Company News

Rochester, New York — Brand Integrity Inc., announced today that Matthew Ralyea has been hired as Business Development Associate.

Matt will be responsible for generating leads and engaging potential clients with Brand Integrity’s consulting services and Potential Point™ experience management software. He’ll also contribute to the strategic direction of Brand Integrity’s new business development and overall company growth initiatives.

"Matt’s strength in building successful long-term relationships will be crucial to supporting our overall business strategy as the company continues to grow," said Patrick Ahern, Partner, Senior Vice President Business Development. "We’re looking forward to leveraging his skills and expertise as we continue to provide our clients with industry-leading experience management solutions."

A Rochester native, Matt previously worked at Element K as an account executive, where he partnered with clients to design corporate online training programs.

Rochester, New York — Brand Integrity Inc., is proud to announce that Patrick Ahern, Partner, Senior Vice President Business Development, has received the Rochester Business Journal’s Forty Under 40 award.

With nominations from the community and selections by a committee of business leaders, the prestigious Forty Under 40 awards recognize forty men and women under the age of 40 who have achieved professional success and made significant civic contributions to our community. This is the 17th year of the program, which selects "the best of the best" from the hundreds of nominations submitted each year.

A Rochester native, Patrick serves on the board of the Rochester Businessman's Charitable Organization, and is founder of the Crazy Pig Road Rally, which generates money for charitable causes. Previously, he served as Vice President on the board for the Pirate Toy Fund.

"We are extremely fortunate to have Patrick leading the Brand Integrity team," said Gregg Lederman, CEO. "His integrity, commitment to innovative thinking, and dedication to providing exceptional customer experiences has provided great benefits to our company and the clients we serve. I can think of no one more deserving of this award and the recognition of the business community."

Award winners were honored at an annual luncheon and presentation of awards at the Rochester Riverside Convention Center on November 15. View the complete list of 2011 Honorees here.

Rochester, New York — Brand Integrity Inc., announced today that Sarah Derrenbacher has been promoted to Vice President, Senior Client Partner.

In her new role, Sarah will leverage the company’s consulting and software solutions to help clients effectively manage their branded experiences and gain more loyal customers. She’ll utilize the proprietary Achieve Brand Integrity® strategy as well as Potential Point™ 5.0, an experience management solution that streamlines management of the branded experience through employee assessments, strategic recognition, customer feedback and reporting tools. She will also assume internal leadership responsibilities to help drive the company’s strategy of becoming a market leader in experience management solutions.

Sarah joined Brand Integrity in 2007 as a Brand Strategist. In that role, she developed customized strategies to help the company’s senior living and healthcare clients support internal brand alignment, cultural change and proven ROI.

"We rely heavily on Sarah’s expertise in designing and implementing experience management solutions," said Gregg Lederman, CEO. "That experience, mixed with her knowledge of the senior living and healthcare industries, is essential to helping our clients strengthen their brand and increase customer loyalty."

Sarah will continue to work out of the company’s Rochester, New York office.

Rochester, New York — Brand Integrity Inc. announced today that Linda Piontek has joined the company as Senior Consultant. She has over ten years experience in leadership consulting and relationship management.

As Senior Consultant, Linda will leverage Brand Integrity’s solutions to help clients effectively manage their branded experiences and gain more loyal customers. She’ll utilize the proprietary Achieve Brand Integrity™ strategy as well as Potential Point™ 5.0, an experience management solution that streamlines management of employee experience, strategic recognition, and customer experience feedback.

"Linda’s expertise in working with and coaching company leaders will be extremely valuable as we continue to design custom workshops that meet our client’s specific business needs," said Gregg Lederman, CEO. "Her ability to focus on the overall brand strategy, while maintaining keen attention to detail will be integral as we help companies define their brand, align and engage employees, and create greater accountability for delivering consistently positive customer experiences."

Prior to joining Brand Integrity, Linda operated a leadership consultancy where she coached business leaders and facilitated training sessions on relationship management best practices.

Rochester, New York — Brand Integrity CEO, Gregg Lederman, will be the keynote speaker at the 2011 Business Growth Expo. The event will be held in Buffalo, New York on October 20, 2011, and will provide executives and decision makers with seminars designed to help them gain new insights, strategies and solutions for their business. Gregg's presentation, Engage Employee to Outbehave the Competition, will focus on turning employees into Brand Ambassadors who strengthen work culture and delight customers.

