Since experience vouchers emerged as a new incentive option for motivators about ten years ago, they have taken a progressively larger share of the market. But according to observers, their appeal is not evenly spread between the sexes.
Women are disproportionately more likely to buy or use an experience, says Virgin Experience Days managing director Paul O'Brien. This is largely because of the huge popularity of spa days and pampering products. Three of Virgin's top ten sellers this Christmas were spa related: a deluxe makeover, a relaxation day and a choice of pampering.
"Most Virgin Experience Day packages are bought by women," he says. "Women often buy an experience for two, so they accompany a friend to a spa, for example."
Whereas women buy experiences for themselves, men who buy such packages usually buy for somebody else and are not as likely to join in, says O'Brien.
Spa packages work well at a corporate level, because they are seen to alleviate stress of working in a competitive sales drive environment, says Red Letter Days director of corporate sales Heather Rogers. "Spa packages offer relaxation and relief across the board for those affected by the intensity of the average work day. Spas and gyms are widely accessible and fall within a reasonable price plan."
But it is still women who are more likely to avail themselves of relaxation, admits Bunie Anyaegbunam, sales manager UK and Ireland at Smartbox. "Men usually buy our pampering Smartbox for their wives, mothers or mistresses," he says. "And because men don't tend to buy gifts for each other, the likelihood of a man buying a sporting experience is low."
This relative lack of appeal is odd given that experiences are more in tune with modern aspirations, according to Andrew Johnson, director general of voucher trade body the VA. "With rising affluence, there was a need for a new tool for motivators. People are now judged more on their experiences than the size of their TV. At the pub, it's more impressive to say you've driven a Ferrari or been white water rafting. It reflects a change in attitude."
Corporate sales teams have followed this trend, he says. "Sales teams are continually being targeted with incentives, so are always looking for something new."
It is not that experience firms do not cater for men. A top seller has always been the driving package, particularly those that let participants get behind the wheel of something expensive. Driving and flying experiences remained the top picks by men in 2007, says Virgin's O'Brien.
To stay ahead of the market, the firm recently introduced an Ultimate Supercar package that allows people to drive three cars with a combined value of more than £500,000, including the Lamborghini Murcielago. An Aston Martin Thrill package enjoyed huge popularity this Christmas on the back of Casino Royale's release, sales of F1 racing car drives doubled overnight following a December episode of Top Gear, and demand to drive the Audi R8 is currently high owing to extensive TV advertising for the car.
So, there is plenty of interest in driving, but what about other areas? O'Brien thinks the grooming market could offer new opportunities for men. Virgin has launched a "his and hers" massage to ease men into the area. "It's often an unfamiliar environment for men, who may still perceive health and beauty treatments as a female indulgence. This is a great way to experience a relaxing massage with a friendly face to keep you company."
Red Letter Days also offers a range of pampering products for men, including the ultimate wet shave and hair styling. The VA's Johnson says that in these metrosexual times, men are more open to such experiences. Part of the problem is presentational, he says. "It's an emotional sell and you have to be careful with your marketing strategy. The way you present a product can show your assumptions about who will use it. Often, spa breaks will have pictures of women, while the cars inevitably have pictures of men.
"Another issue is ageism in marketing. It is rare to see older people pictured in marketing material, but they are equally part of the audience, as are children."
Debbie Watt, director at Grass Roots says that men can be quite conservative. "They tend to go for the same old stuff. Men don't choose pamper packages if the alternative is a round of golf, even if they might quite like to."
Although action days and driving will always be popular with men, Grass Roots is noticing an increasing demand for things such as wine tasting, something educational with a social aspect.
But observers point out that gender isn't a good indicator of what activity will work. "There is an assumption that men in our under-35 age group prefer to push physical boundaries as opposed to enjoying more sedate pastimes," says Smartbox's Anyaegbunam.
Customer research during the weeks leading up to Christmas confirmed that men usually bought the Zen & Spa Smartbox for women in their lives. Similarly, women bought the adventure packages for men. But that isn't the whole story.
"Although women generally prefer spa activity, they often call to exchange their Zen & Spa products for sporting activities, often because they are tired of being pigeonholed as self indulgent," he says.
In the corporate market, the line between what men and women want can be blurred. "In many sales teams, there is a 'laddish' culture that affects women too, so they are interested in the more traditional male offerings."
Meanwhile, in France, Smartbox has launched a male pampering product. While he's not convinced that the UK is ready for the product yet, Anyaegbunam recommends experiences for couples, such as romantic breaks with gourmet meals, as a growth area.
