IMA Fuels Goals, Team Effort with New Leader: Q&A
The Incentive Marketing Association is kicking off 2008 with a new president at the helm. Rick Blabolil, president of Marketing Innovators International, Inc., a people performance management and measurement organization, takes over Jan. 1. Part of his job includes advancing the association’s six main goals. They include: raising the reputation of the organization, emphasizing the ROI of incentive programs, finding ways to link with like associations, broadening the association’s Certified Professional of Incentive Management (CPIM) designation, increasing employee recognition and consumer loyalty programs and investigating global programs for the industry.
For Blabolil, one the keys in keeping the momentum going is a team effort among industry organizations. He spoke with Promo P&I about his new role and his teamwork strategy for success.
Promo: What will be your first order of business as IMA president?
Blabolil: The first thing on the agenda is to focus on this seamless transition. You want to pick up the momentum that was achieved the prior year. I will get myself aligned with the past president, the executive director and the board and learn the initiatives.
P: Of the IMA’s goals, what are your top priorities?
B: We want to the IMA to be a ‘go-to’ organization for information around incentives and their applications and purposes for corporate use. A second goal is increase what we do with our sister associations. We bring value to our industry and to other associations. We want to make sure those are all integrated. Third, we need to continue aligning with our nine strategic industry groups (smaller groups representing constituencies that provide services and products in the industry), such as the Incentive Gift Card Council and the Incentive Manufacturers and Representatives Alliance.
P: How will the IMA address some of these goals?
B: We are forming task forces, which are smaller groups of people that are given certain tasks. We are trying to branch our activities into smaller vices. We also want to refine our messages. One way is with a publication, which we would generate quarterly, a report of what’s happening in the industry. It’s something we are planning in 2008.
P: What message do you want to impress most on the industry?
B: All of the sister associations are trying to help their members, to get end users and companies to use our products and services and help companies solve business issues. We are all doing this for the right reasons. But we want to show some unification, to show why these are important tools, and when used correctly, they become important and help the financial outcome of companies. It’s a united front.
P: What’s one challenge facing the incentive industry?
B: The terms are changing. I don’t think we, as industry, define ourselves in the same way. There is more crossover in what these companies sell. I think end-users become confused. Promotional products companies have tried to sell incentive programs. As a result, they may not be familiar with incentive language. It’s a Yeoman’s job to get everyone to line up the same way. If we push to define ourselves…that would help.
P: How much as the IMA grown over the last year?
B: We had a 15% growth, or 146 new members in 2007. We have 696 members. Our goal is to increase membership. While trying to that, a larger goal is to make sure we are increasing the value proposition for our members.
P: How will the IMA mark its 10th anniversary in 2008?
B: There will be some kind of event. There may be something culminating at the Motivation Show in September. Plans are in the works.
