Incentive - February 2009 - (Page 46) AWARDS “You focus on a specific dollar amount that people have to hit, it can be daunting to employees.” —Mike Hollander, WBS Connect regular schedule, rather than one big winner. According to Repkin, this offers the ability to move the middle 60 percent of performers to improve their efforts that much, not just the top sellers. It comes down to individual companies’ aims. If it is looking to have an aggressive sales goal, the reward should match that sales goal. If they want to boost morale and recognition, they should do more smaller, spot rewards. they’ve wanted or needed but never gone out and bought for themselves. A vacuum cleaner may not be really sexy, but it’s an awful high redeemer.” Just as executives are smallchunking sales goals, some are also finding that smaller, more immediate merchandise awards have their advantages. David Little, president of Fairfield, N.J.–based NouveautésUSA Inc. is finding a demand for products under $20 from planners who are looking to cut costs and to deliver merchandise rewards immediately. He says clients often prefer the “spread the wealth” attitude that comes from being able to purchase many smaller items for the staff, instead of a few big-ticket ones. “People want to spend less and the economy is challenging,” says Little. “But companies still want to do something, especially since the poor employee is now doing three people’s jobs.” Seeking to meet the demand, the company announced at this year’s PPAI show that it would be distributing the Starbucks brand to the incentive market, including variety packs of several flavors, gift packages with mugs and teas and even single “pochettes” as a quick gift for a coffee lover. These can all be customized with company logos to give the award a personal touch. Besides the lower price point, smaller spot rewards provide the quick, meaningful “thank you” to overworked staff that can help keep up sustained efforts during challenging times. Research shows that frequent recognition is especially important for the younger generation of workers. Conveniently for Little, research by the National Coffee Association also shows that it’s the younger generation that is the fastest-growing segment of coffee drinkers. “Today’s workforce—millennials and the younger members of the baby boom generation—are not into those traditional incentive awards,” says Little. “They want downloads, they want Starbucks.” But as companies embrace incentive merchandise to boost short-term goals, executives have not lost sight of the longer-lasting motivational value of the right reward. “I’ve got a VP who was in sales and won a sales contest for the TAG watch,” says WBS’s Hollander. “We joke about it because it’s not a purchase he would have made on his own. But there isn’t a day that goes by where he doesn’t wear that watch.” I Send comments to alex.palmer@incentivemag.com On-the-Spot Recognition Repkin says he is also noticing a shift in employee award preferences. “People are choosing more practical items as opposed to the really high-end stuff,” says Repkin. “But what never changes is they pick something Consumers Employees Dealers Sales Team do you want to knock them off their feet? Motivate them all with the help of Sony’s Online Premium Incentive Resource Center. One simple click gives you complete access to the latest knowledge and must-have products to motivate each of your unique audiences, with: ■ Monthly updates on new and exciting program ideas ■ The latest product offerings from Sony ■ How-to guides for all of your incentive programs ■ Calendar of events to see Sony’s products visit incentivemag.com/sony Sony. A brand everyone knows for rewards everyone loves. 46 | Incentive | February 2009 | incentivemag.com http://www.incentivemag.com/sony http://www.incentivemag.com/sony http://www.incentivemag.com
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