Celebration in a Box
”We make every reward delivery a celebration in a box,” says Benito Bustamante, Hinda’s Fulfillment Director. His 36 years with Hinda have taught him just how much people appreciate being recognized for their efforts and contributions. Benito and his team work hard to make every box a celebration with white reshipper boxes that set the package apart from their online purchases, special tapes that say “Thank you” to participants and can even pack items in colorful tissue paper to add to the experience.
“We’ve always worked to make the people in our programs feel special. As a manager, I’ve personally seen the power of recognition to engage and inspire my own staff. And I know how important it is to make people feel appreciated,” says Benito. “That’s why we’ve always looked for new ways to make the rewards we send them clearly show them just how much their hard work, purchases or loyalty is appreciated. It’s just the right thing to do.”
Benito echoes a culture of recognition pervasive at Hinda. You can feel it when you walk the halls. The carefully painted wall with the “Onward and Upward Together” logo demonstrating a commitment to teamwork internally, and with both reseller partners and suppliers. The “Engage, Inspire, Reward” signage highlighting Hinda’s purpose. That active culture of recognition drives Hinda to make each reward delivery a unique experience for the individual program participant.
Recently, Hinda conducted some research that demonstrated just how valuable creating a “celebration in a box” is to participants. In a series of focus groups participants were told an item was being shipped to them as a reward for their efforts or loyalty. They were then given different packages to open ranging from a plain brown box with to a completely custom package in a white box sealed with customer logoed tape and holding a hand-wrapped gift inside. After opening each package they were asked a series of questions to determine how the packaging made them feel, how they felt about the company sending it to them and how likely they were to repeat the behavior that earned them an award.
“We expected to find people reacting positively to an item that came looking like it was a hand-wrapped gift from a relative. But it shocked us to find the enormous difference in the recipient’s perception of the company just by shipping an item in a white box with thank you tape sealing the box,” said Ric Neeley who headed the research team for the product.
He went on to say, “With the plain brown box, they told us it was no different than a standard online order. But when they opened the white box, sealed with thank you tape and packed with carefully folded tissue paper, it wasn’t just a package arriving at the door. It was perceived as a gift. Suddenly, it was something they wanted to open right away with their family. It was a completely different experience just because of the way the item was packaged.”
Benito, however, wasn’t surprised. “Showing people you care is always appreciated. It makes them feel special and that’s the business we’re in… making people feel special and appreciated. It’s why we like to take the time make every package leaving our warehouse a celebration in a box.”
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