Incentive - October 2008 - (Page 86)

AWARDS GADGETS & POWER TOOLS Cool tools and clever gadgets are hot draws for any do-it-yourselfer By Marc Boisclair hen flipping through a typical points catalog, we expect to find skis, stemware and watches. But miter saws equipped with lasers? A sterling silver pruner/pocket knife named Squirt that lists for $3,600? Sure enough, planners need only think a bit outside the typical toolbox to discover how manufacturers have transformed household tools into something worth drooling over. The key to making them work as incentives is balancing diversity and sexiness with a tool belt practicality and price point. W The Leatherman Squirt S4 is a highend gadget with miniature pliers, scissors, bottle opener, key ring and tweezers BRAND-NAME APPEAL For starters, it helps to proffer a familiar product name. “We do a significant business in incentives, so it’s certainly important to us,” says Corey Haugen, national account manager with Black & Decker, who says his products end up in everything from loyalty programs to safety awards. “The strength of the brand is the biggest draw,” says Haugen, citing rela- tionships with both incentive houses and manufacturers rep groups. “We offer multiple price points through two different brands, but under one major company,” he says. The higher-end Dewalt products are built for professionals; the Black & Decker brand is more for the homeowner. It could be basically the same product, but at a dramatically different price point—say $100 for the Black & Decker drill as opposed to $300 for the Dewalt version.” That brand familiarity, in turn, can be leveraged by the client in a variety of ways. “It comes down to placement and choice issues,” says Randy Winterhack, an account executive with Hitachi Koki USA Ltd. To wit, he points to Hitachi’s involvement with Top Brands, a Wisconsin-based catalog company that works with entities from credit card companies to casino rewards programs. “We began with them three years ago when they were looking to replace another manufacturer,” says Winterhack. Hitachi’s appeal, he adds, derives from its diverse product line—fancy woodworking and industrialgrade tools that would also fit the average home owner’s needs. “The last thing you want to do is give the final customer a product that’s marginal at best, or worse, a piece of junk that they use once then throw away,” he says. “Hitachi puts a lot of money back into research, with five-year warranties on some of these tools.” That’s a huge selling point for the client, if not the end user. “The feedback we get is that people really appreciate an extended warranty, as opposed to just one year, so we have that quality advantage to offer the client,” says Jessica Erdman, Top Brands’ marketing manager. Improvem 86 | Incentive Home | October 2008 | incentivemag.com http://www.incentivemag.com

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Incentive - October 2008 Contents Editor's Note Headlines Cover Story: Face Time with Senior Executives is the Top Motivator of Cisco Systems' Chairman's Club Winners Incentive Interview Safety Incentives: Safety Drives a Limousine Service's Motivational Efforts Case Study Primer Learning: Diving into Incentives for the Mind Enhances Both Loyalty and the Bottom Line Research: Travel IQ Travel News Florida Coast to Cost Caribbean Escape Potentials Here and Now Gadgets & Power Tools: High-End Roars Seen at the Motivation Show Advertisers Index Off the Cuff

Incentive - October 2008

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