For more information, please visit http://www2.bizjournals.com/buffalo/events/2011/business_growth_expo/ or view the PDF.

Rochester, New York — Brand Integrity Inc. announced today that Matthew Doyle has been promoted to Lead Solutions Architect. In his new role, Matthew will be responsible for managing software enhancements and overseeing the technical architecture of Potential Point™ 5.0, the company’s experience management software solution that streamlines employee experience, strategic recognition, and customer experience feedback data.

“Since joining Brand Integrity in 2007, Matthew’s software development and implementation skills have played a pivotal role in the company,” said Doug Bennett, Senior Vice President of Technology. “His dedication to understanding and using the most current technologies and development best practices is crucial to ensuring that Potential Point 5.0 provides our customers with the real-time experience data needed to influence employee engagement, customer loyalty, and financial performance.”

Prior to joining the company, Matthew operated a consulting firm where he provided clients with instruction and recommendations on website design and development best practices.

A graduate of Rochester Institute of Technology, Matthew holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Information Technology with a focus on database design and web application development.

Rochester, New York — Brand Integrity Inc., announced today that Melissa Vaccaro has been promoted to Client Partner.

In her new role, Melissa will leverage Brand Integrity’s consulting and software solutions including Potential Point™ 5.0, the company’s experience management software, to help clients improve employee experiences and gain more loyal customers.

“Melissa’s strong strategic thinking and analytical skills are a proven asset to the Brand Integrity team,” said Gregg Lederman, CEO. “Her knowledge of experience management best practices will be essential to helping our clients close the gap between the brand, business strategy, and the employee and customer experiences that bring them to life.”

A Rochester native, Melissa joined Brand Integrity in early 2009 as Office Manager, Executive Assistant.

Rochester, New York — Brand Integrity Inc., announced today the launch of Potential Point™ 5.0, a patent pending SaaS solution designed to help companies gain more loyal customers. This new version builds upon the current Potential Point™ employee engagement solution. Companies can now streamline management of the branded experience including employee assessments, strategic recognition, customer feedback, and enhanced reporting tools accessible through a comprehensive dashboard tool.

Potential Point™ 5.0 offers three experience management software applications:

• Employee Experience Assessments offer ongoing measurement of employee alignment, engagement, and consistency of the branded experience.
• Strategic Recognition promotes a leadership-driven and peer-to-peer social process used to capture and share behaviors and best practices aligned with the company’s culture and desired customer experience.
• Customer Experience Feedback facilitates ongoing measurement of customer loyalty, including the Net Promoter® Score, based on feedback in relation to consistency of experiences delivered by the company.

Potential Point™ 5.0 runs in the cloud and requires no hardware purchases, software installations, or network set-up. It can be used as a standalone solution or easily integrated with HR, marketing, CRM, and other enterprise systems.

"We’re really excited to launch Potential Point™ 5.0 because it now allows our customers to manage employee and customer experiences in ways they previously could not," said Gregg Lederman, CEO. "Brand Integrity is the only company that offers this unique and comprehensive approach to employee and customer data. Unlike other reward and recognition programs or customer feedback programs, Potential Point™ helps companies assess employee performance and customer feedback to quantify culture and make decisions that influence employee engagement, customer loyalty and profitability."

Potential Point™ 5.0 is available now through Brand Integrity, Inc.

Rochester, New York — Brand Integrity Inc., announced today that Nicole Cicero has been hired as Office Manager, Executive Assistant.

In her new role, Nicole will manage the company’s speaking program engagements and assume all office administrative responsibilities. She’ll also provide clients with technical support for Potential Point™ 5.0, an experience management software solution that streamlines management of employee experience, strategic recognition, and customer experience feedback.

“Nicole’s office and project management skills make her a valuable addition to the Brand Integrity team,” said Gregg Lederman, CEO. “Her experience in client services will be essential to helping us manage the day-to-day aspects of the business as we drive the company’s strategy of becoming a market leader in experience management solutions.”

A Rochester native, Nicole previously served as Administrative Assistant at Insero & Company.

Rochester, New York — Brand Integrity Inc., announced today the addition of Stamatios Kanellakis as Senior Consultant. An expert in marketing research and customer experience strategy, Stamatios is a Net Promoter© Certified Associate Professional.

