Incentives can’t thrive in a vacuum
Incentives and rewards are meant to motivate action. But motivation can’t thrive in a vacuum. The truth is, unless people trust the systems, the leaders behind them, and the values they represent, incentives — whether for customers or employees — will always hit a ceiling.
A recent PwC survey of 548 business executives, 2,515 consumers, and 2,039 employees in the U.S. revealed a clear message for our sector: leaders are overestimating their level of trust, and it’s costing them in terms of loyalty, engagement, and performance.
90% of executives think customers highly trust them
Only 30% of customers actually do
86% of executives say they highly trust their employees
But just 60% of employees feel highly trusted.
That’s not a gap - it’s a canyon!
In the incentives space, we must accept that surface-level rewards alone don’t build lasting motivation. To truly drive behavior, it’s vital to earn trust.
How to enhance incentives for employees
Incentives, whether monetary or non-monetary, can powerfully reward employees for their achievements, but only when trust is present.
According to the survey, employees are more likely to feel motivated when four key pillars are in place:
Fair pay (77%)
Ethical leadership (72%)
Feeling heard and involved (83%)
Opportunities for growth (61%)
Without these, even generous incentive programs may fall flat.
How to enhance incentives for customers
Customer incentives, when well-structured, lead to stronger brand loyalty, improved satisfaction, and positive word-of-mouth. However, for incentives to be effective, customers must first feel safe, valued, and respected. That starts with:
Protecting their data (79%)
Resolving concerns quickly (74%)
Delivering consistent experiences (73%)
It sounds simple, but a huge 40% of consumers say they’ve stopped buying from a brand because they no longer trust it. Trust, once lost, rarely returns, even if the company apologizes or improves.
As incentive providers, how can we help?
As incentive providers, we’re in a unique position to help businesses build programs that are not only effective but deeply trusted by both employees and customers.
How can we do that?
First, we can guide clients toward aligning their incentive strategy with their brand values. When rewards reflect what a company stands for, such as innovation, sustainability, inclusion, or care, they resonate more deeply.
We can help brands avoid mismatches between their message and actions, which can quietly erode trust over time.
Second, as transparency is a major driver of trust, so we should help our clients clearly communicate how rewards are earned, how data is used, and how feedback is incorporated. This openness makes people more likely to engage with incentive programs, and less likely to see them as gimmicks or tick-box efforts.
Finally, we can act as insight partners. With access to redemption trends, survey tools, and user feedback, we’re in a strong position to help businesses understand what’s working and where trust may be fraying.
By feeding those insights back, we empower our clients to continually refine their approach, making incentives more human, more strategic, and more effective over time.
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Written by Elaine Keep - https://elainekeep.com/