Laura Summer Project

As I entered the office I was greeted by two, loud, spotty office dogs. The Phoenix Partners was definitely no ordinary office - that’s for sure!

My first day was really good and everyone made me feel so welcome. Now I had to get to grips with the task ahead of me…

Digital and New Media!

Currently I am studying a degree in Advertising and Marketing, so this did seem a challenge; yet the more research I did I soon began to see how it can fit into a businesses communications strategy. The possibilities were endless but the results were the same. A well constructed campaign will ensure that your company will reach an incredibly large audience.

However, in the early days of the project I began to feel overwhelmed. There are so many platforms and software applications that you can use - but what is the right one? Should I talk about them all? As The Phoenix Partners are an agency I could not target a specific audience and say ‘this medium would be right for you’ because every client is different and each has their own individual needs. So I knew that I had to select a range of platforms that Digital and New Media offered that could be suitable for a number of sectors.

All of sudden everything began to fit. I started developing a plan for what The Phoenix Partners could use for both themselves and for their clients. After constant checking and re-writing I ended up with a document well in access of 100 pages which included all things Digital and New Media.

The Phoenix Partners are now ready to offer relevant aspects of Digital and New Media to their clients. For me this was the best part of my placement – actually being encouraged to meet live clients and sharing my ideas with them.
The Phoenix Partners is a unique place to work and as I have mentioned earlier the two spotty office dogs, Dyson and Square, really give the office a great atmosphere. There was another bonus to the job too. On hot sunny days (not that we got many of them this summer!) we got to have a barbeque and a beer. That always went down well and was a great way to motivate the whole team too!

What makes The phoenix Partners a really great agency and a brilliant place to work though is the people. Yes we know we have got work to do (and they are excellent at what they do) but it is also important to have a laugh and that is what made working here so enjoyable. An agency where you can be yourself, where your ideas count (even if you are a Uni student!) and where you are encouraged ... I wonder if there will be any vacancies next year???

Aims and Incentives

What makes a successful incentive scheme? Let’s be honest, it’s all about the gifts. A scheme can be well run, effectively publicised to staff and within budget, but if the gift isn’t fantastic, then really - why bother?

So, how about an all expenses paid week on an exclusive, tropical island? Sorry, but I hate flying and the sunshine will bring me out in hives. There really is no pleasing some people and that is the challenge for incentive schemes. Incentive gifts need to be as varied as the incentive participants.

Aspiration is very personal. Some people will respond to long term targets and some need instant gratification, some will love a holiday and some will want an i-pod. There are also those who will use their rewards to buy gifts for others, making the ‘customer’ demographic as easy to pin down as fog.

That is why www.incentivise-me.com was created and this is how part of my job became the search for what everybody wants. How fantastic, shopping in the name of work! And it would be, if I were buying for me - but I’m not – I’m buying for you. I am a personal shopper for thousands of people that I have never met. Imagine having to buy all the Christmas presents for the extended family of a person randomly selected from a phone book in another country – without even talking to them. Challenging - certainly, Brilliant – definitely.

So ... how am I doing? Why don’t you have a look and tell me?

justine@thephoenixpartners.com