One of my favorite things about being on the blogger team for the 2019 SHRM Annual Conference & Exposition is chatting with speakers and vendors to learn more about them and create some pre-conference buzz! Before #SHRM19 in Las Vegas, I have 3 vendor interviews lined up for you!
As I was looking through the vendor list, I was Googling company names I hadn't heard of to see what they were all about. As soon as I saw that AXOMO focused on branding and offered a self-guided platform for employee engagement and company merch, I knew I had to find out more. Thank you to Brad Gasaway, VP of Marketing, and Kreslynn Knouse, Marketing Manager for taking the time to hop on a call with me and share more!
Let me start with a quick story. Have you ever been the person in charge of ordering branded gear for your company event? Maybe the company picnic, annual holiday party or employee appreciation day is coming up. You know it’s impossible to please everyone, so you do your best while silently bracing yourself for the few sarcastic “Gee, thanks...” moments. The to-d list has only just begun. You still have to track down all sizes and quantities needed, double check specs and order details, get production proofs approved, handle the transactions, and then prepare the finished product for distribution on event day. After the event takes place, you somehow ended up with extra shirts in the storage closet and don't notice your employees wearing them again. I know I've been in this spot!
AXOMO takes challenges like these and solves them with 21st Century technology. Instead of guesswork and busywork (which inevitably result in waste and/or disappointment), organizations can easily design and upload a variety of trending items, and give their employees store credit to go and shop the company-branded gear that THEY get excited about. I know as an HR professional, time is money, and I do not want to spend time trying to coordinate the ordering process and then distributing the items!
Can you tell me a little bit more about the background of your company and how AXOMO came to be?
AXOMO is part of the Namify family. Namify has been around since 2001 as a customization business. Over the years, we perfected the process of getting names and logos on items. We realized there was another problem out there that we could solve. Through listening to our customers, we started finding out that they had extra swag laying around in storage closets not being used. We decided to rescue managers from the guessing game of knowing what their employees want, as well as save them time by automating the process of collecting sizes and placing orders. Employee engagement is a hot topic right now, and to hear that employees were not engaging with their company's brand because they didn't like the swag they were getting is a big problem!
Let's talk more about the benefits of using AXOMO such as employee engagement, marketing and cost savings.
We find that most companies do have a budget for employee engagement and rewards. Your employees may not want a t-shirt or koozie, so we give them the option of selecting from the hundreds of items available on our site, so they will actually use the items and represent the company. Next time one of your employees is recognized for something or wins a company contest, you can give them a store credit and they can go onto AXOMO to pick out the item that they really want. AXOMO’s user data claims that employees are 80% more likely to use their gift frequently, if they get to pick it out. Marketing departments love this because employees become walking billboards and ambassadors for the company when they sport their jacket, backpack, water bottle, or whatever item they've selected that fits their life style. Finance leaders love it because it eliminates waste and funds aren't being spent on items that employees don't want.
What are you looking forward to most about the conference, and what can HR professionals expect when they visit your booth?
This is our 2nd year at the annual conference. Attendees may remember our staff at the booth last year in Chicago sporting t-shirts that say "My boss picked this shirt for me :-(" We will be showing HR professionals how our platform works and giving out $50 gift cards to those that want to get in and test out the platform. You'll be able to upload your company's logo, pick an item and check out all while at our booth. It will be very interactive. We have so much fun talking with HR professionals, hearing about their pain points and sharing how we can help boost their employee's engagement.
I know I'll be stopping by the booth to order my item and chat with the AXOMO team! If you want to learn more, you can visit them at the 2019 SHRM Annual Conference Exposition Hall Booth #847 in Las Vegas, or check them out online at axomo.com.
Claire Stroh Petrie, MBA, PHR, SHRM-CP, is an HR Practitioner in Buffalo, NY. She has used LinkedIn, Twitter, and networking to build her personal brand and uncover new opportunities for herself and the companies she’s worked for. She’s passionate about helping other professionals do the same! Claire has many years of successively diverse human resources management experience with privately-owned and publicly-traded global leaders. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in HR from the University at Buffalo and an MBA from Niagara University. She is an active member and blogger for SHRM, and also a member of SHRM’s Young Professional Advisory Council (YPAC). She serves as the Professional Development Director on the Buffalo Niagara Human Resources Association (BNHRA) Board of Directors, a Board Member and Camp Counselor for Empower Camp, and is an Organizer for DisruptHR Buffalo.
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