve engaged with it. Offline communications can deliver more impact and reinforce the sticky points when implementing change.

In large organisations, that’s no small task. Initiating a good system to manage your communications, with an inventory of promotional products your team can utilise to reward positive behaviours – will improve the success of your strategy.

Omnichannel communications can support your change

Communicating across multiple channels, personalising communications, and providing change stakeholders with the information they need, when they want it, is good communication.

However, before rushing headlong into firing off thousands of messages to staff via SMS, instant messenger, WhatsApp groups, your intranet, MS Teams and so on, a word of warning is necessary: if your omnichannel communication strategy is not connected, it can do more harm than good.

It is critical that you develop a comprehensive communications plan, with communication practices agreed by all. Discuss and identify the communication tools that your people want to use. Build a framework in which they can be used most effectively to engage your people during the change process.

Move away from flexible working to smart working

A fixed working day, with set, allowable variations and adaptions to the work schedule thrown in, is no longer enough. “Presenteeism” used to rule, but no longer with large numbers of the workforce working remotely.

Empower your people and trust them to manage their workload. Replace flexible working, with agile working practices where individuals have genuine autonomy over their working pattern. This is not just a change in the employment contract; it is a revolution in work culture.

Consider results-only measurement systems and autonomous working schemes where employees have high degrees of freedom and are rewarded for their efforts.

Work alongside facilities teams to create an activity-based workspace which allows for people to move around the building depending on the task they are performing. Provide them with the equipment and communications to support this way of working.

Reward contributions and acknowledge involvement

It’s well understood that it’s not organisations that change; it’s the people in them that drive change. Therefore, successfully guide your people through change and reward the adoption of new behaviours and routines necessary. This can be as simple as spot rewards, milestone achievements, or a personal letter from C-Level thanking them for their efforts.

Manage, address and resolve resistance throughout by employing a series of tactics that ensure people are given a chance to acquire the skills necessary (with the appropriate information, tools, equipment and support), and are acknowledged after.

We can help!

At Limelight we help HR professionals with creative concepts and practical solutions to engage your people during change. Through great communication and recognition of your people, employee engagement will increase, as will the willingness of your people to adapt to change. If you would value our assistance to improve your people engagement, we’re happy to help.

Limelight can help you communicate your organisational change and ensure your employees are engaged with bespoke branded merchandise – sourced, designed and delivered wherever it’s required.

It’s the start of a new year which only means one thing… New, exciting and innovative products! With a focus on advanced technology and eco-friendly products, these products are ready and waiting to be branded with your company logo!

Drink up! Get your colleagues talking with this light up, tumbler! Engrave your company logo onto the cup and when picked up and shaken, the tumbler will light up your logo! We also have a brand-new luxury, a durable and leakproof water bottle that’s perfect for everyday use and on the go!

Our anti-theft backpack is something that every traveller or commuter will love. No more worrying about looking over your shoulder when on the train or public place. The zip is placed at the back of the bag so impossible to be opened from the front and also includes a USB outlet and padded laptop compartment.

Being mindful of our environment has become a massive focus over the past few years. Why not take a step in the right direction and have a look at our range of sustainable and eco products? Our ECO mug with a cork sleeve, is plastic free, making it reusable, biodegradable and compostable! It is truly sustainable and safe for those who care about their health and the environment.

Why not add a little something unique to your desk space with our super convenient, wireless charger? Made out of ABS and 100% natural bamboo this wireless charger integrates perfectly on your desk or your living room. The pen holder is also convenient to store small objects to keep your desk clean and organised.

Technology is advancing further every day. Why not keep on trend with these true wireless earbuds! The earbuds can be re-charged in the 400 mAh charging case within 1 hour! They’re so easy to pair with your mobile device so you can listen to your favourite music, wherever you are.

Be sure to never find yourself scrambling for a plug socket. Be sure to never run out of battery with our handy compact power bank keychain! Easy to clip onto your keys to always have as an emergency backup battery to charge your phone!

Social media can be an excellent way to promote your brand and with LinkedIn being the ultimate business-centred medium, it’s definitely worth putting in some extra time and effort to develop your brands’ presence. With over 500 million users, LinkedIn can provide business exposure, enable you to engage with clients and generate sales. Here are some useful tips on just how you can do that.

Complete your Page – Companies with completed page information get over 30% more views. Most importantly, make sure the following are filled out: description, logo, contact information and company information.

Invest in quality content – In order to get the full benefit of the platform, you will need to share and create consistent, good quality content that addresses the main aims and objectives of your brand.

Keep it consistent – Try posting around 3-7 times a week to establish a good relationship with your audience. Posting during work hours will be beneficial with a focus on weekdays between the hours of 10am-5pm.

Speak to your Audience – Spend time understanding the actions of your page visitors and the engagement levels of posts… it will soon become clear as to what works well for your brand.

Ask Questions – Asking questions is a great way to start a conversation with other LinkedIn members. Always engage in the comments and make sure to like/ respond to relevant posts.

Highlight the Best of Your Brand – Be sure to highlight any particularly interesting and prominent information – This could include exciting contracts/collaborations and promotions.

Include Images & Videos – When posting on LinkedIn, you should always include images or media. Images usually receive a 2x high comment rate and videos are 5x more likely to be viewed above other types of content – a particularly great way to spark conversation!

If you’re anything like us, you will be wondering where 2018 has gone. With this in mind, it’s time to talk about the C word – CHRISTMAS is coming! The countdown is on and so we’re ready to talk festive gifts.  Here are our recommendations for the ‘most wonderful time of the year’…

Now the festive season is all about giving, say thanks to your partners, associates, clients and of course employees who have helped see you through another successful year of business. Say thank you in style, with a beautifully presented hamper of treats!

