Welcome to the futuristic world of Google Glass – a world that is proving to be a controversial one. For while the revolutionary invention from the world’s favourite search engine hasn’t yet received its official public launch, Glass is already sparking plenty of public debate.

For many, the mere fact that Glass wearers can snap pictures and record high-definition video through their headsets – potentially without the knowledge of those in shot – raises a few too many privacy concerns for comfort, with the issue of unauthorised recordings in places which could be deemed as inappropriate causing an understandable worry.

Then there’s the question of whether the Google-controlled device will be used by the company to target users with a bombardment of ads, literally delivered right before their eyes. Certainly the technology will enable Google to collect massive amounts of data on the wearer, their location, and many other factors that would provide highly desirable insights for advertisers.

Other concerns include queries over the safety of wearing the spectacle-like device when performing activities such as driving, as well as the long-term health implications of having a fixed-focus device pointing to one eye.

But just as with pretty much any major invention or technological shift – of which Google Glass is undoubtedly one – controversy and doubt are never going to be far away. So is Glass really as murky as its early critics would have us believe?

Despite the concerns, no one can deny the innovative nature of Google’s offering, and the fact that it represents a fascinating step in the journey of how we receive information and interact with technology. Glass opens up a whole new world of wearable, hands-free technology that lets users be truly mobile while remaining constantly connected.

And as supporters of Google Glass have been quick to point out, the visible nature of the headset essentially makes it less of a privacy threat than a concealed camera in an easy-to-hide mobile phone or other inconspicuous device (camera pens anyone?).

As the controversy surrounding Glass continues, what’s your take on Google’s bold new technology? Whether you’re keen to snap up a pair or are wary of this new age device, let us know in our Google Glass poll.

In Part One of our Loyalty & Rewards Program series, we went back to basics – tackling the ‘why’ (why have a program?), the ‘what’ (what type of behaviours can you incentivise?) and the ‘how’ (how can you reward users?). In our second post, we’re focusing on how to get started with your loyalty program, outlining the five key areas you need to consider before embarking on your loyalty and rewards journey.

Ready to get started with a loyalty and rewards program? Make sure you’ve addressed these five areas first…

1.     Objectives

From increasing purchase frequency to obtaining valuable data, improving customer satisfaction to boosting results in distributors or channel partners – loyalty and rewards programs can be used to drive a multitude of behaviours and achieve a wide range of objectives.

Before you begin, it’s crucial to determine exactly what it is you want to achieve from your loyalty and rewards program, and how these objectives align with your overall business strategy. If your list of goals is pages long, aim to prioritise and have a clear plan of how each objective will be achieved and measured.

 2.     Audience

Who are you targeting and what makes them tick? Finding out will require significant research into aspects like audience behaviour and customer preferences, in order to develop a loyalty and rewards program that will successfully engage your target users and encourage healthy participation rates.

Don’t overlook the data you already have; analyse the information you currently possess about the groups you are targeting, and consider how you can use this data to build user profiles and tailor rewards and content accordingly.

 3.     Rewards

As discussed in Part One, there’s no shortage of options available when it comes to the type of rewards your program can offer – the key is to select those that are most relevant to your target audience, and will therefore be more likely to encourage them to participate.

Once you’ve chosen the type of rewards you’re going to incorporate into your program, you’ll need to consider aspects like sourcing and delivery – essential elements in ensuring a smooth process for your program and a seamless experience for your users.

 4.     Online

In today’s digital world, there’s no doubt that online platforms will play a major role in your loyalty and rewards program. From a dedicated program website to a feature-rich program portal, digital channels offer a wide variety of options for delivering targeted content and engaging your audience.

There are all sorts of online features and tools that can be successfully incorporated into your loyalty program to enhance the user experience and increase engagement levels – such as online training to increase brand or product knowledge, a blog or news section to feature regular, relevant information, customer polls to obtain valuable insights, and business tools and resources to provide greater value to users.

 5.     Promotion

Once your program is ready to roll, how are you going to promote it and encourage target contacts to get on board? You’ll need a clear strategy for introducing your loyalty program to your audience, and continuing to drive participation and engagement.

Aim to create interest and build hype in advance of program launch to ensure your targets are well aware of the upcoming program and its benefits. Consider which communication channels are most effective for potential users of the program – will email marketing be sufficient, or is telemarketing support needed to add a more personal touch? Can you utilise existing platforms such as your website or blog to further promote your exciting new program?

Look out for the next post in our Loyalty & Rewards series, when we’ll share our tips and advice on getting the most out of your program.

Missed Part One? You can check it out here

Discover the business benefits of a loyalty and rewards program

The Make It Happen team can help you design, build and manage a program that delivers rewards for your customers – and results for your business. Contact us to find out more.

