Stella Gets Its Sales Groove Back By Handing Out Limited Edition PSPs

You'd think free beer might do the trick, but it was games that got Stella Artois' sales team on tap. Although Stella is the #1 beer in Australia, management saw brands like Crown Lager and Victoria Bitter creeping up behind them. To preserve their edge, they created a new sales team. To motivate the team and give them a closer relationship to Stella's brand, the company contracted with Rivet, an Australian ad agency.

Stella execs were expecting a traditional brochure, maybe a well designed folder with oh-so-exciting loose-leaf propaganda to juice up their team. What they got were 50 customized Sony PSP handhelds in velvet pouches branded with the Stella Artois logo.

The real gold, however, was in the software. Rivet not only created custom wallpaper for the PSP, they completely re-themed the handheld console's operating system, including an original Stella Artois icon set.

Because the PSP is both an excellent media player and is Wi-Fi capable, the limited edition PSPs were useful for more than just play. Rivet installed a trunkload of films, artwork and presentations on the history of the brand. As new marketing materials become available, the sales team can simply check for updates and download new content wirelessly.

The brilliance of Rivet's project for Stella lies in providing a tool that not only makes the sales team's job easier and more fun but also has value outside their work life. It's always nice to get a cool new gadget for work, but when you can take that gadget home and make it a part of your leisure time, it becomes much more valuable.

Apparently, the sales team at Stella agrees. Every rep who received one met their targets that quarter. Anecdotal feedback revealed that the branded PSP was the best sales presenter they'd ever received. The status and prestige of owning a limited edition PSP that has gamers around the world drooling doesn't hurt morale either. Fosters (which brews Stella in Australia) is even considering expanding the program.

[via Ibelieveinadv.com]