This spring GS Design launched the “GS Moto Promo,” an employee incentive program that encourages GSers who don’t ride motorcycles to become safe, licensed riders. The offer is simple: take a Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) New Rider Course, get your motorcycle license, and GS will pick up the tab for the class (around $400).
I should preface this by revealing that GS does a ton of work for a well-known Milwaukee motorcycle company. We feel like we’re a great fit for them. GS was founded by two riders, and today many GS employees ride and love motorcycles. On any given day you’re likely to find motorcycles in the parking lot, and in the nooks and crannies of our office. We believe having employees who ride helps us do better work for our motorcycle client.
Is it reasonable to say that employees are better suited to work on an account if they use a client’s product? Sounds kind of obvious. Hell, it’s the first thing agencies do when they land an account. “Alright everyone, we got the Sketchers account today, here are 40 sets of shoes you’re all going to wear for the next six months.” But that’s just a trial. It’s immersing people into the client’s world to better understand their product. It’s not converting them to sneaker enthusiasts.
Some clients – by the nature of their customer culture – benefit from this more than others. I’m pretty sure we could do some stellar creative for Jolly Farms String Cheese, even though no one at GS would categorize themselves as a “string cheese enthusiast” or say they participate in a “string cheese lifestyle.”
Additionally, as designers, writers, and marketing professionals, we pride ourselves on being able to learn about a client, understand their brand, and reach their consumers. We’re brand chameleons. It’s what we’re trained to do. We get inside their world and solve their problems. We connect with our clients’ brands professionally and do damn good work.
But some clients whose brands inspire customer cultures can be better understood by individuals on the inside. Motorcycling has its own views, language, and customs. Being on the inside helps GS understand the rider’s perspective. Having riders solving our client’s marketing needs means they are part of the consumer base they are reaching out to.
So in this sense, the more personally connected your team is to the world of your clients, the likelier they are to understand the culture and needs of the client. They feel personally invested in the solution. They take ownership in a slightly different way.
But it’s not something you can force either. Why not simply draft every GSer into a mandatory rider course? Take away their cars. Buy them all bikes. Instant 100% ridership at GS! Of course, it doesn’t work that way. It only works if you’re allowing people to connect with things they want to connect with. The Moto Promo is about opportunity.
GS loves motorcycling and wants to provide an opportunity for more GSers to enjoy the sport. And we like to offer cool things for our employees. The fact that it may help us do better work for our client is icing on the moto-cake.
Since its inception in May we’ve had three GSers successfully complete a rider safety course and earn their licenses. Others are preparing to take the course. Some have already bought their first motorcycle.
Will those new riders do better work for our motorcycle client? I guess we’ll see. For now, we look forward to a few more motorcycles in the parking lot.
I would categorize myself as a string cheese enthusiast.