Now, with the first stage of implementation set for July 2013, we are glad to see this beneficial scheme being put into action, and are optimistic it will provide disabled people with the support they need to make a positive difference to their lives.

The impact of the NDIS on Not-For-profits

Currently, charities and service providers receive Government funding (via grants and tenders) that enables them to provide their services free of charge or at a minimal cost. When the NDIS comes into operation, however, Government money will instead be granted to eligible individuals – who will then be able to choose the services that best suit their requirements.

But while individuals will be empowered with greater choice and control over when, where and how they receive the support they need, what will these changes mean for those providing the services – the not-for-profit organisations no longer receiving this funding?

Clearly NFPs will need to adapt their approach to ensure they stay ahead in a landscape that will no doubt become much more competitive. Standing out will require a more creative, innovative approach – of which effective marketing will be a crucial aspect.

The need for differentiation and targeted marketing activity will be essential, as not-for-profits vie to become the provider that is selected by the funded individuals who will now have the freedom to choose. For many NFPs, this will require a review of existing business models and the adoption of cost-effective marketing strategies that enable already tight budgets to be maximised.

While the NDIS is being phased in gradually, NFPs need to be thinking now about how they will address the challenges that lie ahead, to ensure they ultimately benefit from the scheme and continue providing valuable services to those with disabilities.

As the NDIS rolls out, the Make It Happen blog will bring you tips and advice on how NFPs can enhance their marketing activities to stay competitive in light of this fundamental change to the disability service industry.

At Make It Happen, we help our not-for-profit clients overcome the challenges of the NFP sector in order to reach their marketing goals. For more information, get in touch

In our Loyalty & Rewards series, we’ll be showing you how to create a successful loyalty program that works for your organisation and objectives. In this post, we’re going back to basics – read on to discover the reasons for creating a loyalty program, the kind of behaviour you can incentivise, the type of rewards you can offer, and how your business can benefit.

Why have a loyalty and rewards program?

The idea of a loyalty and rewards program is to provide mutual benefits – for program members, there are attractive incentives and valuable rewards; for your business, there could be anything from increased revenue to stronger partnerships and greater engagement with your brand.

The first step in creating a loyalty program is to determine which group you are targeting and what you want to achieve. Some of the main driving factors when choosing to implement a loyalty program are to:

• Improve customer retention
  By rewarding their loyalty, you’ll provide your existing customers with clear reasons (i.e. incentives) to continue purchasing from and engaging with your brand.
• Motivate distributors or resellers
  A partner-facing loyalty program can enable you to keep high-performing distributors and resellers motivated and engaged with your business.
• Incentivise internal teams
  Rewarding internal departments for activities such as the meeting of targets – as well as recognising employee achievement – can be highly beneficial to your business and your bottom line.

What type of behaviours can you incentivise?

Loyalty and rewards programs work by recognising and rewarding positive behaviours that ultimately benefit your business.

You may choose to reward existing customers for increasing spending, shifting their spending to higher margin products, or making repeat purchases. Incentives may also be offered in return for voluntary brand promotion, such as via social media or a referral that results in new business.

Incentivised behaviour in distributors, resellers, or channel partners might include improving sales results, extending product range, or adding value to your business through the submission of leads or tenders. Taking part in training that enables advanced knowledge of your brand can also be incentivised, in order to encourage the resulting benefits for your business.

Similarly, internal teams can be motivated to improve their performance and continue achieving the best results. Incentives may be provided for reaching targets or completing sales training, as well as recognising and rewarding high-performing employees.

What’s in it for your business?

There are a myriad of benefits offered by loyalty and rewards programs. While these benefits will vary greatly depending on the type of program, who you’re targeting, and what you’re incentivising, a loyalty and rewards program can give you the opportunity to:

• Increase your bottom line, e.g. through the encouragement of greater customer spending or increased product sales.
• Boost customer satisfaction by offering attractive incentives and making your appreciation clear.
• Obtain valuable data through online data capture, customer surveys/polls, and regular communication.
• Strengthen relationships by increasing brand engagement and establishing open, direct communication channels.
• Differentiate your business by standing out from your competitors with a loyalty program that offers superior value.
• Customise messaging and offers using data and insights obtained through loyalty program interaction.

How can you reward your audience?

Everyone likes to be rewarded – but to get the best results from your loyalty program, you need to provide incentives that are right for the people you’re targeting. The rewards you offer must be appealing enough to motivate and drive the desired behaviour, while being suitably cost-effective to ensure the loyalty program is profitable for your business.

