Aydlotte & Cartwright Inc., USA, is an agency providing advertising, marketing and public relations services to the healthcare industry, founded by William Aydlotte, who handles the creative side, and Jeane Cartwright, who manages the business and customer service side. From personal investments of $8000 from both partners, it quickly developed into a multi-million dollar business specializing in services for the healthcare industry.

On the first day of each month, every employee at Aydlotte & Cartwright receives a $10 allowance for the soft-drink machine. Despite the obvious cost, the company finds that the return on investment in terms of employee satisfaction is worth every dollar, according to Bill Aydlotte. The same is true for the firm's ‘birthday present’ to each employee – a day off with pay during the month of his or her birthday.

The allowance and day off are part of Aydlotte & Cartwright's internal marketing programme, conceived by the firm's partners, Bill Aydlotte and Jeane Cartwright. The concept of internal marketing was originally developed to help their clients. Aydlotte recounts facing a roomful of angry physicians who had fired the previous advertising agency. It did not take long for Aydlotte to work out that the physicians were angry because they had not been heard by the hospital or the former agency. So, he asked for their thoughts and ideas, and he listened. After the session, he came away with the account, which remains with Aydlotte & Cartwright.

The experience led Aydlotte & Cartwright to focus on the importance of internal marketing. ‘It sounds simplistic’ he says, ‘but internal marketing is basically listening to the employees and staff in a hospital or company, telling them what is happening and what we are going to do.’ Often, employees do not know what is going on in their organization. They feel excluded and as a result are not committed to or do not support their company's programmes. If, however, employees feel included in the company's decisions, they begin to take pride in their work and their employer.

While developing internal marketing programmes for their clients, Cartwright and Aydlotte began to look at their own fast-growing company. The two partners soon arrived at the conclusion that they, too, could benefit from such a programme. ‘We ask a lot from our employees, and they give it’ Cartwright explains. ‘Our experiences with our clients demonstrated that it would mean a lot if we show our appreciation for those efforts.’

Internal marketing was particularly pertinent since the firm was growing rapidly, and the partners wanted to find ways to remain close to employees, as well as help old and new members know each other better and build strong relationships. The key to good internal marketing, Cartwright suggests, is to show employees they are appreciated and heard. From this comes improvement in morale and productivity. Another point to remember is to implement these kinds of programmes before employees become disgruntled or less productive, and before they want to leave the company.

‘We have found that employee support can make our advertising work for the client more successful’ Aydlotte notes.

Apart from the soft-drink allowance and birthdays off, the firm has put in place the Big Idea Award. This is given to any employee whose idea has improved or could improve business operations, contribute to humanity, or ‘make agency life a little easier’. The winner gets a statue, two entertainment tickets and recognition in the agency newsletter. Since setting up the award, the company has been inundated with ideas, and competition for the award is intense. The award is taken seriously, but it contains an element of fun that also helps to spark creativity.

An in-house newsletter is also part of the programme. It communicates news within the agency, such as awards granted to employees and the firm, new business, employee birthdays, items from the agency's suggestion box and even bits of gossip.

Cartwright notes that employers do not have to offer complicated incentive programmes to make a difference. Aydlotte & Cartwright's internal marketing programme is simple and easy to implement. Maybe that is the reason why it has been so successful.

As Aydlotte remarks, at the end of the day ‘Internal marketing is really just a fancy term for showing employees we care, we appreciate your efforts, and we want to hear what you have to say.’

Source: Schonbak, J. (1991). Internal marketing worth every cent. Business, Atlanta, 20 (10), October, 16–17.