Loyalty360 spoke with Mike Donini, Senior Buyer at Maritz, one of the largest full-service incentive and loyalty partners in North America.
Maritz began in 1894 as a family-run wholesaler and manufacturer of fine jewelry and watches. During the Great Depression, Maritz pivoted its business to generate income, selling its merchandise to businesses as sales and service awards. The new direction kept it afloat and launched the beginning of what we know today as the incentive industry.
Today, Maritz designs and delivers large-scale solutions in the areas of channel engagement, consumer loyalty and employee rewards, as well as meetings and events, and automotive solutions. Maritz works with Fortune 500 organizations in industries including finance, shipping and delivery, hospitality, and airlines to design and fulfill loyalty and incentive programs, from program design and operations to purchasing and fulfillment.
Mike Donini joined the Maritz team 17 years ago and today is the Senior Buyer. Donini and his team identify trends to select merchandise and gift rewards, create incentive and loyalty collections that will resonate with clients, and work with vendors. “We believe in ‘purposeful choice’ or curating a collection of the best items from the best brands,” Donini said.
Engaging Customers at Multiple Price Points
According to Donini, having reward incentives across multiple price points is key to Maritz’s success. Part of that strategy is also offering “attention-grabbing” rewards that engage customers. Whether a customer is redeeming for a $25 gift card, a travel reward or a custom item sourced by a personal shopper, Maritz has a variety of rewards to offer.
According to the Loyalty360 2025 State of Customer Loyalty Report, 58% of respondents said they’re looking to enhance their loyalty program experience by offering seamless digital touchpoints and diverse incentives.
When determining what customers might want as an incentive, Donini and his team look at what the retail industry is highlighting. This is especially true during the holiday season when giftable items include high-demand electronics like PlayStation or Xbox.
Members help with the selection of incentives, essentially voting on what they want with their redemption choices, and indicating what they would like to see more of in the future. Maritz also reviews trends on social media and keeps up with what social media influencers are doing and constantly analyzes this data to determine what to include or discontinue in its collections. For example, Donini points out that although the Stanley mug has been around for more than 100 years, a recent TikTok campaign caused a huge customer frenzy for the item.
What’s New in Incentives
With item popularity changing rapidly, Donini and the Maritz team attend several trade shows annually to ensure Maritz stays on the cutting edge of what’s new. Donini says there are three major trends over the past few years, including robotics, wearable tech, and the integration of AI into a variety of products.
Among the newer products Maritz is looking at is The Ball, from Samsung. This ball-shaped robot follows a person around their house and becomes everything from a personal assistant to a fitness coach. Maritz also recently added a robotic dog that acts as a security device, and bird feeders that can identify a bird and send the information to a client’s phone. The company is even offering a toilet cam from Kohler, which can help determine a person’s health. According to Donini, that product was included to create customer buzz and get people engaged without any serious expectations it would be selected for redemption.
In the coming year, Maritz is also focusing on offering gift cards that members can redeem for use in local restaurants, spas, or salons. “We’ve tested this idea and it’s something our members are interested in, and [a program] we will be expanding,” Donini said.
Creative products that promote customer engagement, as well as choice, are essential to creating a winning collection, but may also include “in kind incentives” or other non-cash benefits. Depending on the company, these incentives could include a gym membership, health insurance, company cars, or professional development courses.
Increasing Reward Redemption
Recent economic conditions have affected what’s being offered in the incentives industry. Donini said about 50% of Maritz’s offerings are affected by the increase in overseas tariffs. Nevertheless, the increased cost of redemption doesn’t seem to stop customers from getting what they want.
“Inflation in some ways helps reward programs. When inflation is in effect, consumers are careful with their dollars and will use their points for gifts instead of spending their own money,” Donini said.
Encouraging clients to engage and redeem rewards is smart strategy. Donini suggests planting the idea of using reward programs for holiday gifting as early as possible to generate interest and increase redemption. When program members set a goal for a specific reward and then redeem, positive emotions and lasting memories are associated with the company sponsoring the program.
Although promotion of programs is important, keeping track of KPIs and customer service is what really makes the difference in a rewards program. According to Donini, if a customer has a bad redemption experience, it will diminish the rewards program. Maritz is careful to continually measure engagement with its members through its personal shopper, travel, and customer care teams. By doing so, it ensures a future for the next generation.
“We all live and breathe rewards. It’s what we do.”