One of television’s finest moments happens in Season 4, Episode 7 of Mad Men when a disgruntled Peggy Olson chides her boss Don Draper for not appreciating her contributions—to which he replies: “That’s what the money’s for!”

The latest State of Recognition report from Achievers Workforce Institute, a research and insights firm, suggests that scene has relevance beyond the realm of fiction.

According to a May 2025 survey of 3,600 employees across the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and Singapore:

• 91% say they would put in more effort if they felt valued
• 53% say they are recognized “only a few times a year or less”
• 23% say they feel “meaningfully recognized at work”

The report also outlines an employment landscape defined by volatility as 60% of employees surveyed say they are actively job hunting or “open to offers.”

Moreover, employees who are regularly recognized by their manager are 19x more likely to trust their manager and 3x more likely to feel more engaged.

Recognition leads to revenue: Pertaining more closely to the rev org, according to a 2024 report by research firm Pipedrive, 61% of salespeople said they felt under-appreciated, and only half 45% said that their colleagues, and just 33%, said that their managers were among those who supported them the most in their professional lives.

Learn more about staying grateful with your sales colleagues.—BS

As the global influencer marketing industry continues to grow at a rapid pace—according to research platform Statista, it was estimated to reach $32 billion in 2025, up 35% from the previous year—it’s no surprise that many consumer brands have joined the trend.

One brand that’s set a precedent for influencer marketing is beauty brand Tarte Cosmetics.

• In 2005, Tarte launched on QVC after starting from founder Maureen Kelly’s apartment in New York City. When she started the company in 1999, “magazines were the influencers of the day,” Kelly told the Today show in 2022.
• The brand was one of the first to start working with professional influencers through its “Trippin with Tarte” brand trips, which brought influencers together for an all-expenses paid trip.

“I guess you could say it was influencer marketing before influencer marketing even had a name,” Kelly said. “I didn’t know it at the time, of course, but we’ve created what’s known as the influencer brand trip. There was no playbook to follow. I was just following my gut and that philosophy still holds true today. You can buy reach, but you can’t buy relationships, and that’s why I’ve always focused on something deeper than a transaction.”

“Trippin with Tarte” is positioned as a full-on brand experience, with influencers decked out in Tarte merchandise staying in lavish accommodations decorated with Tarte logos and symbols and attending local excursions, all of which is curated in a way that makes for good social media content. The trips have attracted attention for their lavish nature, garnering speculation in prior years over its influencer marketing budget.

Learn more about Tarte’s time-tested influencer-led growth model.—LI

Consumers are changing the way they approach Father’s Day, starting with the most important part of any holiday: the gifts.

According to PwC’s latest consumer poll, 72% of consumers planned to spend an average of $93 on physical gifts such as clothing and shoes, while 7 in 10 expected to spend about $60 on dining experiences.

That focus on experiences may be driven in part by dads themselves; 70% of those surveyed thought fathers would prefer experiences and quality time over traditional gifts, while 51% of shoppers planned to purchase an experience to mark the occasion.

But does a subscription count as an experience? It does to the 45% of respondents planning to buy at least one subscription gift for Father’s Day.

Keep reading about Father’s Day consumer trends.—JS

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