Perhaps you got lulled in by the 1990s mantra that “if you build it, they will come” when you designed your online recognition program.

The truth is the origin of that quote is a misquotation from the movie “Field of Dreams”. In the movie it is the lead character played by Kevin Costner, who hears the whisper from the cornfield, that “if you build it, he will come”. The “it” refers to a baseball field and the “he” is a long deceased, famous baseball player idolized by the lead character. 

We all know the premise of the quote as it relates to business contradicts basic marketing principles. Establish a need for something first before you ever build it. 

Let’s examine some reasons I have seen for why recognition programs may not be working very well.