Monetary rewards, such as cash rebates, are commonly used as an attractive incentive and can provide a great form of encouragement – but the ‘cash is king’ approach may not be right for every business. An alternative could be product-based incentives, such as clothing or merchandise.

Providing experience-based rewards can also be highly effective, particularly if these are tailored to the recipients. For example, a sales team may benefit from a group team-building day, while competitive resellers may vie for the chance to win an adrenalin-pumping race car experience.

Crucially, your rewards need to appeal to all program participants while also allowing for individual preferences – rotating rewards on a monthly basis, for example, can enable you to keep incentives fresh and varied.

Now we’ve covered the basics, stay tuned for the next post in our Loyalty & Rewards blog post series – where we’ll bring you more valuable tips and insights on creating a winning loyalty program for your business!

Ready to experience the business benefits of a loyalty and rewards program?

The Make It Happen team can help you design, build and manage a program that delivers rewards for your customers – and results for your business. Contact us to find out more. 

At MIH, our regular work with not-for-profits is underlined by a commitment to raise awareness of their valuable work.
In our interview with Tracey Hunter of Clear Thinking – a Brisbane NFP raising funds for youth mental illness research – she shares her insightful views on the challenges facing not-for-profits and the current state of NFP marketing.

Q. Tracey, why don’t you start by telling us a bit about Clear Thinking and the fabulous work that you do?

Clear Thinking www.clearthinking.com.au was established to raise money for research into youth mental illness, with a particular focus on bipolar and schizophrenia, as well as the areas of bullying, self harm, and suicide prevention.

Our focus is particularly in the 12-24 age bracket  where around 75% of first episodes of serious mental illnesses are experienced. Clear Thinking is not about duplicating the wonderful work done by a lot of organisations offering service delivery and support – our focus is around research and assessment of young people presenting with persistent, serious mental illness.

Q. What are some of the key findings that research has uncovered in the last few years?

A crucial aspect identified and supported by many researchers, particularly in the areas of bipolar and schizophrenia, is that if you can intervene after the first episode, it’s possible to prevent somebody from suffering life long chronic mental illness.

Bullying is another really important issue we’re trying to address, as it can lead to the onset of other mental illnesses. But it’s such a complex issue – and there’s no ‘all-schools’ solution. Doing research into this area is like peeling back layers of an onion – you just uncover more and more issues.

There’s been research into bullying in Scandinavia that’s resulted in some very effective programmes, with researchers focused on programmes that work to actively lower the rate of bullying, whether in schools or cyber-bullying. Our current research funding is aimed at developing relevant anti-bullying programs here in Australia.

Q. Instances of bullying and cyber-bullying seem to be on the rise – do you think this is something we’re going to be seeing more of based on the way we live our lives now?

There’s no doubt that the fabric of society is not what it was 50 years ago; social pressures on kids are very different now, and bullying is a lot more prevalent. Cyber-bullying is probably the aspect that has changed the lives of young people in particular, and the challenge is that, while we’ve been focusing on workplace bullying for a long time, cyber-bullying is particularly prevalent with young people – young people who will form the workplace of the future. That’s why we have to address this issue now, before young people take bullying habits into the workforce.

Q. Tell us a bit about how you get involved in the not-for-profit arena.

Twenty years ago, I made a decision that I wanted to work on behalf of and for marginalised people. My work with World Vision gave me the opportunity to visit developing countries, which opened my eyes to a world I didn’t even know existed. But despite my global travels, I’m just as passionate about issues here, such as homelessness and youth mental health – you only have to look around the corner to see there are people right here who are marginalised.

It’s a challenging environment –not as highly paid as my previous corporate roles – but there’s a lot of satisfaction. I have a philosophy that every single person has intrinsic value – I may not be able to solve the world’s problems, but if I can make a difference to one person today, then I’m satisfied

Q. What do you enjoy most about your role?

One thing I like about being in a small not-for-profit as opposed to a large organisation is that you can be nimble – make decisions very quickly and act on them. You don’t have layers and layers of bureaucracy above you.

And just to be working in the youth mental health space – which I haven’t done before – is special.

Q. As you said, you are a small not-for-profit – and there’s a lot of competition from the large organisations. How do you make yourself relevant to the broader community that might be unfamiliar with your work?

The fact is, one in four teenagers will develop a mental illness, so there are a lot of people – mums and dads, family members, counsellors, schools etc. – that are facing youth mental health issues in some way, every day. That makes our work very relevant to young people right now, and no one’s going to dispute that relevance. But we have to be targeted and seek funding from the relevant bodies that care about these issues.

Q. So what kind of role does marketing play in terms of what you’re trying to achieve?

A big challenge facing non-profits is differentiation. So we’ve got to have something that sets us apart – which can be difficult when you’re a small organisation looking to be heard above the significant promotions of very large NGO’s.

