Success Case: MDG, Marco Brazil

‘Campanhas de incentivo’, a new experience for the Inside sales.

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Background

In a chat with Sergio Angelini, in charge of this Incentive Programs for Leading Software Company (the client) and Marketing Production Coordinator at Marco Brazil, he explained: “This proposal originally came from another kind of sale incentive plan that we call Client Day (CD). We were used to use this in the Retail and Distribution Channels, in order to improve sales of client’s server applications on a specific day”.

The objective of the original CD format, according to Sergio, was “to provide participants a new experience at work and to involve them in a different view of their jobs. The crucial thing is give to them the chance to experience an unforgettable day”.

The first one was created “in February 2004, when this software company requested us to develop an incentive campaign program for the inside sales, using the same rules as CD, just not for a day but for two quarters. We had to develop a strong theme in order to support all this first period. We had to involve the planning area as a whole. It was a new challenge for us”, Sergio commented.

“Marco had been developing Client Day, but had never worked with the inside sales like this before. We didn’t know what the team involved was like, although we had a brief experience with them. But as far as we knew, they hadn’t had anything like this incentive program before”, added MDG executive.  

Developing client's first campaign

At the beginning of the first Incentive Campaign, Sergio commented that “The Client hadn’t chosen a theme, but they already had the prize for the winners in mind. It was a paid trip to ‘Costa do Sauipe’ (a unique resort in Bahia, in the northeast of Brazil, considered one of the most beautiful beaches, where five-star hotels are found).

As regards the reason why Costa do Sauipe became the ideal theme for this first Incentive Campaign, Sergio said “this place is also very powerful because of its cultural legacy, expressed in its fine arts as well as its native cuisine. The sun is always shining and most important, everybody in Brazil wants to visit Costa do Sauipe. Taking all this into account, we decided to use the trip as the theme for our First Incentive Campaign”.

The project happened to reverse the way an incentive campaign is run. Normally, a campaign is thought out first and then the prize is chosen. In this case, the prize was one of the starting points for the development of this campaign.

The first campaign was called ‘Inverno 40 Graus’ (Winter 40 degrees), this was developed specifically for the Inside Sales (telesales). Sergio explained: “First of all, we get all the necessary information from our Client, the one they want to them. We also study our target and their main characteristics. Once we have our brief, we start the project by developing a particular theme and then planning the whole process”.

How ‘ Campanhas de incentivo’ works

The incentive format is structured in “stages”: introduction, development and closing. Initially, Marco introduced a specific theme, which is later developed through different activities, for instance: campaign introduction, work-shop and training activities, entertainment activities, weekly and monthly activities, and a leveled award system (as the campaign moves forward, prizes increase in value). “At the middle of the campaign, we always make a different event. The concept is give to the ones who are leaders a special day with visits in a different places and strong prizes”, commented Sergio. 

As for campaign content, the main objective is to develop a more innovative and successful motivational program on each edition, offering not only a sales incentive program but also different creative activities for the participants.  For the example, among those creative activities were: planning meetings and entertainment outings, shiatsu sessions (traditional Japanese healing method).

In the case of ‘Inverno 40 Graus’, this campaign was carried out during five months and among the activities, the participants had to accomplish specific goals in order to continue on the next  campaign stage. As for the program’s award levels, although the main prize was the trip to Costa do Sauipe, people could achieve other prizes, such as: discount tickets for lunch and shopping, t-shirts, bags and briefcases, cups, pens and other surprise gifts.

In this way, the sales incentive campaigns integrate a mix of activities for the participants, positioning the whole project as a dynamic process. The Campaigns are being primarily conducted as "a tool for sales training and recognition of the participants who stand out, creating leisure and interaction activities among the different groups of people”.

Maximizing the relationship between the Client and its Target

After ‘Inverno 40 Graus’, Marco developed other incentive campaigns, such as: ‘Atendimento Vip’ ‘Código Samurai’, ‘Pack Prêmio’ and ‘Missão’. At present, more than 100 people at the inside sales area.
The project is positioned as “differentiated campaign” on each edition, focusing on particular aspects of professional experience in sales in the Channel, to achieve the strategic business goals specified by the Client.

‘It works as a “solid engine”, maximizing relationship between the Client and its Target , since new campaign programs can be developed and the results can  always be measured. The project has been also extended to other areas of the Client such as: Reseller Channel and specific Retailers, as well as Systems Integrators.

As for the Client’s feedback, Sergio commented that “The main contribution of the incentive has been that the Client express its trust in Marco by offering additional information; MDG works with them and then requests their feedback. It works both ways. The most important thing has been the synergy with them”.

Regarding the participants’ feedback issue, Sergio commented, “Most of the people enjoyed taking part in the campaign, they always asked about the next one and the feedbacks is always very good”.

“We are always trying to surprise our target, developing different themes with high-impact and offering strong rewards to the participants. Our work is recognized by the Cleint’s staff, as creative and committed to the success of the Company”, Sergio said.

According to Sergio, “We are in a transition period by now. At September we started a new campaign called ‘Em Busca do Sucesso’. Now, we have to keep attention on a bigger target attention over a longer period than before, without losing those new targets”.

The Marco Brazil Team involved in the project has been: Maurício Martins, Sergio Angelini, Rosana Benotti, Ude and Eduardo Trovão.