Earthlink Puts Employees on TV; Consumers Vote for their Favorite

In a twist on employee incentives, Internet service provider Earthlink is letting consumers decide which of its employees are worthy of perks like company cars and offices.

Earthlink puts a twist on employee incentive programs by asking consumers to vote for their favorite

As part of its 10th anniversary celebration, Earthlink is inviting employees to audition for spots in its integrated campaign showing off its people behind the scenes.

“All sorts of different people, from different departments and levels came out,” said VP-Human Resources Stacie Hagan. “We advertised it to the employees with e-mails and in-office posters. We told them it was a chance to appear in commercials for Earthlink, but didn’t tell them what the commercials would be about.”

Earthlink employs more than 2,000 people. The auditions were held last fall.

The TV ads, which broke in January, feature employees talking about what they do for the company. They ask viewers to go online or to call a toll-free number to vote for their favorite. The employees are also featured at
Youdecideonline.com, offering up personal pleas of why they should receive the company perk.

“There’s a face to this promotion,” spokesperson Jerry Grasso said. “It shows that we have real people who really care about our customers, and that’s the message we want to send out.”

The employees competing for the perks change on a six-week basis. The first contest ran from January into February. Scott McCready beat his brother and co-worker, Jay McCready, 159,354 to 147,646 to win a $1,000 cash bonus from the company. The second contest is underway with the winner getting a company car or an office.

Once on the Web site, consumers can also vote on a weekly department-versus-department contest, in which the members of an entire department within Atlanta-based Earthlink can win gift cards.

Hagan said the employees in the commercials receive an unexpected perk as well—royalty checks each time the commercials air. She declined to disclose the amounts.

Though not all of the employees are featured in commercials, the campaign has created a buzz around the water coolers, Hagan said.

“Everyone thinks it’s pretty neat to see their co-workers in commercials,” she said.

To entice consumers to log on and vote, Earthlink dangles consumer prizes to registrants, including laptops and airline tickets. One prize is given out per six-week period.

Crispin Porter & Bogusky, Miami, handles for Earthlink, and was involved in selecting the employees for the initiative.