After his win at the German Haus Tech Start-Up Battle at SXBW in Austin, Texas, Strata Group Chief Executive Simon Hambley shares his takeaways, and why Sherbet’s simplicity makes it uniquely poised to seize the moment and make a profound impact in the rewards and incentives space.
When I attended South by Southwest (SXSW) in Austin, Texas, I wasn’t planning on presenting anything. A lifelong events and entertainment professional, I was ready just to soak in the atmosphere, represent the Strata Group and see the best the industry has to offer.
Then I had the opportunity to pitch Sherbet at the German Haus Tech Start-up Battle. I took it. And won.
The whole thing felt like a metaphor for Sherbet itself. If you’re not familiar, Sherbet is a rewards and recognition platform designed to boost employee engagement through gamification, real-time data and automated, portable incentives. In sales-driven industries, rewards and commission are often essential for motivation, team building and performance, but historically juggling commissions and incentives has been expensive and inaccurate.
A complex problem that wastes money is an opportunity, not unlike the opportunity to stand up and pitch at a global event like SXSW. And, like the judge’s feedback on Sherbet says, the solution is… simple.
One platform, built into the sales journey from purchase through to incentive. Tracked accurately, giving insights into sales behaviour – and, critically, behaviour changes. Has your incentive offer actually motivated sales? Have you successfully rewarded your employees for changing up their approach, for modernising, for hustling? Sherbet displays clear answers for everyone involved.
There is an opportunity within the world of sales incentives that Sherbet pitches to. And, as we’ve seen time and again, it wins.
I had a fantastic time at SXSW and I’m already looking forward to next year’s event. Here’s to many more opportunities seized by Sherbet and the rest of the wider Strata Group.
Simon Hambley is Chief Executive of the Strata Group. An experienced events and marketing communications specialist, Simon is an entrepreneur and business manager with a track record of start-up success, managing fast growth, business transition and change management.
Strata sits down with Head of Pharma Growth, Vicky Fraser, to talk industry changes and opportunities for creative, insight-led engagement in a sector led by compliance concerns
With the rise of generative AI, I’m seeing a lot more appetite for authenticity and creativity led by real humans, and luckily, that’s exactly what we do at Strata! I think the industry has woken up to how ‘noisy’ the digital space can be, and how healthcare professionals (HCPs) are increasingly selective with their time and attention. At Strata we have the benefit of cross-industry experience, and I’d say the trend across the board with high-value audiences is that they need better storytelling, whether in the content they’re consuming or at in-person events.
We’re lucky at Strata to have over 20 members of staff working specifically to support healthcare industry clients. We have a deep sector fluency and understanding of compliance concerns, so both are baked into our approach from the very beginning. Once we know what the story is, and why the s audience(s) should be interested, we’re able to really dive into the creative process.
One key benefit to all our experience across other industries – such as tech, automotive and professional services – is that we can draw on examples of creative approaches that have provably achieved their goals and look at them through a ‘healthcare lens’. This enables us to come up with concepts for healthcare clients that can truly cut through the noise and connect with their audiences.
The structure of The Strata Group means that our clients benefit from both a wide pool of capabilities and a real depth of knowledge – we’re able to deliver at speed globally across multiple facets of brand engagement through maximising resources through the Group. Across the Group we have a team of experts within the healthcare sector with a deep understanding of compliance and governance, but the single touchpoint of Strata ensures brand guardianship, reduces silos and provides a single trusted partner. We’re able to give our clients a senior-led, bespoke service.
From a purely practical standpoint, the Group gives us stronger negotiation powers and allows us to offer clients cost efficiencies across areas such as event space bookings and logistics.
It’s because we’re in a digital world that they do! People – HCPs included – are really eager for opportunities to make in-person connections and have authentic offline experiences. We’re also so inundated by information online that messages communicated during in-person events just hit different – it’s something we hear again and again from event attendees. The quality of engagement is better at in-person events, too – we find that HCPs in particular take on more key information and appreciate the opportunity to interact with key opinion leaders and their peers.
Conference burn-out is real, though, which is why our clients see the best return on investment when they’re willing to get creative and dedicate resources to ensuring their event attendees have the best experience, make valuable professional connections, and take home the most important messages.
Events are now one of the most provably powerful accelerators of business growth, but it takes a lot of insight and experience to make them deliver their full potential. At Strata, we like to provide clients with innovative proof of performance: we produce work that inspires audiences to act differently, accelerates pipelines and strengthens relationships.
It’s no longer just about isolated KPIs – data has evolved into a narrative that shapes KOL engagement, informs strategy and elevates experiences. I’m a big believer that stronger measurement can unlock optimisation opportunities and strategic value. If you’re interested in specifics reach out – I’d love to give you some examples.
Vicky Fraser is Head of Pharma Growth at Strata Creative Communications. She’s a pharma and healthcare events strategist with more than 20 years of sector experience and is passionate about strategic scientific storytelling that connects.
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