Overview
PMG is a global independent marketing services and technology company that seeks to inspire people and brands that anything is possible. Driven by shared success, PMG brings together business strategy and transformation, creative, media, and insights, all powered by its proprietary marketing operating system, Alli. With 900+ employees across 11 global offices, PMG has won multiple Best Places to Work honours, reflecting the company’s commitment to people, performance, and a culture of recognition.
The Challenge
Spreading & Streamlining Recognition
Before Awardco, PMG relied on ad-hoc recognition through various tools and communication channels, which led to inconsistencies, extra admin effort, and missed opportunities to appreciate great work. Recognition wasn't fully embedded into their culture, and rewards weren’t as open or accessible to all employees globally.
PMG needed a scalable solution that would unify all programmes, reach every employee—regardless of location or role—and align with their performance-driven, people-centric culture and values. The values deeply embedded in the company culture are: Do the Right Thing, Embrace Challenges as Opportunities, Be Inclusive, Always Change for the Better, Be Agile, and Have Fun.
The Solution
One recognition platform to rule them all
PMG launched a branded version of Awardco—myKudos—as their single platform for recognition and rewards. An acronym for “Kind, Unique, Detailed, Our values, Sincere” myKudos consolidated multiple programmes under one roof, allowing all employees to give and receive appreciation in a centralised, consistent way.
Through myKudos, PMG created a wide range of recognition programmes including:
- Onboarding
- Peer-to-peer shoutouts
- Service anniversaries
- Bi-annual Value Impact Awards
- Manager-to-employee awards
- Team-wide incentives
Recognition embedded into the entire employee journey
From day one, new hires are immersed in an always-on culture of recognition. They’re introduced to myKudos during orientation and via Onboarding email from Awardco, and automatically added to the #myKudos Slack channel. Throughout their employee journey, employees receive multiple “pushes” to log in to the platform, including receiving spot recognitions and automated milestone rewards.
PMG’s CEO spotlights standout recognitions in weekly company-wide Slack messages, while the executive leadership team highlights myKudos recognitions during the monthly company-wide meeting. This consistent top-down, leadership-driven model means recognition is not just encouraged—it’s exemplified and expected.
Global rewards employees truly love
Awardco’s integration with Amazon Business enables employees to redeem points for items they value most—regardless of location. Global fulfillment, no markups, and free shipping ensure fairness and flexibility. PMG also allows employees to redeem their Awardco points for experiences like concerts, travel, and other memorable events—turning recognition into lasting memories.
The Results
A culture of recognition that yields tangible results
Recognition has become part of the daily language at PMG. With over a 90% login rate and 80% redemption rate, employees actively engage with the platform and with each other.
Data shows:
- 40% reduction in attrition for employees who are recognised early, especially within their first three months.
- 85% of employees recognised early (within three months) still work at the company at the 12-month mark—compared to 75% of those who did not.
- Employees who receive four or more recognitions are 50% less likely to leave the company.
- Recognition during onboarding and early tenure consistently correlates with higher long-term retention.
- Employees are 30% more likely to give recognition after receiving one from a peer—indicating a strong “recognition flywheel” effect.
- Managers are 3X more likely to send recognition than peers, with manager adoption growing steadily year-over-year.
- Strong positive correlation: more manager recognition leads to more peer recognition.
- Employees feel confident they’ll be recognised for their efforts — giving a strong 7.6 out of 10 score on engagement surveys.
- Managers prefer using the platform to send recognitions, while peers gravitate toward Slack—but together, these channels ensure that everyone has an easy, familiar way to engage, driving widespread adoption across all levels.
myKudos doesn’t only boost morale—it helps PMG retain talent, recognise going above and beyond, and sustain high performance. Recognition is a cornerstone of PMG’s culture—it fuels engagement, strengthens relationships, and reinforces the behaviours that drive success.