In his new role, Stamatios will work with Brand Integrity’s software team to guide further development of Potential Point™ 5.0, the company’s experience management software solution that streamlines management of employee experience, strategic recognition, and customer experience feedback. He will also work with the company’s business development team to engage new clients with Potential Point™ 5.0’s full service offering and will consult with clients on design, implementation and management of their customer experience feedback programs.

Prior to joining Brand Integrity, Stamatios served as Senior Solutions Implementation Manager at Satmetrix Systems, Inc., where he was responsible for managing customer loyalty programs for Fortune 500 clients including BlackBerry, YellowBook and Sodexo. He also served as Senior Customer Experience Management Consultant at Keynote Systems, Inc., where he partnered with clients including Microsoft, Google, FedEx, and Condé Nast Publications to improve online customer experiences and increase customer loyalty. He is a graduate of New York University and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences with a concentration in Economics, as well as an International Baccalaureate Diploma in Economics.

“We’re really excited to have Stamatios join the Brand Integrity team,” said Gregg Lederman, CEO. “His passion and energy for customer loyalty, experience in quantitative and qualitative research methods, as well as his knowledge of Net Promoter®, will serve as a valuable asset in ensuring that our Potential Point™ 5.0 technology can deliver cutting edge customer feedback solutions. We’re looking forward to utilizing Stamatios’ consulting expertise to help our customers use customer feedback data captured in the software to make decisions that influence customer loyalty and financial performance.”

Stamatios has also served as a Guest Speaker for the Workshop In Business Opportunities, a private non-profit organization that is committed to assisting men and women with the drive to become successful entrepreneurs.

Rochester, New York — Brand Integrity Inc., announced today the addition of Charee Klimek as Vice President, Client Partner. An expert in employer branding, she has more than 18 years multi-disciplinary experience developing talent management solutions.

In her new role, Charee will partner with clients to help them gain more loyal customers by utilizing Brand Integrity’s consulting solutions as well as Potential Point™ 5.0, an experience management solution that streamlines management of employee experience, strategic recognition, and customer experience feedback. She will also assume leadership responsibilities within the Brand Integrity team to help drive the company’s strategy of becoming a market leader in experience management solutions.

During her time as Managing Partner of Vocii, a Brand Integrity consulting partner since 2009, she helped clients incorporate brand behaviors into their recruitment and retention efforts. Prior to Vocii, she was Director, Client Partner at Bernard Hodes Group, where she developed strategic solutions for clients’ talent management initiatives including employee relationships.

“Charee’s unique perspective and business experience in human resources, marketing, brand strategy, and consulting make her a valuable addition to the Brand Integrity team,” said Gregg Lederman, Founder and Managing Partner. “Her experience management knowledge and cultural branding background will serve as a great asset in helping Brand Integrity clients define, measure and manage the branded experiences that impact them inside and out. We’ll also benefit from her extensive experience working with Fortune 500 organizations and growing mid-sized companies.”

A Chicago native, Charee is an avid social media evangelist for the customer experience industry. She is a founding individual member of the newly established Experience Professionals Association (CXPA), a global non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of customer experience management practices, and served on the Public Relations Society of America executive committee for employee communications in 2010.

Vocii™ and Brand Integrity, Inc. are proud to announce a new client to our shared roster: UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), a Fortune 21 company whose mission is to help people live healthier lives. UnitedHealth Groups’ Recruitment Services team selected Vocii and Brand Integrity for their ability to recognize an unmet need: effective management and measurement of on brand behavior as it relates to the Group’s employer brand: “There’s Something Greater at Work Here.”

Through Potential Point™, a performance management solution that aligns employee behaviors with brand values and business strategy, the team now has the ability to monitor, measure, track and report real-time results to leadership as it positively reinforces its brand message among candidates in the employment market.

The “Great to Greater Than” On Brand Behavior program will launch June 23, 2010. Participants in the pilot program include Recruitment Services Leaders, Managers, Recruiters and other Human Resources team members responsible for delivering exceptional candidate experiences while also achieving vital business objectives.