Incentive activity may be driven by marketing requirements rather than the sex of the audience, says Paul Brown, incentive specialist at Maritz. "If a client is launching a vehicle with the theme of 'Wild', then that marketing need determines the experience we will look for, more than the audience profile."
Maritz is increasingly using experiences with clients, as they add more buzz to a programme and are more memorable. "You are always looking for traceability in incentives, and employees are more likely to remember an experience than who got them their plasma screen."
However, Tom Redpath, supplier relationships manager at Experience More, admits that experience suppliers need to market their own products more effectively. Like many suppliers, Experience More has generic choice vouchers that offer a selection of experiences to recipients. "To an extent, it's like giving cash in that it doesn't have memorability. We have now created 17 lifestyle vouchers themed to offer better targeting."
What it's not doing is themeing by gender. "It is no longer possible to do this. For example, a driving experience might get better feedback from women because they hadn't considered doing it before."
For men who want to give driving a miss, there are plenty of options, he says. "When you find out somebody's interests, it's easy. It could be anything from a wine course to a trip on the London Eye and a cruise on the Thames. Theatre trips are popular, as are tours of football stadia. Even afternoon tea can be memorable, if properly targeted."
A DAY AT THE RACES
NICEIC speeds ahead with a motor racing experience
The NICEIC is the electrical contracting industry's voluntary body for electrical installation and has 24,000 electrical contractors registered with it. The organisation also provides gas, oil and plumbing training via a series of 220 approved centres throughout the UK.
These centres are all independent companies, so it's a tall order to get everyone together to communicate important industry information. In December 2007, NICEIC Group planned to bring these centres together as a thank you for their excellent service and to update them on its news and initiatives. NICEIC turned to Virgin Experience Days to come up with an electrifying incentive that its mainly male audience couldn't resist.
Virgin Experience Days worked alongside the team at Silverstone Circuit, the home of British motor racing, to create a corporate event that saw NICEIC record its best-ever attendance figures from approved centres.
The main business was in one of Silverstone's hospitality suites, before which delegates got a tour of the Silverstone Circuit, followed by an afternoon of activities such a pit stop challenge, a circuit drive in the super-charged Lotus Exige, a high-speed ride with a professional race driver behind the wheel and a skid control class or auto test time trial through a demanding course.
Richard Pagett, group PR manager at NICEIC, says: "With approved centres spread around the country, communication is one of NICEIC's toughest challenges. The idea to plan this day at Silverstone was an event our target audience couldn't refuse. Not only did the day mean we achieved an almost 100 per cent attendance at the morning seminar, but the afternoon activities proved a great team-building event and something we'll be talking about for years."
SPA BREAKS: LUXURY INDULGENCE IS STILL TOP CHOICE
Pampering breaks remain the top experience pick by women. Debbie Watt, director of Grass Roots, says spas remain a top incentive choice because of general awareness of health and wellbeing. "It still has a luxury feel to it. It's the allure of being pampered, and when it is offered as a break it is much more appealing than booking individual treatments."
But whereas a spa break per se was once an instant signifier of luxury, the market has developed so much that there are few upmarket, or even middle-of-the-road hotels that don't have spa facilities. Even Center Parcs has a spa offer.
With such competition, spa consumers have become more discerning. The important thing now is what type of treatments a spa offers and its facilities. Spas are no longer one size fits all, with many offering a particular approach, such as Indian style Ayurvedic treatments, shiatsu massage, hot stone therapy or thalassotherapy, which uses sea water and products of the sea.
Another trend for women, according to Red Letter Day's Heather Rogers, is booking an experience that can be used by couples. More spas have opened twin treatment rooms that can cater for two people who want to enjoy the experience at the same time.
Experienced spa visitors will also look out for the type of products on offer at a spa. Brands such as E'Spa and Elemis are spa specialists, but high street brands such as Molton Brown and Estee Lauder are finding their way into spas.
Virgin Experience Days' Paul O'Brien says popular culture is also driving the development of pampering experiences. "We've seen a surge in sales of personal shopping and makeovers, thanks to TV shows such as What Not To Wear, 10 Years Younger and How to Look Good Naked."
Indeed, for women who feel they've been buffed to perfection, companies such as For Your Eyes Only specialise in tasteful boudoir photography that shows off your best bits.
More conservative ladies still have plenty of options, from the arts (going back of house at a theatre) to sports coaching (tennis or golf) to cookery courses to creating your own perfume.