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A Moveable Feast Gourmet Food Serves Up Business Solutions By Catherine Eberlein Pfister
Air, Water, Food
Like the air we breathe and the water we drink, food is a necessity of life—with some important distinctions. Food is savored. It evokes memories. People talk about food. They share it with family and friends. And when it comes to gourmet foods, people remember the experience.
It's for those very sensory reasons that gourmet foods offer a great way to motivate, reward or thank employees, clients, partners and prospective customers. They lend themselves to use throughout the year, not just as business gifts during holiday time. They cross age, gender, ethnic and religious lines. And there is a plethora of memory-making items from which to choose. Everything ranging from delectable fruits and nuts to melt-in-your-mouth chocolate, cakes, cookies and brownies to flavorful assortments of beef, chicken, lamb, seafood, soups and more, plus entire moveable feasts including everything from appetizers to desserts and wine.
Just thinking about it is enough to make your mouth water.
While there are perhaps thousands of suppliers around the world that provide gourmet foods to the public, it's important to note that there were roughly 20 companies that exhibited under this category at the Chicago Motivation Show last fall. So there is a finite number of companies that understand and cater to the needs of a corporate buyer who is responsible for everything from business gifts and sales incentives to safety programs and new product introductions.
Beyond the Business Gift
"Gourmet foods are a fantastic business gift. But if you stop there, you're not maximizing the value that they can provide as the perfect motivator," said Bob Henthorne, national corporate sales director for Omaha Steaks, which offers a wide variety of premium steaks, meats and other gourmet foods for incentive and award programs. "In any incentive program, you want to make sure that the premium offered is something of value, and something that the participant will work diligently to achieve."
Everyone eats, but not everyone gets to indulge in gourmet foods on a regular basis. That means that gourmet foods have a wide appeal.
"Our customers find that food is something easily shared with an entire group," said Cassie Alvey, director of sales for Mrs. Fields Gifts, whose array of cookies and tasty treats make an excellent choice for incentive rewards and promotions as well as business gifts. "It has broad appeal and can be tied in with many marketing campaigns or slogans (i.e., 'Sweet Rewards')."
"It's a great way to thank and/or treat people diplomatically," added David Little, president of Nouveautés USA Inc., a supplier of gourmet edibles, including Ghirardelli chocolates.
What's more, Henthorne pointed out that food as an incentive can be used over and over again. "You never have to worry about someone telling you that they already own the premium you're awarding," he added.
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“Gourmet Means...”
"It means the highest-quality product
with an unconditional guarantee that
instills confidence with the consumer.
In addition, preparation is key to
maintaining high quality standards."
—Bob Henthorne, Omaha Steaks
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Gourmet foods also work well as an incentive because people like to share their time—and these delicious treats—with family and friends, Henthorne explained. "This shared experience not only makes the reward more enjoyable, but it is a fact that someone planning an incentive program can use to their advantage," he said. "We have had customers send the incentive program information to the spouse. When you get the spouse excited about the program, the internal pressure from home will be more effective than the pressure from work to earn the incentive."
Sending a memorable, celebratory dining experience to a participant's home is also a way of rewarding that person's family. "In effect, it can say, 'We understand that your spouse may have had to take time away from your family in order to reach these goals. And we'd like you to enjoy this together," said Lisa Landry, director of mail order at Legal Sea Foods, which provides fresh, high-quality seafood to people across the country looking for a unique incentive or reward.
Diverse problems, diverse solutions
"Food is a desirable, attractive reward that crosses lots of business boundaries," Landry said. And in fact, gourmet food suppliers cited examples from industries and organizations across the board, including banking and financial services, insurance companies and agents, pharmaceutical companies, large-scale organizations, software companies, mortgage brokers and real estate agents, auto dealers, building supply companies, construction companies, attorneys, all types of manufacturing companies, including industrial-grade tool manufacturers, media outlets, medical professionals such as doctors and dentists, college alumni groups and recruiting agencies, retailers, and the gaming and travel industries.
Equally diverse are the types of programs that employ gourmet foods as a motivational tool or incentive: customer loyalty programs, employee recognition and rewards, sales promotions, safety programs, new product introductions, programs to promote brand awareness, promotions to increase trade show attendance, corporate meetings and events, dealer promotions, rewards to boost productivity and more.
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“Gourmet Means...”
"It means integrity, premium ingredients, methods of baking, packaging and a
high level of customer service."
—Eileen Spitalny, Fairytale Brownies
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Consider the following examples:
- An accounting firm employing a multi-touch sales campaign provided thank-you packages of Fairytale Brownies to prospective clients following its presentations. Fairytale also sees food used by dentists (yes, dentists) and doctors in referral programs, by manufacturers in safety programs, used prior to trade shows to pull prospects in and by companies in their recruiting process.
- When a large bank chain wanted more depositors and checking account users, it turned to gourmet food for the first time and created a program with La Cense Beef. The program packet, given to about 1,000 tellers on the West Coast, included a presentation card with a gift card. This test of the program was so successful that the bank is deploying it on a national level this year.
- A software company that relies on resellers needed to get its resellers' attention on a new product introduction. To do so, the company worked with Lobster Gram to create a package that featured its software literature and sent it to 170 salespeople.
