Whether or not we’re aware of it, we’re all influenced on a daily basis by marketing tactics based on behavioral psychology. One of the biggest players? The Incentives Industry and its effect on purchase decisions. This industry has mastered the art of rewarding consumers with points, rewards, and cash and these rewards often play heavily in our choices.
Why, then, are these very principles NOT being applied to corporate wellness and safety programs?
According to Don Doster, CEO of GoPivot, this is “one of [his] many frustrations with the big players in corporate wellness – they have good health content, but they don’t have experience in incentivizing behavior change.” Don says that many have attempted to “created a completely new and unproven paradigm of rewarding behavior but have no formal experience around what changes people’s behavior in the first place.”
According to Don, their approach is flawed. Health and wellness programs don’t “hook” users early to motivate them; rather, they promise an award in the future once a large goal is reached.
This approach goes against the basic principles of effective goal setting. It’s been proven that the most successful way to stay motivated, is to set small, short-term goals with immediate, tangible rewards. Long term goals are typically only achieved when a person is able to see their progress along the way.
At GoPivot, we like to use climbing a mountain as an example – reaching the peak can feel like an impossible feat without several stops along the way. Changing behaviors is a lot like climbing a mountain – when you’re being rewarded at every stop along the way, you’re more likely to keep going. For an incentive program to work, individuals need to be rewarded early and often.
Learn more about changing behavior, program design, and tangible incentives – join us for our upcoming webinar!