Défis

As the organization grew in scale and complexity, recognition efforts remained fragmented, informal, and inconsistently executed across departments.

Critical contributors—especially in distillation, quality, and innovation—often worked behind the scenes with limited visibility, impacting morale and long-term retention.

Key challenges included:

• Limited recognition for craftsmanship and innovation: R&D and distillery teams lacked structured appreciation for breakthroughs and process improvements.

• Inconsistent quality recognition: Exceptional audit results and quality benchmarks were not celebrated uniformly.

• Missed opportunities to leverage industry awards: Global competition wins were not systematically celebrated internally.

• Leadership attrition risk: Long-tenured experts and leaders lacked milestone-based recognition.

• Siloed teams: Collaboration across production, marketing, and commercial functions needed reinforcement.

• Low visibility for sustainability achievements: ESG efforts were under-recognized despite strategic importance.

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Personas involved

• Master Distillers & R&D Teams: Recognized for product innovation, new expressions, and process excellence.

• Production & Quality Leaders: Rewarded for maintaining high quality scores, compliance success, and operational excellence.

• Corporate Leadership & Executives: Recognized for strategic impact, cross-functional collaboration, and people leadership.

• HR & People Experience Teams: Design recognition frameworks, manage milestone programs, and track engagement metrics.

• Sustainability & ESG Teams: Celebrate environmental and social impact initiatives aligned with corporate values.

• Program Admin / Super Admin: Configure recognition rules, manage approvals, oversee budgets, and analyze engagement insights.

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The solution

The Tequila & Mezcal manufacturer needed a centralized, values-driven recognition platform that could scale across corporate, distillery, and leadership teams while reinforcing craftsmanship, quality, and collaboration.

Xoxoday Empuls delivered a unified employee recognition and engagement solution that enabled leadership to celebrate excellence in real time—while embedding recognition into everyday culture.

This shift replaced ad-hoc appreciation with a structured, transparent, and purpose-led recognition ecosystem.

• Product development & innovation recognition: Xoxoday Empuls enabled achievement-based awards for master distillers and R&D teams responsible for new expressions, award-winning recipes, and process innovations—reinforcing creativity and continuous improvement.

• Quality excellence awards for craftsmanship: Production and quality leaders were recognized for exceptional audit scores, compliance milestones, and consistency benchmarks—strengthening pride in craftsmanship and brand standards.

• Industry awards celebration for global credibility: Teams behind spirits winning medals at international competitions were publicly recognized and rewarded—boosting morale and reinforcing external brand credibility internally.

• Milestone rewards for leadership retention: Xoxoday Empuls automated milestone recognition for tenure anniversaries of master distillers, plant heads, and corporate leaders with personalized rewards—reducing attrition risk among critical talent.

• Collaboration awards across functions: Cross-functional leaders driving successful collaboration between distillery, marketing, sales, and supply chain teams were recognized—breaking silos and strengthening alignment.

• Sustainability & ESG recognition: Teams championing water conservation, waste reduction, responsible sourcing, and community initiatives were celebrated through ESG-aligned awards—accelerating progress toward sustainability goals.

• Seamless integration with enterprise systems: Xoxoday Empuls integrated with Acengage, LMS, performance tools, collaboration platforms, ESG systems, and finance workflows—enabling automated recognition triggers, real-time visibility, and seamless reward fulfilment without manual overhead.

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Impact

• 2.1× increase in employee participation in recognition programs, driven by structured awards.
• 34% improvement in leadership retention, supported by milestone recognition.
• 3× increase in innovation-led recognition events, reinforcing R&D motivation.
• 41% uplift in cross-functional collaboration scores, driven by collaboration awards.
• Stronger ESG participation, with sustainability initiatives receiving higher engagement.
• INR 46 crore in recognition rewards processed annually, improving transparency and trust.
• Significant uplift in employee pride and morale, measured through engagement surveys.

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Conclusion

By implementing Xoxoday Empuls, the Tequila & Mezcal manufacturer transformed employee recognition across India—from informal appreciation to a culture-defining recognition ecosystem rooted in craftsmanship, quality, and leadership excellence.

Through innovation awards, quality recognition, milestone celebrations, collaboration incentives, and ESG recognition, Xoxoday Empuls helped leadership reinforce values that define the brand’s heritage and future.

With seamless integrations, personalized rewards, and real-time recognition, the organization strengthened engagement, retained critical talent, and built a proud, motivated workforce driving excellence across the spirits value chain.