My Best Promotion

Large-scale incentive programs can be a challenge. The bigger a group of people gets, the more its wants, needs, likes and dislikes can vary. It can make finding the right items to motivate them tough, though by no means impossible.

Paul Kiewiet, MAS, executive director of MiPPA and industry speaker, blogger and business coach, Grand Rapids, Mich., gave an example of how to make an incentive program that covers a big, broad demographic work. Below, Kiewiet details the thought process behind one of his most successful promotions, a sales incentive promotion for appliance manufacturer Whirlpool.

Promo Marketing: Could you briefly describe a promotion of yours that you consider one of your best?

Paul Kiewiet: The "KitchenAid Shoe Incentive Program" was my most successful promotion on several levels. My client wanted to provide incentives to retail appliance salespeople to get them to sell its brand of major appliances. By doing in-depth field research of the target market, I discovered a wide diversity among the target audience in social and economic status. After a great deal of agonizing over what would provide a strong incentive for both struggling and affluent sales people, I came up with the idea of using shoes—from running shoes and utilitarian shoes to high-end department store brands as the incentive idea. We supported the promotion with several promotional products campaigns using shoe horns, shoe shine kits and mirrors.

PM: What kinds of items did you use in the promotion, and why?

PK: The footwear selected included men's, women's and children's styles, including specialty shoes, sports shoes and fashion choices to appeal to a broad range of people. We chose shoe-related promotional products and vanity products to promote the promotion.

PM: What, if anything, made this a profitable promotion for you? Why?