“Interplay translated the complexities of our new strategic direction into an engaging and effective learning experience for all of our Supply Chain Operations Partners.

Interplay’s ability to transform existing materials, leadership knowledge, and the thoughts of our Partners into a participatory communications program resulted in an important first step toward aligning leadership and Partners and launching a new strategy. “

- Pam Harkins, Director of Partner Resources  Starbucks Coffee Company

“Capitalizing on our Partner knowledge and transforming our core product and materials into educational tools, Interplay created a learning experience that exceeded our goals.

For shortening the distance to learning, and doing so in a creative, fun manner,  I’d recommend Interplay. “

- Steven Hurwitz  Vice President, Talent Management, US Business  Starbucks Coffee Company

“We hired Interplay to provide a strengths recognition program with a teambuilding component during a retreat.  Their “‘This or That’ activity was the right solutions, balancing collaborative fun with learning and testing individual strengths across several working groups.

For focused, collaborative learning, I’d recommend Interplay.”

- Christine McHugh, Partner Development  Starbucks Coffee Company

“”Interplay added a high-participation and high visibility marketing component to our Teradata Conference that really made a difference in the success of the event.

Interplay was instrumental in creating what our client said was their ‘best conference ever’, and we would highly recommend them for creating an active marketing message during any event.

- Carole Riddle, National Account Manager   Seattle Hospitality Services

“Interplay created a communications activity designed to create personal involvement and commitment to T-Mobile goals while raising awareness of sales and engineering strengths.

The event engaged over 70% of our employees with creative solutions, and an amazing transformation from a ‘meeting’ to a successful learning event.  “

- Posy Gering, Senior Manager, Communications  T-Mobile

“Interplay helped us celebrate the opening of our new LEED certified headquarters by turning the building into a fun learning activity.

Their ability to take complex technical attributes and create a fun marketing ‘tour’ is amazing, and I’d recommend using Interplay to make the most of your facility.”

- Frank Fermanti, Owner, Charter Construction

Meeting Multiple Objectives

Big Brand. Complex terminology. Specific theme. Dozens of vendors. Thousands of conference attendees. This data applications and warehousing company was holding their yearly conference for Teradata employees and vendors and needed to market their brand, highlight their vendors, and inspire conversation and interaction among several thousand attendees.

Interplay’s challenge? Provide this one-to-many marketing experience on a large scale while creating high participation social entertainment…with a purpose.

The Experience

Interplay designed, prototyped, and fabricated Picture This, a dynamic interactive experience where teams of two to twenty attendees could find database terminology, match vendor logos, and test their reflexes on and interactive Big Board.

A custom-programmed software engine tracked scores, controlled the countdown of one to two minute games, and played customized sounds that created a fun, interactive atmosphere in the heart of the conference space.  The conference’s nautical theme was represented by a selection of pirate names, sailing references, and a fast-reaction “fishing” game that literally moved attendees up and down the 36 screen Picture This Big Board.

The Results

Picture This was such a hit that attendees continued to gather, watch, and play after the conference was over.  The fusion of casual play, brand learning, and social interaction drew a crowd, generating an continuous stream of high-participation bonding and learning moments.

This popular Interplay Experience has been successfully adapted to meet the needs of Microsoft, Adobe, and numerous other organizations, and is available for your next conference, tradeshow, or event.  See video of Picture This at our Picture This Blog and contact us to find out how we can integrate your brand into a fun learning experience.

Learn more about our Services, or go to another Success Story.

Starbucks was looking for a facilitation and discussion tool that went past the usual teambuilding techniques and awkward discussions about personal differences. They wanted a more engaging participatory method for assimilating teams, starting difficult discussions, and building relationships between new employees.

The Solution

After a review of the type of client learning scenarios, facilitation needs, and countless hours of testing, Interplay created Similar & Different, a survey and card-based learning activity that initiates discussion and realization around topics such as diversity, cooperation, crucial conversations, and appreciation. An online survey of employee likes, dislikes, opinions and personal preferences result in a tailored set of Similar and Different cards and facilitator question sets. In a series of flexible rounds, employees safely reveal assumptions and opinions while providing a facilitator with room for directed discussion around a selected topic.

The Result

Originally designed for a single use, Similar and Different has been repeatedly used to begin discussions, reconnect cross country teams, and a multitude of development objectives at Starbucks. Similar and Different is available for your diversity training, crucial conversations, and numerous organizational development uses.

Here’s what Ellen Kliafkov, former Director of Partner Development has to say about this multi-purpose experiential tool:

Interplay created a great activity, tailored to my needs.

Similar and Different is a multi-purpose tool that I use for team assimilations, reconnecting individuals, and jump starting difficult discussions.

The combination of activity, intriguing questions, and visual appeal shortens the distance to open discussion in a safe and fun atmosphere. I’d recommend Interplay for a customized development solution!

]]> http://interplayinc.com/success-stories/starbucks_sim_diff.html/feed 0 http://interplayinc.com/success-stories/starbucks_whats_your_vision.html http://interplayinc.com/success-stories/starbucks_whats_your_vision.html#comments Sun, 19 Oct 2008 00:08:25 +0000 admin http://interplayinc.com/?p=657

The Challenge

How do you engage a busy remote workforce in the creation of a crucial visioning process? North American Starbucks Store Development managers would be flying in for a short three hour session at a Leadership Conference where their input was crucial. But how can you reach and motivate remote employees to think about the vision, process a vision from their perspective, and summarize their recommendations in an already packed schedule?

The Solution

Applying our attraction + participation = change model, we created a branded program that captured the attention of remote busy managers and jumpstarted the thinking about critical vision issues.

Weeks before the conference, the “What’s Your Vision” program started with an online visioning survey that went beyond the usual text-based surveys, creating a viral buzz and a 98% response rate.  Data from the survey flowed into a customized Who’s Who trading card activity at the start of the conference session where remote teams attempted to connect visioning survey answers to individuals.

Bonded into teams, tables of ten managers tackled a series of customized activities that efficiently processed opinions and resulted in a distinct definition of a key vision topic.

Teams summarized their definition using an oversized page that they delivered to the stage and placed in the Store Development Visioning Encyclopedia in an onstage spectacle, along with a three dimensional Action Message that was “air-traded” with others in a fun and meaningful final moment.

The Result

Beyond the high survey response that led to a effective three hour visioning process, the outcome generated tangible results: The Store Development Encyclopedia.  This employee-written reference guide and hundreds of Action Messages that outlined what employees could do to put their vision into actual steps in the workplace helped guide Store Development leadership as they created the vision for an already engaged workforce.

Learn more about our Services, or go to another Success Story.

Microvision needed to create an enjoyable theme for their company picnic that featured their brand while keeping what they did top of the mind among picnic attendees.

The Challenge

Keep people aware of the base science behind the company’s mission while keeping activities relevant to what they do and what the firm is about.

The Solution

Interplay created a team oriented activity called The Traveler, based on a series of activities and puzzles that moved The Traveler closer to his destination with the assistance of participating teams.

The Result

This series of Smart Play activities helped keep the Company Brand in front of attendees while at the same time keeping core science behind what the company does top of mind for all participants.