I recently came across an online rewards programme called Daily Feats. It got me thinking about how being rewarded for completing a task makes us feel as human beings and how that experience translates into the online space.
Most people like being rewarded when they do something good. Whether it is performing well at work, in sports, helping a friend, academic or just doing a good deed, it boosts our confidence and makes us feel damn good about ourselves.
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This has been pounded into us since childhood. The gold star scheme is a typical reward system that brainwashes children to expect some kind of gratification or reward for completing tasks, or achieving high scores.
As children we didn’t even care if we won a physical prize — the fact that we won was prize enough. As we get older and succumb to the influence of the media and society we begin to expect more substantial rewards.
What started off with a gold star for an A on a test, or tidying one’s room turns into high price items, holidays and monetary rewards as we climb the ladder — a pat on the back or figurative gold star doesn’t seem to cut it anymore.
Often people feel that if they don’t get a reward, they haven’t done a good job.
This is the inherent reason why loyalty programs are so successful. People like to be rewarded for anything and everything. As consumerism grows, people now expect to be rewarded, simply for being a customer.
But marketers are getting even smarter. Brands are now starting to reward you for doing the right thing’ or ‘the good thing’ by offering cash backs, loyalty points or rewards. Discovery health is a great example of a company rewarding consumers for buying healthy food or working out.
What makes Daily Feats different is that it gives back every time you do good. Whether it be supporting the arts, donations, adopting a homeless animal, looking after yourself and your own personal wellbeing, or even just giving someone a hug — you earn points and then qualify to receive “kick backs” for brands and companies supporting the initiative.
The aim if obviously to generate enough points to qualify for you preferred reward. Hell — you can even earn points just for eating a healthy breakfast! Today with so much on the go and the millions of things we try to cram into a day it sometimes becomes difficult to make the right choices.
That’s why Daily Feats is so interesting: it helps you stay on track and accomplish all the things you would actually like to do “if you had time”. Now you have an incentive, so, you make it. Genius.
It’s like being a girl guide or a scout and earning badges. It also helps that the little icons are super cute.
Daily Feats isn’t exclusively selfish — it allows people to make a difference, donate, or just do a good deed for those who need it. I’m really big on social corporate investment so that scores high in my books. Oprah endorses this and so do I. Helping people make healthy inherently good choices is something we need to encourage.
Gone are the days where smoking was cool and eating fast food was the norm. Where people were completely self-obsessed, abusing resources and hurting the environment. A lot of this still happens but it’s no longer cool. The new street-cred –- cool is actually the complete opposite.
Now the more good you do the cooler you are. That goes for individuals and companies alike.
Being an online social butterfly I love the way social media has been integrated to share and engage with friends or encourage them to get involved. “like”. I like this because it means we can show and share the things we are doing, for the greater good, and not only come across as a really awesome person, but rally the ranks and grow the support. Crowdsourcing anyone?
