Corporate Gifts Remain Popular Rewards

 

For the balance of 2021 and probably into 2022 as well, Incentive Magazine’s Gift Survey reveals that reward planners will continue to offer merchandise in lieu of group travel to motivate performance. According to the Incentive Research Foundation, the use of gifts as a motivational reward skyrocketed by 68 percent in 2020, and that trend is expected to continue. 

There is a lingering uncertainty about the pandemic's effect on travel and some incentive travel programs are still being booked, but many companies have preferred to use gifts instead.

 What are the most common problems when using merchandise gifts?

• merchandise was not always available when needed according to more than 75 percent of respondents 
• more than half of those polled cited frustrating reward delivery delays to recipients.

 These problems can be expected to continue, as manufacturing delays remain a global issue.

 Which gifts are most commonly given?

• 61% of respondents favored using apparel, the vast majority of which was shirts with company identified logos.  Past surveys have indicated that while employees enjoy logoed apparel items, many would prefer a choice of awards
• 59% utilize gift cards or gift card systems that allow the winner to order any of the most popular gift cards in the country, and thus use them to get what they really want, not what someone thinks they want.
• 51% use electronics and food-and-beverage items were used by 44 %.
• Luggage and leather items, sporting goods, outdoor equipment and watches were among other prizes preferred by more than 20 percent of respondents.

 How are rewards being used?

• More than two-thirds of incentive professionals use rewards to recognize employees.
• 55% give awards to thank employees for their performance
• 50% use rewards to thank loyal customers
• 50% use them to build morale and increase job satisfaction
• 43% use them as award to motivate increased sales.

 It is always difficult to pick just the right award, and some would suggest that it can’t be done.  There are too many variables and too much diversity of recipients to get it right.  Many planners voiced frustration about the dearth of new gift ideas.  When you offer a gift each year, it's hard to come up with something new!

 One planner summed up why gifts make great rewards. "Choosing the right gift leaves long-lasting positive impressions and memories — and it generates great PR buzz long after it's given!"

While that is as true as true can be, no one can really tell you how to choose that right gift that leaves all those long-lasting memories.  There is a lot of justification to have a system where the recipients can choose for themselves.