The lead up to Christmas may be busy, chaotic and stressful for some. Add some Christmas cheer with some festive treats for your hard-working office elves. Dress your workplace Christmas tree with small, tasty treats or simply add desk advent calendars to embrace the countdown. Small gifts make for great incentives too such as Christmas  bauble, chocolate medallions

Winter warmers! Christmas may be just one day, but winter is much longer. Give the gift of functionality with our handy items! Christmas star mug, ice scraper, touchscreen gloves, hot water bottle.

Time to get organised. Your January 2019 strategy may already be ready and waiting for the clock to strike midnight on December 31st, but is everyone else prepared? Take care of the task of buying new stationery by supplying your employees with brand new sparkling diaries and calendars. Our handy desk calendars and diaries are also a great way to wish your clients a happy new year!

Can’t see what you’re looking for? Our team are full of creative ideas for the festive period, simply get in touch let us inspire you!

When it comes to promotional gifts, the possibilities are endless. A wise man once said “variety is the spice of life” and variety is certainly something we can offer, however, there are some promotional staples that simply can’t be ignored. Gone are the days when marketing budgets allowed you to indulge and experiment, instead things need to be carefully considered and most of all – useful! If you’re sitting in an office right now take a moment to look around you, how many things are branded? Are they on show? Full of coffee? Thought so.

Technology

Whether we like it or not, we live in a digital age. For every device we own, there are so many intelligent and useful gadgets that can prove a great accessory (and an even better marketing gift!) USB’s are a great option for both employees and clients, extra storage space will always be welcomed. View USB’s here

Portable charging has become something we can’t ignore – power banks are compact, easy to use and incredibly handy to have on your person. The verdict? Everyone on the globe with a smartphone needs to own one. When it comes to design, we’ve hand-picked a collection full of all shapes and sizes. Become a talking point with a built-in mirror, torch, Rubix cube and more. Browse the full selection here

Drinkware

This may seem obvious and a little cliche – but trust us. Mugs, flasks, travel cups and bottles are used frequently in the office and often, out of it too. Those personalised gym bottles? Told you so. When it comes to drinkware, there are options to suit any clientele, campaign or business genre.

Mugs – An office staple that are often taken for granted. Personalisation is a great way to keep these items in use for longer, widening your marketing reach at the same time.

Travel cups – Practicality is everything in our modern, busy lives. The collapsible silicone pocket cup is a versatile choice for those looking for a usable cup.

Eco-Friendly – If your mission is sustainability then eco-friendly drinkware is your friend.

Infuser bottles – With health and fitness forever trending, many are embracing a health kick at work. Infuser bottles make a stylish addition to your merchandising and allow the user to add fruit to the central body for added flavour.

View all drinkware here

2018 has flown by so far this year, who can believe that we are already in April?! We’ve been taking a look at which products have been trending this year and which products we predict will be trending for the rest of 2018!

The biggest trend of all has got to be fashion, with promotional t-shirts & polo shirts being an ongoing trend year on year! By achieving brand recognition through a trendy t-shirt, people will continue to attract attention to your brands designs. Slogan t-shirts have been going down a storm this year, so why not brand a t-shirt with your brand’s slogan or a catchy phrase that links to your branding! But if you want to go for more simple approach then who can go wrong with a little logo print?

Now, let’s think about the start of almost everyone’s morning routine. Coffee! The coffee industry has given the world a real buzz in 2018, independent stores are popping up everywhere. But more importantly a lot of them are encouraging people to bring their own coffee cups or mugs to reduce the amount of plastic and paper waste. By branding your own coffee cup for customers or staff to use you aren’t only raising awareness for your brand, but you are also contributing to the environment and who doesn’t want that!

Next up, a lot of people are still on their fitness kick for 2018 and with summer fast approaching, more people than ever are jumping on the gym hype! Wellness products are an increasingly popular category with customers and colleagues. By promoting a healthy lifestyle, you are showing your employees and customers that you care about their health and wellbeing. Fitness trackers and water bottles are great promotional items to give away to employees as rewards or corporate gifts.

Finally, who isn’t leaving the house without their phone now?! Power banks are everyone’s best friend in 2018, especially for businesses that are dependent on their phones. A portable and stylish power bank boosts your phones battery and your brands awareness by helping your customers and colleagues through their dynamic and busy lifestyles. Why not take your power bank to the next level and create something that no one else has, by adding extra functions to an already desirable product, you could end up with the trendiest promotional product of the year!

We hope that these trendy products help you to promote your brand in 2018, and if you still want some other ideas then take a browse at our range of the products on our site!

Exhibitions and trade shows are an essential for direct marketing to current and future customers in your market. You know that everyone at the exhibition is interested in your genre of product as they have voluntarily come to the event, resulting in not only a captive audience, but a very enthusiastic one! This alone is the exact reason why you need to make your stall stand out from the many other similar stalls, and we’ve come up with some suggestions on exactly how to do this.

For anyone that has ever attended a trade show or exhibition, you’ll know that these events are thirsty work! By providing attendees with refreshments you can quench their interest in your stall whilst they stop to refresh. Utilising branded cups and packaging will boost the visual marketing for your brand as people take away any snacks or goodies whilst they walk around the event.

Next up, why not offer a fun type of freebie? Competitions have an added element of excitement and will mean you could collect email addresses for your email marketing. Entice people into your competition by offering a reward for entering – trending gimmicks are a great way of engaging an audience. By supplying a branded product that is popular of the time will boost your stalls footfall! A gift can act as a tangible reminder of your business and brand.

