Incentive - April 2008 - (Page 55) THE INCENTIVE MERCHANDISE BUYER’S HANDBOOK CHAPTER 3 Choosing the Merchandise Awards CASE STUDY Take Your Pick A variety of price points and sheer diversity make merchandise a good reward option. These categories cover the gamut; Incentive readers record their popularity. Apparel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54.2% Appliances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11.1% Books, music, movies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26.8% Cameras . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22.6% Computers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9.5% Cookware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11.1% Crystal/tabletop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17.9% Desktop/office accessories . . . . . . . . . . . .41.1% Electronics (Under $100) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34.7% Electronics ($100-$499) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26.3% Electronics ($500-$999) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6.8% Electronics (Over $1,000) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5.8% Food & beverage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40.5% Home furnishings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6.8% Jewelry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18.9% Leather goods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17.4% Luggage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16.8% Outdoor/leisure equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . .15.8% Plaques/trophies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41.6% Sporting goods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19.5% Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17.9% Toys and games . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14.2% Watches and clocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31.6% Writing instruments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35.3% Other . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34.7% Source: 2008 Incentive Merchandise IQ Survey Warehouse enhance any incentive program. Add to the mix a chance to Dash Quality merchandise alone can race through an enormous warehouse, grabbing a cartload of top-notch loot along the way, and you’ve raised the motivational bar considerably. That’s just what ADP did last year when the data processing giant needed an unusual incentive strategy. “Merchandise in general gives us complete flexibility in terms of what’s most beneficial to the associate,” says John Gleason, corporate VP of sales for ADP. By hooking up with Chicago-based Hinda Incentives, Gleason was able to add a creative twist to the process. “We had a new product launch so we wanted to generate incremental excitement and attention around it,” he says. The program was pitched at various employee levels, from associates to management, but the primary focus was weighted towards the salespeople themselves. “While there were other metrics on overall performance, the dash was specifically tied to focusing activity on the new product,” Gleason says. “And the program was very easy to hype and generate excitement with.” Indeed, excitement was the operative word. For starters, ADP created a video for the participants as a way of introducing them to the six-month program. Gleason and company also provided monthly performance standings plus e-teasers—sporting digital images of different merchandise backed by enticing questions (e.g., Is it finally time for a big-screen TV or a Bose Acoustic Wave music system? Does the warm weather have you thinking about a new set of golf clubs?). Participants also received regular reminders via contest-related, direct mail materials. For the event itself, which was done at Hinda’s warehouse, ADP set up a weekend trip to Chicago. The winners stayed in a downtown hotel, enjoyed a nice dinner and time on the town, then did the dash on Saturday. “They got to do some pre-inspection of the merchandise ahead of time,” says Gleason. The winning couple wasn’t the only happy post-dash party, either. “We did do a participant followup and it was rated in the top quarter of all the programs we’ve done,” says Gleason. “And we did have tremendous success with the new product launch. It beat a lot of our goals and clearly it helped us achieve all of the expected milestones.” Would ADP consider using it again if the occasion arose? “Yes, not right away but perhaps every third year or something like that,” says Gleason. “We’ll hire people in the future who haven’t seen it before and, along with testimonials from those who’ve already won, the dash becomes new and different once again.” SPECIAL SECTION April 2008 | 55
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