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P. 30
15 Minutes with ...
Paul Gordon,
Vice President of Sales,
Rymax Marketing Services
Q: Tell us a bit about Rymax’s history and its philosophy business objectve. We do our homework and work very closely with
regarding ‘Loyalty Marketing.’ our clients. The days of “get a toaster” are gone. With 53% of the
A: Rymax has been in this arena for over 18 years. We entered the workforce comprised of Millennials, people want rewards that are
space with a very distnct business strategy that incorporated key branded, relevant and recommended by their peers.
diferentatng factors, such as providing rewards with high brand Q: How do generational differences affect the type of Rewards
equity; ofering rewards that are the latest and greatest, and not and Program you use?
closeouts; creatng a unique experience for clients via an analysis of A: It’s important that a reward program realizes that not every
their demographic and psychographic needs; delivering measurable generaton is motvated by the same incentves. What works for
analysis and the ability to create programs that are nimble to change; one employee isn’t the same for every employee across the board,
and controlling all aspects of our business without out-sourcing – this which can be challenging. However, we make sure to cater to every
is critcal in customer service. generaton by taking a deeper look into what each one is striving
Q: What’s the connection between Recognition and Loyalty? to atain. For example, Gen X and Y are naturally motvated by
A: This is a great queston, because the two terms are ofen used electronics and luxury goods, whereas Baby Boomers might opt
together, yet have two very diferent strategies. “Recogniton” can for kitchenware or something not as high tech. Recognizing and
be for a singular act or could be a one tme occurrence. “Loyalty” catering to these diferences is a crucial part of any successful
rewards program.
is a much more complex initatve that’s used to initate trial, retain
the end-user, increase usage and extend the brand experience. The Q: Have you been able to directly tie performance improvement
“Reward” should also be very specifc to the end-user, and we always and/or increased profitability to the programs you offer?
encourage choice.
A: All programs should be self liquidatng if done correctly. Simply,
Q: Briefly describe your first encounter with the term the lif that you receive from a successful program should cover the
‘Engagement’ cost of the program. We make it very easy to work with Rymax, since
A: Defnitely in my marketng courses during my university years, and the number one obstacle with new clients is risk aversion. We outline
with greater detail via Harvard Business School executve courses. very specifc costs and parameters for the program, and we conduct
In my career, engagement has been a key cornerstone for launching quarterly business reviews with all of our clients.
tertary brands and new brands. On an employee level, engagement Q: How has the Rewards & Recognition market changed in the
also needs a well-thought-out communicaton strategy to inform, last 5 years?
engage, reinforce and keep current.
A: The partcipant has access to informaton and is smarter today in
Q: How are Motivation and Engagement related? terms of assessing the reward and its value, as well as its perceived
worth in a program. Smart phones have changed the game, and that’s
A: If you don’t have the right motvaton for the end-user, you can’t why we’ve taken a commanding lead in this arena. Our exclusive
engage them. Our success with global Fortune 500 companies is in
ofering the right brands, exclusive brands – unique product bundles brands like Michael Kors, Beats by Dr Dre, Rachel Ray and Klipsch
that resonate with the partcipants. We urge an online component allow us to design rewards and recogniton programs that aren’t
that can also be used as a corporate social media site, and we push to “your father’s program” anymore. It’s a complicated science that
get buy-in from all levels of management. understands trends and the audience like never before.
Q: How can Rewards be used to engage customers and Paul Gordon is Vice President of Sales at Rymax Marketng Services,
channel partners? a full-service loyalty marketng provider and leader in rewards and
incentves. For more informaton, visit www.rymaxinc.com ESM
A: The right rewards can! Segmentaton and concentraton is our
30 engagement strategies Vol.17 Issue 4
30 engagement strategies Vol.17 Issue 4
Paul Gordon,
Vice President of Sales,
Rymax Marketing Services
Q: Tell us a bit about Rymax’s history and its philosophy business objectve. We do our homework and work very closely with
regarding ‘Loyalty Marketing.’ our clients. The days of “get a toaster” are gone. With 53% of the
A: Rymax has been in this arena for over 18 years. We entered the workforce comprised of Millennials, people want rewards that are
space with a very distnct business strategy that incorporated key branded, relevant and recommended by their peers.
diferentatng factors, such as providing rewards with high brand Q: How do generational differences affect the type of Rewards
equity; ofering rewards that are the latest and greatest, and not and Program you use?
closeouts; creatng a unique experience for clients via an analysis of A: It’s important that a reward program realizes that not every
their demographic and psychographic needs; delivering measurable generaton is motvated by the same incentves. What works for
analysis and the ability to create programs that are nimble to change; one employee isn’t the same for every employee across the board,
and controlling all aspects of our business without out-sourcing – this which can be challenging. However, we make sure to cater to every
is critcal in customer service. generaton by taking a deeper look into what each one is striving
Q: What’s the connection between Recognition and Loyalty? to atain. For example, Gen X and Y are naturally motvated by
A: This is a great queston, because the two terms are ofen used electronics and luxury goods, whereas Baby Boomers might opt
together, yet have two very diferent strategies. “Recogniton” can for kitchenware or something not as high tech. Recognizing and
be for a singular act or could be a one tme occurrence. “Loyalty” catering to these diferences is a crucial part of any successful
rewards program.
is a much more complex initatve that’s used to initate trial, retain
the end-user, increase usage and extend the brand experience. The Q: Have you been able to directly tie performance improvement
“Reward” should also be very specifc to the end-user, and we always and/or increased profitability to the programs you offer?
encourage choice.
A: All programs should be self liquidatng if done correctly. Simply,
Q: Briefly describe your first encounter with the term the lif that you receive from a successful program should cover the
‘Engagement’ cost of the program. We make it very easy to work with Rymax, since
A: Defnitely in my marketng courses during my university years, and the number one obstacle with new clients is risk aversion. We outline
with greater detail via Harvard Business School executve courses. very specifc costs and parameters for the program, and we conduct
In my career, engagement has been a key cornerstone for launching quarterly business reviews with all of our clients.
tertary brands and new brands. On an employee level, engagement Q: How has the Rewards & Recognition market changed in the
also needs a well-thought-out communicaton strategy to inform, last 5 years?
engage, reinforce and keep current.
A: The partcipant has access to informaton and is smarter today in
Q: How are Motivation and Engagement related? terms of assessing the reward and its value, as well as its perceived
worth in a program. Smart phones have changed the game, and that’s
A: If you don’t have the right motvaton for the end-user, you can’t why we’ve taken a commanding lead in this arena. Our exclusive
engage them. Our success with global Fortune 500 companies is in
ofering the right brands, exclusive brands – unique product bundles brands like Michael Kors, Beats by Dr Dre, Rachel Ray and Klipsch
that resonate with the partcipants. We urge an online component allow us to design rewards and recogniton programs that aren’t
that can also be used as a corporate social media site, and we push to “your father’s program” anymore. It’s a complicated science that
get buy-in from all levels of management. understands trends and the audience like never before.
Q: How can Rewards be used to engage customers and Paul Gordon is Vice President of Sales at Rymax Marketng Services,
channel partners? a full-service loyalty marketng provider and leader in rewards and
incentves. For more informaton, visit www.rymaxinc.com ESM
A: The right rewards can! Segmentaton and concentraton is our
30 engagement strategies Vol.17 Issue 4
30 engagement strategies Vol.17 Issue 4