Remember to give the people what they want, and what do people want more than to access Wi-Fi or their phone? Branding power banks and portable car chargers will entice any mobile addict to your stand without a doubt, and we’re sure they will carry on using it in the future. By gifting something with a practical use, customers are more likely to come over to your store and engage with your products.

Why not give people something to use in the office? You can’t go wrong with the traditional gifts, and everyone loves a pen, mug, note pad or mouse mat. So why not use them to your advantage by tracking the ROI on these types of products by branding them with a bespoke URL that people can use to search for on your website. This way you can track and distinguish where people have come from to land on your website. Or use the same idea to send them to your social pages or to sign up to a newsletter, the opportunities are endless!

If you’re still looking for a little inspiration, then go over to the products section of our website for some more ideas!

Using promotional products is a great way to break the ice with a potential customer. They’ll be more likely to listen to what you have to say Ii you can get their attention and keep it. You will probably have the power to then follow through with a sale.

However, to get the positive results you’re striving for, you will need to execute the process of choosing promotional products properly.

Below are 5 important points to follow:

1. Keep your target audience in mind

If you provide your recipients with items they will actually be interested in, everyone wins! Your money goes to great use, you are gaining brand recognition and you’ll most likely see some ROI.

2. Quality is key

Customers tend to keep promotional products for around 8 months, if the quality of the product is good then there is no reason for them to throw it away. Most free items tend to be cheap and lack quality in return shortening the life expectancy of the product. The quality of a product is also a reflection of the company, and it can damage your reputation if products simply don’t work!

3. Be innovative

If you use items that people have already received a ton of they might just end up in the bin. You can ensure it’s held onto and remembered by making it useful, creative, high-quality and innovative. In return it’s likely to be in demand and the receiver will happily show friends and colleagues!

There are ways to make even simple products look sophisticated. Use guidance from the sales or order rep to help you make your items uniquely yours.

4. Include a call to action

The item may be usable, targeted, and fit your strategy—but it fails if you don’t give the customer a way to take action.

Include your company’s contact information: logo, URL, tagline, phone number, QR code—whatever makes sense for your initiative. And with a finite space in which to work, make every line count.

5. A product should be useful

Handing out a free item that actually serves a purpose to someone will most definitely be a winner! The receiver is most definitely going to thank a brand if the product helps make their life a little easier each and every day.

Always remember…

The majority of people who receive a promotional product are also more likely to have a favourable impression of the company that gave it to them. So, you essentially have a beneficial branding message by simply giving away some free products.

Promotional products allow people to see your brand, associate your brand, and recognize your brand. All these things are important as the more people who become aware of your brand, the better results you will see in business and sales.

It’s the end of the year and the most typical saying or phrase around this period of time is ‘I’ll just start it in the new year’. Just like many of us wanting to start with a fresh new look at the beginning of the year, we can also expect to see new revamped marketing campaigns and product launches from brands for 2018 filtering in throughout January. But what’s the best way to market a new product launch or marketing campaign? Well we can help you out with that one.

If you’re looking to build your brands recognition with your customers, then promotional products have always been a popular choice as they’re easy to personalise and adapt to the needs of your target market. A study conducted by the BPMA found that the ROI on promotional products delivered a better return on investment than radio and outdoor advertising, and was equal to TV and print.

When choosing your promotional product think about working on something that will have an impact on your audience in the long run, this will ensure exposure for your brand. By choosing a durable and useful promotional product people will be more likely to keep and use the item, so it’s worth looking into your audience’s wants and needs before sending out a product. It’s definitely worth sending a product with a connection to your brand or campaign that you’re running to make a clear link. The best found combination for an effective promotional product for it to be both useful to the person receiving it and for it to have a connection to your brand for future recollection.

According to the BPMA survey some of the most popular promotional products were found to be USB drives, pens or a mug.

With that being said, let us help you be creative and innovative with your promotional merchandise. Be sure to stand out from your competitors in 2018!

It’s that time of year again when everyone starts feeling festive! The Christmas lights are up, the classic songs are playing on the radio and someone has started bringing mince pies into the office. Then, just before you know it you’ve been allocated the task to buy gifts for clients & staff! You never quite know what to get! So we’ve put together a list of the top 5 gifts that everyone in the office would DEFINITELY want this year!

Headphones – who doesn’t want a good pair of headphones in the office to help them get in the zone and really focus on their work? It also means you can drown out the office radio… after all, no one wants to listen to the same radio songs every day.

Stationary – no one really wants to admit it, but there is nothing better than using a brilliant pen at work! Just make sure you get them a pen pot as well to store all their new stationary.

Desk plant – bring a little bit of life and greenery to their desk. The desk top garden will also give this person something to look after on their desk, and then when it starts to grow they can boast to everyone in the office about how well they’ve looked after it. And consequently, I’m sure you’ll hear nothing if it ends up only surviving a couple of weeks!

Mug- now this one might sound boring, but hear me out. Everyone loves either a nice warm cup of coffee or tea in the morning after their cold winter commute to the office, right? So why not get them something that they’ll actually use! And everyone’s definitely got a favourite mug that they prefer to drink out of, so get them one that will beat their favourite.

Hamper – who doesn’t love food? A hamper full of goodies is definitely a secret Santa gift that will get everyone else feeling envious! You can personalise it with all of their favourite treats and snacks that they like to pick at in the office, and this way they won’t be raiding the snack cupboard every day!

So, we’ve started you off with a few festive, affordable and practical gifts that everyone in the office will love. So get out there and start shopping!

We are all bombarded with multichannel media content on a 24/7 basis.

People are drowning in online news and social media and marketers are forever searching for new tools to cut through all this noise and make their communications stand out from their competition.

