A Joyous Return on Outcome

By: Iggy Pintado

The holiday season brings out the best of the Return on Outcome (ROO) concept. ROO is the qualifiable, subjective measure of an investment based on an outcome realized.

For those who celebrate Christmas around the world, it’s a time for gathering with family, friends and loved ones. This might mean spending money on travelling to arrange visits, preparing celebratory meals for gatherings and, the social tradition of gift-giving.

This got me thinking about the ROO of gift-giving.

It has become clear to me that the “outcome” of giving someone a gift is to bring joy to the recipient, at that moment. It’s a qualitative and intangible “measure” of what may be a positive outcome (delight at the gift for a personal reason) or a negative outcome (thanks, but I don’t like impersonal gift cards).

So how can one assess a positive outcome from a gift given? One indicator is the recipient’s response at the precise moment the gift is received. This could be the initial reaction, visually and audibly (surprise) and, the immediate response to the gesture, such as verbal (thank you) and/or physical (handshake or hug). Finally, there’s the remarkability of the present to people nearby and, on an ongoing basis. The image of my granddaughter is an example of capturing the sheer delight of the moment to her.

For the record, I have considered the Return on Investment (ROI) factor and summarily took it off the table. According to Statista, the projected global online holiday shopping spend between November 1 and December 31, 2022, is estimated at 209.7 billion U.S. dollars.

The essence of gift giving does not relate to a quantitative return on the money spent on an item purchased. It is ludicrous to consider that purchasing one of Amazon’s Top Toys in 2022 (the Hot Wheels Track Set, Ultimate Garage Toy Vehicle Playset With Moving T-Rex Dinosaur, Storage For 100+ Vehicles, 3ft+ Tall) at US$131.56 for little Johnny, will provide any realistic return on the funds invested.

In the Hot Wheels Track Playset example above, I can imagine little Johnny shouting his delight with a wide smile as he unwraps his new toy, overjoyed in the realization that his loving parents got him what he desired and finally, telling all his siblings and anyone within earshot ad nauseum at how awesome his recent acquisition is.

That’s a positive return on outcome.