South Africa, Nov. 24 -- Well-designed incentive programmes work - and they work fast. They can help clear old stock quickly. They can accelerate sales. They can contribute to spikes and increases in revenue. You see the results, almost immediately. But if a short-term boost is the extent of it, these programmes are missing out on other, more sustainable, more valuable returns.

Among our case studies are examples of channel incentive programmes that bore outstanding results in a few weeks or months. One contributed to a 53% increase in used vehicle finance within weeks of the programme's launch. Another targeted responsible liquor trading and saw compliance improve from 72% to 80% within six months.

And another was initially designed as...