Brands heighten desire
If you don't use a brand name, you're not going to engage the person.
by Barbara Smith (edited)
March 18, 1996 - Strategy Magazine
Special Report: Premiums & Incentives

Rob Stonehewer, president of Rob Stonehewer and Associates, a company that specializes in below-the-line services such as incentives, loyalty programs and direct marketing, says ideally, incentives should help fulfil the employee's dreams and aspirations.

He says they should also have lasting value, be meaningful and useful, inspire pride of ownership, reflect the winner's compensation level and reflect positively on the company.

Stonehewer says companies that really want to inspire their employees to reach for the stars should avoid "bargains". "If you don't give winners quality merchandise, they'll know it and they won't appreciate it," he says.

"All you're doing is demonstrating you don't value them. Buying brand-name merchandise...at the right price, in a program that is structured in the right way, will provide bragging rights for years to come," he says.

Using well-known, high-quality brand names is important, say incentive suppliers, because a company is providing its employees or dealers an opportunity to earn something for which they would not normally spend their household income.

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New evidence backs non-cash incentives
Brands heighten desire
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