Participant Input Provided Factual Approach to Designing Incentive Programs For a Diverse Audience
Situation
OneAmerica is a privately held financial services parent organization that includes five companies and a variety of products and services sold by independent producers. It had been running multiple incentive programs through a number of different vendors. The programs and meeting destinations were traditionally based on CEO preferences. A new CFO questioned the return on investment for incentive programs. Could consolidation with one company lead to cost savings? How could they accommodate meeting objectives that varied from company to company? The company also wanted to make sure it was recruiting and rewarding the right people.
“We wanted to find a partner who could add value, and who could help us make better business decisions in terms of working with our producers,” said OneAmerica CMO, Brian Lauber.
Solution
Maritz recommended a complete review of the Client’s current programs, using a comprehensive, people-driven approach with a sophisticated research component. Working with the Client, Maritz helped identify the business objectives of each company. Together they looked at the make-up of their audience to develop an understanding of its diverse preferences.
The program began with an electronic survey which tested the alignment of program objectives with business objectives, as well as the program’s ability to influence behavior and activity. This was followed by a Web-based survey in which respondents viewed multiple travel program design options side-by-side, and selected the option they preferred. Survey results offered important insights into what would motivate different producer groups.
- Younger producers wanted to bring families because they don’t get to spend much time with them – they preferred
- Condos, lower end accommodation, with kid activities, kid buffets
- A meeting format that allows time for family events, but they also wanted time with CEO
- Older producers (empty nesters) preferred
- pampering with no children included with participants
- luxury destinations and activities and more intimate time with CEO – town hall meetings 20 people at most
“The message was, ‘Give me choices, but I might decide to do none of them.’ These people work really hard. They want downtime. They want a landing area but they don’t want an agenda forced on them,” said Diane Dikeman, assistant vice president, strategic marketing, OneAmerica.
Results
OneAmerica;
- Recognized that the diversity in their audience had not been addressed. Incentives had been based on incorrect assessment of who sells insurance.
- Got a much clearer understanding of their producer base; who they were rewarding and how they were/should be rewarding them. It allowed them to think more about who they should be rewarding based on longer term objectives.
- Made its meetings a valuable experience not just a nice trip.
- Learned how to spend their budgets more effectively.
For more information, please visit Maritz at www.maritz.com or call (877) 4 MARITZ.
“We used to assume and debate about what people wanted. Now we have hard data on which to base our decisions. I can go to the CEO with facts – I am now neutral – that’s important in mergers where people may be stuck in traditional programs.”
Brian Lauber, CMO, OneAmerica