Marketing is no longer defined by B2B or B2C. New models of marketing are emerging at the speed of light, often underlined by one core theme: we need to market with real humans in mind. It’s all about people-to-people marketing nowadays.

One helpful approach we use is to develop a range of user personas or brand avatars for your company. These describe in great detail the exact type of person your product and service is aimed at.

Having strong avatars or user personas will shape your marketing content, targeting, what visual approach you use and what merchandise you commission to best show off your brand.

Creating avatars and user personas is not a one-off exercise. They should be reviewed, tested and updated on a regular basis. There are many sophisticated tools on the market to gather the data that will shape your user personas and brand avatars.

Whether you will engage an agency with this or use your internal data analyst, here are 7 tips to help you get started with building a powerful picture of your customers:

• Use every opportunity you have to meet with people who closely match your customers. This will allow you to quickly learn about their day-to-day lives. Talk to the people who serve your customers – their feedback is the most valuable.
• If you operate in the B2B space, use networking events and trade exhibitions to explore what your clients working lives are like and what challenges them. Brief your staff on the kind of feedback you’ll find helpful so that the right conversations take place and valuable insights are shared

– Do some of your research on social media, all channels offer a wealth of information:

• Everyone keeps their details on LinkedIn up to date as it is one of the biggest business networking channels. Look up your clients: what job titles do they have? What groups are they following? What are their special interests?
• If you can gain access to Twitter or Facebook handles, explore what your clients’ interests and likes are to better understand them as people and learn what motivates them.

– Utilise the rich customer data you already have at your fingertips – explore your CRM system and truly understand what the data is telling you.

•  Recognise trends in the data: where are your customers based and how do they prefer to communicate with you?
•  What problems do they use your services or product to solve?

– Explore how your clients consume their news, and ask what TV programmes do they like?

Another helpful way of boosting your personas and avatars are through customer surveys. Just ask them. You can include questions in your customer surveys to help you fill any gaps in your knowledge.

– Take time to make user personas and brand avatars personal:

• Give them a fictional name so that you truly see them as real people.
• Identify their age, family status, job, interests and even give them a face.
• Identify which social channels they use and why.

Once you have the avatar or user personas in place, don’t just file them away but keep them at the fore of every decision you make. Constantly ask yourself: what would they want to read? When do they want to read it? What information would be of value to them?

Include this valuable marketing information in creative briefs for your agencies, freelancers and in your induction packs – this will fuel your marketing effectiveness.

If you need a guiding hand with choosing the best promotional products for your brand avatar, give us a call on 020 8447 4690 to see how we can help.

Why are events still important in today’s fast-moving world of digital communications and social media marketing?

Marketing is all about engaging with the right people, and building brand awareness and relationships with key buyers is essential.

Industry events are here to stay as they offer important opportunities to meet prospects, existing customers, suppliers and competitors.

Participating in events, whether as a speaker, exhibitor or attendee, creates new business opportunities and keeps team members ahead of the latest sector trends. Moreover, it allows you to do competitor research and ensures you are seen as an influential player in your industry.

As an exhibitor, events participation can be very time consuming and sometimes stressful for those colleagues who are managing it.

Whether your events are organised in-house or outsourced to an events management agency, here are our 10 time saving tips for events success:

1.     Prepare an events kit, which should include a modular events stand and design that features your main marketing messages and can be adapted to fit different spaces.

2.     If you use branded merchandise to engage with your audience, add a selection of pre-approved designs and items to your events kit, ensuring your merchandise shows off your brand well. Popular items include power banks, stress balls and pens.

3.       Set up a solid system for collecting leads. We find hiring delegate badge scanners are the most effective method.

4.       Create a dynamic checklist, for example on Trello, to simplify your events organisation processes.

5.       Meet with all stakeholders before the event so that everyone knows their role on the day. Don’t rely on people to take notes for you, simply publish a dedicated events briefing memo for all colleagues.

6.       Every time you attend an event, make time to review and record your learnings.

And if you’re outsourcing your events management to an agency…

7.       Prepare a detailed brief for the agency, sharing your expectations and what you hope to achieve from the event. We recommend you get this signed off by all key stakeholders as this helps to clarify key facts, which will shape the events delivery, well in advance, saving time and money.

8.       Set up clear lines of communication upfront with your agency and make time in your diary for regular catch-ups leading up to the event.

9.       Agree emergency hotlines – will you use Skype, WhatsApp or your mobile phone for dealing with urgent questions? What is an acceptable response time?

10.       Events management is all about the detail, so leave nothing unprepared in the lead up to the event. This will ensure that you can make time for the unexpected in case of any last-minute changes or hurdles.

We wish you every success with your next event. We believe having the right merchandise for your audience can draw in the crowds and create a fantastic first impression for your brand. Speak to one of our merchandise experts to get a quote for your next event.

With the arrival of the internet and social media, the way we deliver marketing has been completely transformed. But some key principles never change: promoting an engaging and consistent brand identity is a key pillar for business growth. Your employees will be essential in achieving this. These are the questions you need to ask to ensure you are maximising your corporate brand.

Does everyone who works for you know your brand values inside out?

Marketing projects sometimes struggle to gain any real traction outside of the marketing department and are often seen as just another item on everyone’s already too long to do list. So dedicating resources to making your internal brand communications interesting and engaging is worth the investment.

For example, when you hold a workshop to develop your brand values, get as many colleagues and key stakeholders involved as possible. This will create a sense of ownership.

Make it an enjoyable experience and add a social element, such as drinks in the pub afterwards, to create a real buzz around your brand and to facilitate networking across different departments.

