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JULY 2015 •
PPB
• 63
WORRIED ABOUT the effects
of too many office celebrations
and events asking employees to
give money? Don’t be. A survey
from staffing service OfficeTeam
found 51 percent of employees
are okay with chipping in occa-
sionally, and a quarter have no
hesitation because they consider
it a good cause. However, 16
percent find being asked to chip
in at the office annoying, so try
these ideas to make them feel
more comfortable.
• Instead of asking everyone to
chip in, reach out to those clos-
est to the person being recog-
nized. New employees or co-
workers who don’t work directly
with the individual may feel
awkward participating.
• Be clear that contributions are
voluntary. Staffers may choose
to help in other ways, such as
decorating.
• Invite employees to donate
whatever amount makes them
comfortable.
• Circulate an envelope for
anonymous contributions
instead of reaching out to each
person individually.
• Save time by combining multi-
ple occasions into monthly or
quarterly office parties. This
limits how often workers are
asked to donate money, and
the company may even help
cover costs.
BRANDS EXPERIENCE AN
average 20-percent increase in sales with a
celebrity endorsement, say the folks at The Handbook, a UK-based subscription
guide to over 43,000 celebrity agents, managers and publicists. If you’ve dreamed of
snagging a celeb endorsement for your product or promotion but didn’t know where
to begin, here are ways to help make it happen.
Compile a list
of A-, B- and C-list celebri-
ties who would make good ambassadors for
your project. Research what they like, check
their tweets and posts, and brainstorm ways
your brand can help them.
Instead of asking
celebrities to be the faces
of your campaign, start by requesting
something small, such as a tweet. This
helps build rapport and may lead to bigger
collaborations.
Take the leap
and mail your product or
branded promotional item to the celebrities
you choose—they may wear it proudly.
When sending products,
deck them out
with quality packaging. Choose express
shipping to really impress them, and con-
sider sending items to assistants and gate-
keepers, too.
Create images
of you or other celebrities using the product and send them along
with testimonials. This “social proof ” will help sell them on your idea.
Target multiple celebs,
and remember to be pleasantly persistent—not annoying.
Customize the item
with their name or signature color.
Meet a celeb
face-to-face, such as at book signings or charity events, and have your
photo taken to build buzz.
Follow The CEO
Snag A Celebrity Endorsement
Eight in 10 CEOs are now engaged online via social media, which is more than 40 percent
higher than five years ago. What platform do members of the C-suite prefer? Twitter and
LinkedIn are tops among corporate leaders, while Facebook has been all but deserted. And
surprisingly,
videos are becoming a mainstream form of communication
for 54 per-
cent of high-ranking executives.
Toe The Party Line