- Some suppliers see real estate agents sending cakes to home buyers to welcome them to their new abode; college alumni receiving gourmet thank-you gifts for contributions made to their alma maters; and financial advisers giving clients food on their birthdays.
- Getting people to come to weekly meetings is always a challenge. Faced with this problem, a large financial services company selling stocks and bonds decided to create a direct-mail package targeted to its prospects. Attendees were presented with a gift card from La Cense Beef.
- When a cookie company wanted a memorable way to launch a new cookie—and to get 200 store managers to sample it—it turned to Lobster Gram for help. Samples of the new cookie and sales literature were placed in a lobster pot and sent to store managers along with a deluxe seafood package.
- A well-known casino has been sending out information to its high rollers, including an offer to enjoy $300 worth of free slots. The offer was ignored until the casino began including a cake from Bake Me A Wish.
- A southern manufacturing company needed employees to volunteer to become safety managers and attend the required meetings. Cash hadn't worked as an incentive, so instead, the company developed a points program. Each time an employee attended the meeting for safety managers, he or she earned points toward a package from La Cense Beef. The manufacturer had so many volunteers that it had to turn people away.
Advice from the pros of perishables
Gourmet food suppliers, like many others in the incentive industry, recognize that you wear multiple hats. Those who purchase incentives, rewards and business gifts have diverse job titles and work in myriad industries. However, your common need to find solid business solutions remains the same.
What has changed, perhaps, is that you are "working harder than ever with very little time to worry about issues once a program is running," said Omaha Steaks' Henthorne. "Once a program is set, buyers are moving on to the next project. They want to know that they can put together a program that will motivate everyone and be flawless in execution. They don't want hassles. They want satisfied participants."
To that end, suppliers we spoke with called attention to five areas that every buyer needs to address:
Choose a trusted, respected company and brand
"Select a brand name that is recognizable and reputable," advised Legal Sea Foods' Landry. "Find out what they are known for. Is it freshness? Quality? Their customer service policy?"
It's important to know the reputation of the company you're working with. "When buying food, you get as good as that company makes," said Michael Eiring, national director of corporate sales for Dean & DeLuca, whose Corporate Gifts & Incentive program allows users to choose from a wide selection of gourmet products and gifts.
Eileen Spitalny, president of Fairytale Brownies, agreed, adding that a face-to-face meeting can be helpful. "Check out blogs, BizRate, ask companies for referrals and get true-to-life experience," she suggested. "Buy a gift from suppliers you're interested in, have them come to your office and talk with them."
And keep in mind that "gourmet des not equal scarcity," added Nouveautés' Little. "It equals a well-known, upscale brand; level of quality, packaging and distribution."
Know your audience, objectives and budget
This seems to be a no-brainer, but each is a critical component that's often overlooked.
"If you are motivating a truck driver, don't offer a four-ounce petite filet mignon," Henthorne said. "If your audience is a wide cross-section, then simply offer multiple packages at the same price point so that each person can select the package that is perfect for their family."
Work with suppliers to develop programs that solve your business problems
When a supplier understands your audience, what you want to achieve, your budget and your time parameters, they can be more helpful in providing recommendations. For example, if you have a large group incentive, one supplier advises using different cost packages to keep everyone focused. You may have a very large first prize, but a participant tends to "shut down" when they realize they realistically can't win. By offering smaller consolation packages, everyone will continue to work to achieve the maximum results for the entire length of the promotion.
"Points programs may be more skewed toward sales incentives, but they also work in safety and attendance programs," explained Dan Vorland, vice president of corporate sales for La Cense Beef, which offers all-natural, grass-fed Black Angus beef for corporate gift and incentive programs. "Plateau programs also do well because you can build in options. The employee takes the material home and shares it with the family. In the case of a safety program, the family also is concerned about the employee's safety, and it's something they also can be motivated by."
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“Gourmet Means...”
"Locating the best food in the world—
things you can't find in any other place."
—Michael Eiring, Dean & DeLuca
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Know the supplier's capabilities
Ask questions, do your homework, and "don't let the fact that food is perishable scare you," said Henthorne of Omaha Steaks.
Specifically, you should ask questions about:
Products and packages, minimums, price points and inventory: What type of guarantee is offered? What are the company's substitution policies? "Select a company that maintains an inventory to process 100 percent of your shipments," Henthorne advised. "You do not want inventory 'outs' in a program because it will destroy the advantages you have gained by offering the incentive."
Customer service: Does the company have its own in-house customer service staff? Does it have a dedicated call center or dedicated customer service professionals for your program? Will the company work with your recipients on an individual basis to find a good choice? Does the company provide a secure Web service that is unique to your incentive or promotion?
Shipping costs, policies and methods: Does the company shop out product, or does it use a fulfillment house? What are warehouse staff capabilities? Are there any seasonal fulfillment or shipping issues to consider? Are there any restrictions for shipping certain types of products to certain states?