Create videos or presentations that share the rationale for how and why you came up with the brand values. Interview colleagues from across the company to demonstrate what your values mean and how they shape the way your company communicates with customers.

Successful brand-driven businesses invest in preparing printed or digital brand books. They showcase their values across the office and ensure they are a key focus during staff meetings and other internal communications channels, such as company-wide newsletters and competitions.

How can you make your brand more fun to engage with?

Even the most ‘serious’ businesses will have the opportunity to get together to celebrate special occasions. Why not use these to offer branded products as presents to employees?

When you commission fun yet practical products, colleagues enjoy using them and feel more engaged with your brand messages. Here are a few examples:

• Water bottles featuring your logo to hand out at your summer party
• Branded goodie bags for induction meetings for new starters
• Vibrant and high-quality notepads and sticky notes, which show off your logo and brand values, as a treat for all staff
• Branded phone chargers and screen savers will subconsciously show off your brand during client meetings
• A video brochure to showcase your brand message.

If you need help finding the best promotional products to showcase your brand values, explore our range online or get in touch.

How can you create the right tools for your teams to achieve brand consistency?

Achieving a consistent brand experience across all marketing channels and customer touchpoints will elevate your brand message and make it highly memorable. Marketers know that this is gold dust for their marketing communications, but how do you achieve this?

There is no ‘one size fits all’ answer to this but, here are two ideas our clients have found helpful in facilitating better brand consistency.

1) Make the most of your brand guidelines

Consider your brand guidelines as an ever-evolving communications tool for all your internal stakeholders and agencies. Strip out the marketing lingo that us marketers simply love and often overuse, and make the guidelines very practical and focused.

Listen to the needs of all departments and offer a wide range of examples to show how the brand assets are to be used across all the different marketing channels, whether in PowerPoint decks or on LinkedIn.

Make all the assets easily available and offer a ‘brand hotline’ so that colleagues know you will always make time to answer any questions quickly.

Ask yourself how people can access the guidelines and brand assets when they work remotely: are all the files accessible on your company’s intranet? Introduce yourself the next time staff come into the office and show them the benefits of looking after the brand and share your passion for it. People are more likely to apply the brand assets correctly if they have met with a marketing colleague and understand why the values matter.

2) Recruit brand champions

Yes, its marketers who are mainly responsible for brand guardianship, but this task is simply too big to be managed solely by the marketing team.

Reach out to different teams and recruit brand champions across the business. Provide them with bespoke training and think of clever ways to motivate your champions to continuously look after the corporate brand. For example, note their contribution with the senior management team or make it a criteria of your bonus scheme.

Continuously review and improve your brand guidelines and guardianship processes and how they support your teams in delivering a consistent brand image. Talk to your colleagues to ensure they have all the tools they need to champion your corporate brand.

In the fast-paced working lives of today’s marketers and events manager, everyone is so time-short that selecting a branded product for your upcoming product launch or next exhibition can often be an afterthought. There are so many branded products to choose from that it’s sometimes challenging to identify what works best for your brand.

So what do you do when you find yourself in this situation? How do you find a branded product that offers a right fit for your budget, brand and target market?

Here at Limelight Publicity we work with some of the world’s leading brands. These are our most valuable tips to help you be more successful with your future merchandise projects:

Prepare a merchandise brief

Before you start browsing endless catalogues, make a list of when and how the item will be used. What reaction are you hoping to achieve from your target audience? Take care to write up this rationale and some of the key questions you have considered that come with it.

Involve your main stakeholders right from the word go

Allocate time to share and discuss this with all stakeholders. If you are all on the same page with what you are hoping to achieve, it will make the sign-off process for your preferred options smoother. A well-thought-out rationale means you can present options to your stakeholders that will fit the brief closely.

For example, a product used as an attention-grabbing giveaway for a B2B event would be entirely different from a product needed by a company who were trying to brand their office to foster their company’s culture. The more you can communicate what the rationale behind your intended merchandise purchase is, the more likely you are to select the right solution.

Talk to the experts

A skilful supplier will ask you a range of questions to better understand your requirements and aspirations for the branded product. They will also explore realistic production lead times. There’s nothing worse than setting your heart on a specific branded water bottle only to find out that the minimum quantity was 250 when you are only looking to purchase 100 bottles.

Every colleague wants to have a say

Everyone in the office will have an opinion on what branded product gets selected. This can sometimes be frustrating as only you as the project manager will know how much budget is available and how the product needs to support the overall marketing approach.

It’s really easy to come up with a highly innovative solution if there is no budget limiting you, but it is much harder to find a great solution on a small budget and/or tight timescale.

Merchandise works best if it amplifies the general branding message you have planned. For example you may select branded sweets and pens as giveaways at an exhibition stand. Their impact will be increased if the visual identity across all customer touchpoints is connected. This takes careful planning and execution.

In our experience, the more confident you are with your decision and the reasons it works for your brief and supports your general marketing themes, the more likely your choice will be a success and be seen as such by colleagues.

Don’t leave storage and delivery planning to the last minute

When you place an order for new merchandise it’s easy to forget that a large order may mean that within a couple of weeks you could get a call to say: ‘Hello, I’ve got  3 palettes full of boxes, what do you want us to do with them?’ Storage space is at a premium in most offices, so this call can make you break out in a sweat.

We recommend that you make a plan for where to store your items and what to do with them on delivery before you place an order. With plenty of time it is possible to book space in your usual off-site storage, or you can select a supplier who offers storage and on-demand delivery service as part of the package.

Whichever option you choose, agree on a clear labelling policy with your supplier. It’s helpful to have the name of the item, a picture and your contact details printed on each box.

We hope you have found these tips helpful. What tips would you like to share?

