I do remember writing it... but I didn't realize we were at the beginning of the month. Time does fly!
My monthly column is up on Incentive Magazine - On the Edge: Are Incentive "Department Stores" a Thing of the Past?
My point in the article is that "full-service" incentive companies may find themselves in the same boat as department stores - losing business to more focused and more efficient individual companies. As malls aggregated niche retailers - one could shop across all brands and interests - leaving department stores out of the loop.
It used to be that competitive advantage on average was the best way to provide value to the client. However, technology removed the friction between companies and services that used to be more efficient bundled - making those same services more efficient AND effective unbundled. I'm thinking the incentive industry is no different.
As a manager responsible for providing the best value and the best solution in your search for employee engagement or channel performance - you may want to keep in mind that sometimes it makes more sense to have 5 suppliers connected with technology rather than one supplier connected by hallways...
I'm just sayin'....
A
Marketing and Incentive Design Consultancy