BIC: "WOW! BIC Sorprende" Convention

Client: BIC Argentina (subsidiary of the French company BIC, also coordinating Chile and Uruguay)
Industry: Consumer goods / stationery and consumer products
Year: 2015

The Challenge

Every year, BIC organizes a motivational event for the 100 members of its sales and marketing teams in Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay, sometimes in the form of an incentive trip to aspirational destinations (Hawaii, Mexico, among others). In 2015, amid an Argentine economic crisis and an uncertain pre-election climate, keeping the same level of previous editions was not viable, and the company opted for a regional convention within the country. The challenge was to achieve the same surprise effect and motivation with a minimal budget.

The Solution

Mar del Plata was chosen as the destination (guests were transported by high-end buses instead of flights, at a lower cost and during the low season, which also reduced the environmental impact). The convention took place from September 1 to 4, 2015, at the Sheraton Mar del Plata Hotel, under the creative concept “WOW!,” with surprise communication and staging at every step: a welcome with an actor as host, an LED screen that transformed the look of the venues, a motivational talk by a Mexican specialist on the “WOW Effect,” a themed karaoke night (“BIC Idol”), a beach team-building activity with quad bikes and a photo contest, a group “Master Chef” style barbecue, a free day with a walk to a restaurant and kite building/flying alongside the NGO BaToCo (a CSR activity), and a closing dinner with a Venetian Carnival theme where the “BIC Boys de Cristal” awards were presented. Each night, guests received branded gifts in their rooms (jackets, travel kits, Havanna alfajores).

Results

According to the post-trip survey, 85% of participants rated this meeting as better and more enjoyable than previous editions, 81% confirmed high satisfaction with the overall agenda and the type of activities, and 83% rated the quality of the talks and the team building among colleagues from different nationalities as very good or excellent. The final day’s activity (building and flying kites decorated with newly launched BIC markers) was rated very good or excellent by 88% of participants. On the budget side: despite annual inflation above 35% in Argentina that year, total spending in pesos was only 20% higher than the 2014 trip, thanks to the ground transportation choice and the low-season destination.

Notable Details

The “WOW Effect®” concept was specially licensed for the event, with a talk by María Carmen Obregón, Mexican author and speaker specialized in that methodology. The closing activity, kite building and flying on the beach, was done in partnership with BaToCo, a non-profit association dedicated to promoting that craft, adding a genuine CSR component to the trip. The decision to transport the 100 participants by high-end coaches instead of flights also significantly reduced the program’s carbon monoxide emissions. The case overall is a strong example of creativity under budget constraints: the same emotional impact and the same “surprise factor” achieved with a smaller budget than previous editions.

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