Marketers are always looking for new ways to boost the impact of their social media marketing to reach more of their target audience and to drive leads generation. We find that one underused social media tool for marketers is branded merchandise. Marketing is at its most powerful when it works across the digital and real worlds. Here are 3 examples for using branded merchandise to fuel your social media marketing:

Increase events bookings by incentivising your audience to submit their questions early via social 

Today’s events marketers face great competition for an increasingly time-poor audience when it comes to delegate recruitment. One of the best ways to make your event stand out and to engage its target audience early, is to involve your prospective audience in developing the programme.

How can you achieve this? One way is to encourage your audience to submit their burning questions via your social channels. And for the first respondents, or all of them, budget allowing, you can offer a branded goodie bag at the event. We all know attending business events offer fantastic networking opportunities, but it can also be exhausting at times. So what better way to increase the enjoyment of the event than offering all your delegates an events kit consisting of branded pens, water, mints a notebook, sweets, tissues and a spare carrier bag on arrival. You can get this sponsored to help with the costs or use it as a focal point for making your own brand the star of the show.

Also, during the event, you can ask delegates to post pictures of themselves and the branded goodie bag on social, to further increase the reach of your brand amongst their professional network.

Increase the take up of your social media competitions by offering a branded prize

Madalyn Sklar is a Social Media influencer with over 62,000 global Twitter followers. Madalyn encourages her TwitterSmarter podcast listeners to review it in iTunes for a chance to win a branded phone holder as a prize. This promotional product completely supports her brand values and ensures the TwitterSmarter logo is clearly seen when people use their phones.

In addition to the podcast, Madalyn is also famous for her #TwitterSmarter Tweetchat. If you haven’t had a chance yet to join a Tweetchat and you need to grow your company’s Twitter presence, this is the one chat you should try first. It takes place 6PM every Thursday right here.

Reward engagement with your social channels by sending a gift to your customers

Most social media marketers use either Buffer or Hootsuite as scheduling tools for their posts. Here at LimeLight Publicity manage our growing presence on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook with Hootsuite. Did you know that Hootsuite sends out their popular Owly to customers who engage with them on their social channels?

Hootsuite acknowledges any feedback quickly, resolves any customer service matters and sends their much coveted Owly to their customers as a sign of their appreciation. As the Owly is so popular, users promote across their own social media channels how excited they are about receiving one. We all know user generated content (UGC) is gold dust to marketers and this is an easy to follow example of how to use promotional merchandise to boost your social media impact.

Here at LimeLight Publicity we have creativity and innovation at the heart of every project. Why not get in touch on with our expert team to explore what promotional product you could use to boost the impact of your social media marketing.

It’s all hands on deck for marketers as the all important final quarter of the year is fast approaching.

Marketers are busy completing their summer projects, trying to achieve their KPIs, preparing annual marketing budgets and putting the finishing touches on their Christmas promotions.

If you need to step up your time management skills, this blog is for you.

Here we share 3 productivity hacks that will allow you to focus on the projects that will deliver most value to your business and, even better, further your career prospects by doing so.

Keep abreast of industry trends more easily

Marketing is evolving at the speed of light. Industry updates are published 24/7 and it is sometimes overwhelming trying to keep up with all the news.

As an ambitious marketer, you will need to understand what opportunities new trends and innovations represent for your marketing strategy. So how can you speed up your ‘research homework’?

• Receive all the important news directly to your inbox by signing up to newsletters and joining professional trade bodies. Set aside time every day to actually read these emails.
• Use the commuting downtime to listen to marketing podcasts.
• Many marketers love Twitter for catching up with news. Why not set up Twitter lists with relevant industry influencers and your favourite marketing publications? This will allow you to quickly access the most up to date information.
• Here are 5 Twitter accounts you should follow for marketing news: @DMA_UK @CampaignMag @BrandQuarterly @CIM_Exchange @MarketingWeekEd
• Get out of the office and attend industry events as they will bring together all the key players, most interesting experts and vendors all under one roof

Supercharge your collaboration and planning skills with Trello

This handy productivity app allows you to schedule your workload better. Users can create project boards, produce interactive delivery plans and assign individual tasks to colleagues and their external agencies, making collaboration seamless.

Trello is ideally suited for managing a marketing campaigns or events schedule. Our favourite tools include handy checklists, calendar features and email notifications.

You can choose between a free or premium version, but even the free version will help you to better oversee your workflow and monitor progress.

Review what tasks you can outsource to save you time

It’s easy to do things the way they have always been done.

After all, we sometimes feel resistant to change as it takes longer to introduce new ways of doing things or new systems. Key questions to ask are: do you have the relevant expertise in-house to manage a project? Do you need to keep the learning in-house?

We believe it pays to review this at regular intervals and to identify which activities are better delivered in-house or outsourced.

Feedback from leading brands we work with, including Jägermeister, McDonald’s, Investec and Kia, has shown that it pays to outsource the management of branded merchandise, for example.

By doing this, marketers save time when it comes to managing stock levels, storage and arranging deliveries for key events. And when you work with the right supplier you can also cut the time it takes to pinpoint just the best merchandise product for your brand.

Start now to save time

Are you ready to make more time for the marketing projects that will create most value for your business and your career? Get in touch if you want to explore how we can save you time with your next merchandise project.

Promoting Your Brand

People respond to visual messages even more than written ones. It’s why your company has a logo and a colour-scheme: to stand out and to be recognised. Your marketing focuses on the best images as well as strong messages and you have a well-stocked range of branded items  to promote your business at conferences, meetings and customer gatherings. With a busy and organised events calendar, you have every opportunity covered.