Gift certificates: Is the food product available in gift certificate or e-certificate form? What are the expiration dates—if any—on certificates? Do you get to keep the "breakage" in a gift certificate program? "There will be gift certificates, regardless of the program, that will not be redeemed," Henthorne explained. "The amount you might save in breakage can turn a premium that, at first glance, might appear to be more expensive into a less expensive alternative."
Customization: What types of customized options are available—from the selection and packaging of items to other items that can be included? What types of customization are available for your company name, logo, colors, packaging, gift labels or ribbons, outside and inside gift packaging, custom-design gift cards, custom labeling, gift certificates or e-certificates? Will the company insert business cards, postcards, catalog sheets or posters? Does the company provide information on the best way to prepare its foods? What additional items does the company offer to make your program unique, such as cooking manuals or recipes, cookware or serving utensils? What options does the company provide for vegetarians, diabetics or others with special dietary restrictions or concerns?
Special offers or seasonal deals: "Sometimes buyers can get the best deals on some items in the July-to-August time frame. Companies may be getting rid of stock at that time," said Eiring of Dean & DeLuca. Ask about any special seasonal offerings too. "Claws are only available in the spring," explained Dan "The Lobster Man" Zawacki, owner and founder of Lobster Gram, which ships live Maine lobsters and gourmet gifts to your recipients.
Personally test gourmet food products
Experience the product the same way your recipient will experience it. Order samples and test them. Compare products. Does the product look and taste great? How do the packaging and presentation look? Does the entire package express the message you want to convey?
Trends in gourmet foods
Finally, rely on gourmet food pros to keep you up-to-date on food trends that may affect your future programs. A few up-and-coming trends that suppliers mentioned include a more global palate, a continuing focus on healthy lifestyles, more attention to freshness, quality and healthy ingredients, personalization, and more options for expanding a program's impact.
As consumers travel more and learn more about other cultures—and their food traditions—through the media and other outlets, their tastes expand, according to Henthorne. "This, in addition to the growing Hispanic population, draws attention to the need for expansion in ethnic food categories. Omaha Steaks has done this and will continue to develop these kinds of items," Henthorne said.
Many of these ethnic foods—from the Mediterranean diet and beyond—are part and parcel of a continuing and growing focus on healthy lifestyles. "Consumers are looking for products that satisfy their gourmet palates yet contribute to healthy lifestyles," Henthorne explained. "Flavor without compromise is important within this trend. Products that fit portion control and calorie counts are meeting with great success in the marketplace. We work closely with portion control and nutritional guidelines to ensure healthy options while not sacrificing taste. We do see more buyers being sensitive to vegetarian and other dietary restrictions."
Fairytale Brownie's Spitalny said this trend extends even to her company's sweet offerings. "We're finding that little, individual, portion-controlled sizes, in different flavors that are meant for sharing, are meeting a need."
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“Gourmet Means...”
"Gourmet means it is unique and limited. Gourmet is a perception of value."
—Dan Vorland, LaCense Beef
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And consumers' attention to their health naturally extends to the products' ingredients, which need to be fresh, high-quality, healthy foods. "Because of Mrs. Fields' recipes and the fact that we see ourselves as a gourmet indulgence, we are unable to participate in some of the latest trends such as organic, sugar-free and low-carb," Alvey said. "We have, however, been able to reformulate our items to be zero trans fats."
"We're finding an underlying current in the industry about going green, in terms of all-natural products," added Vorland of La Cense Beef. "Buyers want to know more about healthy products. It gets back to sending the message that your company cares about its employees, its customers and their families. What message do you want to send to employees and customers about your company's philosophy of health and environment?"
Personalization is also key. "We see a trend that the more personal you can make it, the better," said Josh Kaye, president of Bake Me A Wish, a gourmet cake delivery service that is available nationwide. "Personal has an impact."
Spitalny said Fairytale Brownies also is seeing more requests for personalization and customization, even on lower quantities—a request she said the company is adapting to.
"Many of our customers now assume that customization and personalization are a standard requirement or benefit of this process," added Mrs. Fields' Alvey.
Finally, many gourmet food suppliers are incorporating more options for extending the impact of your program. As an incentive buyer, you may be seeking ways to associate your company with worthy causes, extending the impact of rewards a bit further to benefit local or national causes. Gourmet food suppliers are making that possible in a variety of ways. Here are just a few examples:
- Legal Sea Foods donates a portion of its fourth-quarter gift certificate sales to Children's Hospital in Boston and New York.
- Bake Me A Wish annually donates roughly 5,000 cakes, along with 5 percent of all its Web sales, to the Make A Wish Foundation. The company also launched "Operation Birthday Cake," a goodwill program operated by Soldier's Angels, which provides gourmet birthday cakes to troops overseas.
- Nationally, Fairytale Brownies helps KaBOOM!, a nonprofit organization that builds playgrounds throughout the country. And locally, it donates thousands of pounds of brownies to the Society of St. Vincent DePaul in the Phoenix metro area.
- Ten percent of the purchase price of Harry & David's UNICEF Commemorative Globe and Organic Royal Riviera Pears supports UNICEF's goal of helping children around the world.
Regardless of how you choose to use gourmet foods, your employees, your customers and your prospects will remember the experience—and your company—long after the last sumptuous bite is gone.
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