Heather Polivka, Director of Employment Marketing stated:

“We’re very excited about Potential Point and impressed with its ability to drive results that include greater visibility for our brand and employee value proposition. The reality of being able to gauge our teams' performance through behaviors directly tied to business outcomes is Brand Management 3.0. Think Facebook for brand and performance management. The more employees see managers and peers being recognized and appreciated for going above and beyond, the greater the likelihood that others will want their stories told and repeat best practices. The domino effect for this application has no bounds."

A recent Gallup study showed that 71 percent of the workforce in the US is not engaged at work, while a study by Franklin Covey found that less than half of US employees' time is spent working on their organization's most important goals.

So the people behind Brand Integrity, a practice that specializes in employee performance, decided to create a product that could ameliorate this threat to productivity.

They came up with the Potential Point Employee Engagement Solution, a combination of web-based software and services that attempt to transform employee recognition into a pervasive leadership tool by aligning company goals with employee behaviors and encouraging individuals to share, recognize, and repeat best practices.

The product was packaged and delivered to 20 companies on a trial basis. One of these companies, Retirement Living Television, is claiming that their employees now have a 100 percent awareness of the company's mission and strategies and are capturing success stories to illustrate their newfound initiatives. Employees say that their work environment has improved as a result.

"Companies have traditionally used the concept of recognition as a process for sporadically thanking and rewarding employees for work done well instead of a framework for ongoing education, alignment, analysis, and measurement," said Gregg Lederman, founder and managing partner, Brand Integrity. "The Employee Engagement Solution provides businesses of all sizes with a cost-effective, easy to use tool that can be used to uncover proven ways to drive more consistent, on-target results, while providing employees with the appreciation critical to engagement and job satisfaction."

The solution will be sold beginning March 2009 at four different tiers: starter: standard, professional, and enterprise.

Download the news release.

Rochester, New York — Brand Integrity today announced the Potential Point™ EmployeeEngagement Solution, a combination of web-based software and services that transforms employee recognition into a pervasive leadership tool. The solution addresses the widespread business challenge of executing strategy effectively by aligning company goals with employee behaviors, and engaging individuals to share, recognize and repeat the best practices that deliver meaningful results.

During development, more than 20 companies tested the solution to measure its impact across diverse environments, with results showing cultural and business benefits way beyond simply helping employees feel appreciated. For example, in the first five months of using the system, employees at Retirement Living Television (RLTV) now have 100 percent awareness and buy-in on the company’s mission and strategies, and they’ve captured hundreds of success stories, with 30 percent identifying replicable ways to significantly impact business growth. RLTV president Brad Knight believes the solution is improving insight into performance gaps, its coaching process and overall culture. Last year, CableWorld Magazine put the company on its “Top 10 Best Places to Work” list, with employees attributing the engagement program for improving the work environment.

“Companies have traditionally used the concept of recognition as a process for sporadically thanking and rewarding employees for work done well instead of a framework for ongoing education, alignment, analysis and measurement,” said Gregg Lederman, founder and managing partner, Brand Integrity. “The Employee Engagement Solution provides businesses of all sizes with a cost-effective, easy-to-use tool that can be used to uncover proven ways to drive more consistent, on-target results, while providing employees with the appreciation critical to engagement and job satisfaction.”

To support the different needs of small, medium and large businesses, the software-as-aservice (SaaS) is sold at four program levels:

• Starter Edition with basic system functionality and services.
• Standard Edition with award points capabilities, point redemption through merchant catalog and additional training and communication services.
• Professional Edition with full reporting capabilities, consulting services and integration with HRMS systems.
• Enterprise Edition with comprehensive customization, training and communications for companies that require a more tailored solution for their environment.

Unlike competitive offerings, Brand Integrity’s solution engages people through an ongoing cycle of collaborative, peer-to-peer recognition. When colleagues or customers witness employees doing behaviors that are in line with the strategy, they recognize them using either an offline or a webbased tool that helps them identify the activity’s link to the strategy and its impact on business results. Upon manager approval, the captured data can be analyzed or measured, as well as shared with employees to foster education and improved performance. This process significantly improves management’s visibility into performance, enhances collaboration among virtual teams or divisional units, and speeds the identification and adoption of best practices.

The Employee Engagement Solution is available now through Brand Integrity, Inc., and is backed by a 90 percent adoption guarantee. The solution will also be sold through channel partners beginning in March 2009.

Download the news release.