Don’t Ignore Important Assets

So, external promotion is critical and brand awareness is a big focus for all savvy companies. But are you creating this awareness internally, as well? The staff know your logo, of course, and maybe your list of admirable corporate values, but do they think these matter, or are they just words? Get your employees invested in your message, and they’re more likely to spread that message for you. Maybe keep the top branded merchandise for VIP customers, but don’t leave staff out.

The Value of Visibility

Getting employees truly invested in you brand isn’t just about unlocking the marketing cupboard and handing out some swag. If you have the time and resources, running a company values workshop is an effective idea – for any size company. Take the time to explain your ethos to staff, ask for their feedback and make them feel involved. Adding in some merchandise to take away just cements that feeling of being valued. The value you’ll get from them using the goods is an extra bonus.

Tap Into Trends

Some trends will always capture people’s interest and you just need to make sure you update your branded offerings. Areas such as fitness, wellbeing, sports and technology are always winners. Include items like wearable fitness trackers in your pool of branded merchandise for staff and they’ll be snapped up. Better still, you can guarantee they’ll be shown off by their wearers.

Smartphones are ever-present in people’s lives and we do more and more with and from them. Other gadgets that make an impact include Bluetooth speakers, a great item to get employee attention, combining impressive and useful tech with a novelty element – so small! so useful! that will get people talking, and showing them off.

Powerbanks, USBs and travel adaptors also score well for being useful – the more often they’re used, the more your brand is seen.

Cheering On The Team

A great way to get employee engagement is to support company initiatives, or create them.

Are employees planning any charity events? Running 10k as a team, raising money for a good cause? Sponsor the group, help them promote the event, and have them promote you – and your brand. From simple things like branded sports bottles back to our top trend, wearables, you invest in their efforts and they’ll give you visibility at their event.

Use any event footage or pictures as PR, showing happy staff, caring employers and your brand logo, all in one.

Sharing In Success

Had a good year? Or quarter? Or month? Celebrating an important corporate milestone or anniversary. These are great opportunities to get simple, yet visible branded items out there. A novelty element can go down well, too: cupcakes with your logo and a Thank You message, perhaps. Pens, bags, shirts are all good, too. Maybe add the date and occasion to your basic branding for a special touch.

The Gift That Keeps On Giving

Give employees something practical and they’ll keep – and wear or display – these things for years to come. Think about it, what do you still have and use from long-ago jobs? A tote bag carried on their Tube commute gets you a surprising amount of visibility, as does that T-shirt or sports kitbag at Parkruns or gyms across the country.

Start Here, Start Now

Limelight offer over 1 million products in the UK alone, available for branding in any language – just give us a call.  If what you want isn’t on the website don’t panic.  Our world source team has access to almost anything you could wish for.

Exhibitions are a fantastic way to meet your target audience. Are you busy preparing for your next marketing conference or exhibition? Here are some great tips to make sure things go smoothly.
1. Be prepared

There are simply so many variables when it comes to events, especially if you’re not the organiser. Make an exhaustive checklist and be clear on what’s being delivered and when, how to get to the event, what the setup and closedown arrangements are.

2. Who? What? Where?

Think about who else you need to attend the event. Do you need Salespeople to deliver demos and answer questions, or even someone more Technical? Have you pencilled in someone senior to deliver a keynote talk, or host a reception on the stand? Perhaps you just need another colleague along so there’s always cover when one of you needs a break. Make sure you’ve let everyone know where they need to be and when, really pin them down and then keep up the reminders.

3. Advertise Your Attendance

Everything’s booked, your colleagues are onboard with the rota, now don’t forget to spread the word to attendees. Social Media’s a great way to get the message out and build some excitement and momentum. Running a series of countdown posts lets people know you’ll be there and reminds them to attend at the same time. Posting live from the event itself can also be a great way of getting visitors to your stand.

4. Show & Tell

Let people know you’re there. Whether the event is large or small, maximise your chances of standing out and being noticed. Don’t crowd your stand with products, but make sure those you display are clearly branded and attract attention. Limelight offer over 1 million products in the UK alone, available for branding in any language. Need to get a stand set up? We can help with that, too (just give us a call).

5. Know Why You’re There

It might sound obvious, but do you know why you’re at this event? Who are you trying to attract? What are your objectives? 10 sign-ups, 5 qualified leads, brand awareness? You’d be surprised how many companies stick to the same annual conference schedule without really considering if it’s still relevant for them. Events are just one element of your Marketing activity, but they can use up a lot of budget: make sure you’re sure it’s worthwhile.

6. Personality Goes a Long Way

It’s not all about promotional items, don’t forget it’s people who sell your products or services, too. Relax, smile (not so easy on Day 3 when your feet hurt and you’re all talked out) and be your brand. Appear interested, but not over-eager, and just get a conversation going. Ask questions, find answers and send them off with a great giveaway – that little visual reminder that keeps you always in the frame.

7. The Power of Listening

Now you’ve got them talking, ask open questions, note their responses – and their needs. Do listen to them. Never say ‘I don’t know’. If you don’t someone else in your company will, and you can find out. It’s always OK to pass a prospect on to a colleague who is better placed to help and inform.

What does your 2017 event schedule look like?  If you want to make sure that your promotional merchandise for your next event helps your brand stand out, please get in touch with our team of experts.

With more and more businesses focusing their marketing efforts on digital marketing, is there still room for traditional marketing practices such as the use of promotional products. Well as the old saying goes “If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it” and this is perfectly true for promotional products. Below we look at 7 reasons why promotional products work and how they can help your business win more customers.