So essentially we have to avoid what everyone else is doing, and look for ways to brand our passion that touches potential supporters. This is where your marketing platform really does underline your fundraising efforts – you have to have a marketing mentality, I believe.

Q. Do you think NFPs need a proactive and future-looking Board to be able to justify doing something different?

Absolutely. A great non-profit Board is one that’s actively working for the organisation – tapping people on the shoulder, opening opportunities, and externally representing the organisation.  And you also need members who haven’t only ever been involved in non-profit boards – it is essential to bring some commercial experience to your Board.

Q. Is that something you’re starting to see happen more frequently at Board level now?

Yes it is. But one thing I do feel we need to see more of from non-profit Board members is an agreed commitment – turning up regularly to board meetings, getting involved beyond board meetings. And that goes back to when the Board is being recruited – there needs to be a proper needs analysis, if you like, to make sure the appropriate skills gaps are being filled.

Q. What do you see as being the major challenges for NFPs over the next five years?

I believe the formation of the new ACNC – Australian Charities and Non-profit Commission (www.acnc.gov.au) – is going to present challenges for small non-profits in particular. Whereas before smaller non-profits were responsible to themselves and their board,  they’ll now be under extra pressure around areas like compliance, accountability, and reporting – and unlike larger bodies, they can’t simply set up a separate department to manage all this.

The differentiation issue will continue to be an issue for NFPs, particularly with the continued proliferation of charities.

But it’s really important to note that despite all the challenges, for me there is no finer work than that within a non-profit organisation – I think the country would be in a lot of trouble without the  work of NGO’s! And you can’t forget the volunteers  – working in this area, you get to meet people who are very, very passionate and give up so much time.

Q. Finally Tracey, you’ve spent 20 years in the non-profit arena – what’s going to be ‘Tracey Hunter’s legacy’ in the years to come? In an ideal world, what would you like to have contributed to NFP?

By colleagues and peers I would like to be seen as a collaborator – I am very committed to inter-organisations collaboration, But most imporantly, as I said earlier, to touch individual lives, knowing I’ve made a difference in a person, a family, even a whole community – I don’t have to save the whole world, just impact my piece of it.

From highlighting business achievements to informing about new products, there is a host of reasons for making contact with external stakeholders – and with every piece, you have the opportunity to effectively promote your business, convey a professional, consistent image, and ensure your stakeholders continue to view your brand in a positive light.

Could you be doing more to improve communications between your business and your external stakeholders? Here are five ways to boost your stakeholder communications:

1. Communicate regularly
Maintaining regular contact with stakeholders allows you to keep these parties up-to-date with the latest news and developments from your business – allowing you to promote your success and keep your brand top-of-mind.

Electronic newsletters are a great way of establishing a regular pattern of communication with your stakeholders – and by tracking newsletter performance, such as open rates and click-throughs, you’ll be able to gain valuable insights into areas of interest, popular topics etc.

2. Dare to be different
Who says the same type of information has to be presented in the same way, time after time? Inspiring concepts, creative design, and engaging content will make for much more compelling communication – and have much more of an impact on your stakeholders.

Take the annual report, which year after year incorporates the same standard features – such as organisational overviews, business highlights, and financial results. Taking a creative approach to how these elements are presented can transform a straightforward annual report into one that is more engaging and accessible – and that your stakeholders will want to read.

3. Say it with images
When communicating with your external stakeholders, avoid text-heavy content and opt for visual alternatives where appropriate.

Using creative imagery to present information such as statistics, figures, and reports can make them simpler to understand, as well as breaking down content for easier reading. Infographics are a great way to make content much more engaging, simplifying complex facts and figures, and making heavy or dry information instantly more compelling to the reader.

4. Make your content engaging
Think carefully about what you say, how you say it, and how your stakeholders are likely to respond – ask yourself whether the content is relevant to the audience in question, and what message it sends them about your brand.

If you’re engaging in regular communication – such as through monthly newsletters or a blog – be sure to plan topics in advance, so you can always deliver content that is compelling and valuable to your audience.

5. Invest in professional design
The way you communicate with your stakeholders is instrumental in the way they view your brand – so ensuring every asset is professional and high quality is an essential consideration.

Making the investment in professional creative services for the design and development of your communications is a very worthwhile move – after all, your stakeholders are highly valuable to your business. A slick finish and professional edge will ensure your communications cut through and have the desired effect on your external stakeholders.

Transforming the Wunan Annual Report
Think annual reports have to follow the same format each time? We certainly don’t think so – check out how our unconventional approach transformed this traditional document into an engaging, attractive annual report with high visual appeal. Take a look.