Incentive - January 2009 - (Page 62)

AWARDS shared computer, with photos, videos, music and games on it,” Peer adds. A DVD-RW (read/write) unit is another essential feature, “so you can make copies of home videos for the grandparents,” says ITA Group’s Van Dyke. And HD/Blu-Ray capability is finding its way into more models as well. Interestingly, when it comes to screen size on a portable unit, bigger is rarely better. “The bulk of our sales are in the 15.4-inch category,” Harvey says. “We’ve tried units with 17-inch screens in different programs, but people consider them desktop replacements—too heavy to be something they’d want to take on vacation, or to Starbucks, or even from room to room in the house.” Customization is an area that is growing in popularity. While decorating a portable with the firm’s name is rarely done, companies can offer wireless mouse, high-quality speakers, additional batteries, and a docking station with a large LCD screen for the preferred spot in the home. Bread and Apples The other major reason for the breakthrough of portable computers in rewards programs is today’s price point, which just a few years ago was unfathomable for machines with so much capability. Lower prices have also brought computers into the related niches of customer loyalty programs as well as employee recognition, for longevity in particular. “It’s gotten to the point where you can get a portable unit with a 160-gigabyte Many executives are choosing to customize the colors and finish of the notebooks for their winners ple use their points, they’re going for nicer computers. It just depends on the earning potential of reps in the firm setting up the program.” Another factor that is pushing incentive redemptions up the price ladder: The emergence of Apple as an incentive player. “In this category, Apple is a much stronger presence than in the wider business sector,” says Peer. “Their success with the iPod opened their eyes to the opportunities that exist in our channel. They have some wish-list products, and they’re making a concerted effort to push them as incentives.” Specifically, the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models “have taken off,” according to Van Dyke. “The Air model is a solid-state hard drive, so it’s about $2,500, but they’re really moving. And we used to sell a few dozen Pro models a year, but now it’s up to a few dozen each month.” “Apple seems to have a little more eye candy for our clients; it’s some- machines that come in an assortment of colors. Black, charcoal and silver are the traditional colors, “but we’ll put a pink or a red into the program and they really go,” says Harvey. “It’s just a more interesting, ‘cooler’ way for winners and their families to express themselves.” In fact, one client requested a faux-alligator finish for its units, which Sony fulfilled. Another route to customization is through accessories. Carrying cases almost always get redeemed along with a portable unit. Beyond this, “there is a much wider spectrum of possibilities than even a few years ago,” says Peer. They include a wireless keyboard, hard drive, wireless capability and a DVD burner for $800 retail—and for an incentive program, you could probably get another ten percent knocked off that,” says one manufacturer’s rep, who asked not to be named. “We get some demand for miniaturization and for HD capability, and that can bring the price up to $2,000. But the sweet spot for incentive demand for us is between $800 and $1,500.” However, ITA Group’s Van Dyke is seeing more of a champagne taste among his firm’s incentive clients. “We have computers in our Web catalogs that are under $1,000, but the most recent research within our home-office category found that the average price is closer to $2,000,” he says. “When peo- thing different from what they use in their business,” Carlson’s Faber adds. “And it might be that not many people will be able to achieve a point balance to redeem those items. But just having them as options definitely improves participants’ perceptions of the program and the company.” Other computer makers are hardly standing still, though. With the recent introduction of Hewlett-Packard’s TouchSmart desktop unit, with its touchscreen technology, the use of computers in rewards programs will only get deeper, and more interesting. Send comments to feedback@incentivemag.com 62 | Incentive | January 2009 | incentivemag.com http://www.incentivemag.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Incentive - January 2009

Incentive - January 2009 Contents Editor's Note: Rewards Must Be Sustainable Headlines Cover Story: Responsibility's New Role Incentive Interview: Patrick Lencioni Family Rewards: Who They're Working For Primer: Working Design Leap of Faith: Religion in the Workplace Cook Up Engagement: Kitchen Teambuilding My Turn: Procurement Possibilities Motivation@Work: Hard Times Recognition Legal Ease: The Tax Facts on Corporate Gifts Travel News: Where to Go and What to Do The Bahamas: Islands in the Sun Field Reports: Four European Destinations Golf: Around the World in 18 Holes Potentials Here and Now Watches and Clocks: Strike the Pose Golf Merchandise: Awards with a Solid Swing Computers: Digital Delights Retailers Band Together for Gift Card Market Gift Cards: The Prepaid Reward Spectrum Advertiser Index On the Web www.Incentivemag.com

Incentive - January 2009

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