1.  Build lasting awareness

Did you know that 87% of people who received a promotional product kept the item for over a year? And that over 50% said their perception of a company improved after receiving a branded promotional gift from them? Promotional products are a great way for your business to build lasting brand awareness and to get your company name in front of more potential customers.

2.  Gain valuable advertising space

Look around at your workplace and see how many promotional products you can spot. From the promotional pen you got from your bank that’s sat on your desk to the branded coffee mugs in your tea room, promotional products are all around us and are prominently placed in the workplace. Think of the money you would need to spend to reach people for 8 hours a day with your advertising and it is easy to see why promotional products are such a great marketing tool.

3.  Take advantage of perceived value

By buying in bulk at wholesale prices you can make your promotional gifts seem more valuable than they are. For instance a gift that cost you £5 could be perceived to be worth £15 to £20 by the recipient of the gift as they are basing the value on a single unit cost. If you can offer something that has a high perceived value it will help improve the impression of your business with the recipients.

4.  Incentivise employees

Promotional items aren’t just for helping you to capture more business they are also a great tool for incentivising your employees. Your sales floor is a clear example of an environment where incentives can work well to motivate employees and help drive performance. Creating an awards program that meets your corporate objectives is another great way or motivating staff and using promotional products as rewards.

 5.  Promotional items work better than discounts

Having a branded item to give away can work even better than offering a product discount as it will seem like your customers are getting a great deal. Some classic examples include glass and bottle openers that are given away with cases of beer rather than offering a discount. The promotional item helps to boost sales and offers greater profit margins than providing a discount.

6.  Your customers become your marketers

Promotional gifts help to turn your customers into your very own marketing team. Not only will they keep the gifts on display in their workplace or home but they will also talk about great gifts they have received with friends and colleagues helping to spread the word about your business. If your customers use your promotional items everyday they will be acting as your own mobile advertising board.

7.  Cost effective form of advertising

With a higher ROI than radio, billboard and TV advertising, promotional products represent a very cost effective form of advertising for businesses looking to build brand awareness and get new customers. Another advantage is an increase in returning business from customers who are exposed to your promotional products on a regular basis.

Want to make your branded merchandise work for your business? At Limelight we’ll give you our top 10 tips for how to choose the right promotional merchandise to fit with your wider marketing objectives and what will work best for you. So without further preamble let’s look at the top 10 tips for choosing branded merchandise for your organisation.

1.  Know your customers

This may sound obvious but getting to know your customers and how they work is an essential part of picking the right promotional products. If they are office based then desk calendars, mouse mats and branded pens are all good options. For customers that travel a lot what about a branded travel mug? Knowing your customers will help you choose products that are relevant.

2.  Make it useful

Did you know that nearly 90% of people keep a branded product that they find useful according to research by BPMA. The more useful a branded product is the more chance that your customers and potential clients will use it frequently. From branded mugs to gym bags, think of your audience and choose your products accordingly.

3.  Timing is everything

If your customers buy from you at a particular time then time your promotional item to coincide with this. This will give your customers an added incentive to use you over your competitors at a time when they might be thinking of trying someone new.

4.  Be creative

Don’t be afraid to think outside of the box to provide a product that addresses a need or a problem of your clients. Something that makes them smile can also create a positive experience that will make them more likely to remember your business compared to the competitors.

5.  Make sure it reflects your brand

This should go without saying that the product chosen should reflect your brand and image. So if you are a luxury brand picking an executive pen as a promotional item will give a better impression compared with a cheap plastic pen. Company colours, logos and branding need to be made consistent to help give the right look.

6.  Quality counts

Never pick the cheapest option. The better the quality of a branded item the more it will be used by your audience. It may be tempting to pick the cheaper option but this is a false economy in the long run as the product is more likely to break and be discarded.

7.  Don’t over-brand

There is a fine line on promotional merchandise when it comes to branding. If a product is completely covered in branding it may be discarded so subtle branding may be the best option.

8.  Be personal

For existing customers make sure you take the time to personalise any branded merchandise. Not only with a personalised product give a deeper emotional association it will also help your brand stick out above your competitors.

9.  Don’t forget the call to action

From telephone number and website address to social media links, make it clear how you want clients or customers to get in touch. The easier it is for them to get in touch with you the more likely you’ll be to convert them into a loyal customer.

10.  Think of delivery

How do you intend to give away the promotional items? Choosing the right item based on delivery is crucial. For postal items the weight and dimensions need to be considered carefully while trade shows allow you to pick bigger and heavier items as there will be no postage costs. If you never attend trade shows and don’t have showrooms opt for items that can easily be posted.

Limelight has produced over 2,800 Zombie Takeover kits which are destined to scare the life out to on-trade customers.  This year’s “Zombie Takeover” kits include a premium selection of bespoke accessories and props as well as clothing, POS materials and make-up kits.

The brand is promoting their famous  #JagerZombie hashtag and is also being supported through other trade promotionas as well as releasing its own Holloween-themed films.  Staff and customers are encouraged to share their “undead” images on social media to further the engagement with the event.  Retailers are demonstrating the versatility of the beverage with a Halloween-inspired drinks menu containing easy-to-replicate ‘Zombie Takedown’ and ‘Zombie Brain; cocktails.

Halloween is a huge and ever growing event for on-trade, rivalling Christmas Eve and New Year, and Jägermeister is the brand that consumers immediately associate with the celebration.

Nicole Goodwin, Marketing Director, Mast-Jaegermeister UK, said: “To build on the success of the last two years we have evolved the ‘Zombie Takeover’ kits making them bigger, better and of course, scarier than ever before. For 2016 we are meeting our customer’s needs by maximising the brand’s on-trade presence to secure Jägermeister’s position as the best-selling spirit of Halloween.”