PETALING JAYA: Eager to get the economy back on its feet, many businesses are providing incentives to woo consumers to get vaccinated against Covid-19.
The rationale is simple. As more people get vaccinated and herd immunity is achieved, economic activities can resume.
For instance, those who got their jabs at the Ideal Convention Centre (IDCC) in Shah Alam were each given a “goodness pack” sponsored by Nestle Malaysia.
Each pack contained a gold cornflakes bar, a Milo bar, a small box of Milo, two sachets of Nescafe latte, a KitKat, and three sachets of Milo nutri breakfast.
Other companies doing their part to encourage vaccination are frozen yoghurt chain Llao llao, with a 15% discount to those who have received their first dose, and myBurgerLab, which is offering a RM10 voucher to those who have registered for the vaccination.
Clinical psychologist Dr Joel Low said such incentives will encourage people to get the jab and help the country achieve herd immunity faster.
Low, director of The Mind Psychological Services and Training, which offers stress management and cognitive behavioural therapy, attributes such responses to classical conditioning.
“Classical conditioning, also known as Pavlovian conditioning, is learning through the association of good behaviour with rewards,” he told theSun.
“Getting rewarded with perks that include discounts on local favourites and freebies upon vaccination will increase the ‘feel good’ factor in people. I trust this will also enhance the likelihood of getting the message across to other Malaysians.”
Under the Nestle Cares volunteer programme, the company also sponsored food and beverage to the 250 frontliners deployed at the IDCC.
Nestle Malaysia Bhd told theSun it had given out 42,000 goodness packs under the campaign’s first phase from May 24 to June 6. A second phase is expected to follow.
Chief executive officer Juan Aranols said the company is committed to supporting government efforts in the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme. “While the lockdown will help to curb the spread of the infection, vaccination remains the cornerstone of efforts to put the pandemic behind us.”
Nestle has launched the same initiative at the Covid-19 assessment centre at Stadium Melawati.
The list of retailers doing their part to encourage vaccination includes Jobbie Nut Butter offering a 50% discount on all products, and tau fu fa franchise Bear Jr, which is giving away a free tub of the Chinese dessert.
Jibril in SS15, Subang Jaya and its sister outlet Mona by Jibril at Publika shopping centre are giving away salted egg butter chicken, while Churitto’s is offering free mojito and soft taco to those who have been vaccinated.
