GiftCard Partners Blog

The 16th Annual Incentive Marketing Association (IMA) Summit is scheduled for July 26-28. We invite you to connect and collaborate with GiftCard Partners, among many other companies. The 2015 IMA Summit is being held in Nashville, TN and will deliver valuable tools and ideas that will benefit your business and improve your bottom line.

In today's workforce, employee recognition is more than just a "nice to have"—it’s a critical driver for retention, engagement, and embodying company culture. As companies grapple with rising turnover and a more competitive talent market, recognition programs are essential in communicating core values while maintaining employee satisfaction. Modern organizations have come to realize that a well-executed recognition program goes beyond sporadic rewards and speaks directly to the heart of a company’s mission.

Recently, in a bold move, CVS Health quits Chamber of Commerce. The decision to quit came after revelations that the chamber is undertaking a global lobbying campaign against antismoking laws. Last year, CVS Health declared their mission to increase public health by discontinuing tobacco sales chain wide.

As HR departments struggle to figure out how to motivate employees, integrating gamification in the workplace remains a popular option. Fast Company article, What the Future of Gamification in the Workplace Looks Like, discusses the importance of realizing that simple, one-size-fits-all solutions will not work.

The first trulyomnichannel auto repair system is upon us as AutoZone partners with Openbay. The partnership, launching this month, will allow consumers (beginning in the Boston area) to comparison shop service and maintenance packages with local repair shops for their specific vehicles. The service combines AutoZone store parts with Openbay's online marketplace for auto repair. Learn more details about the partnership on Openbay's blog. The partnership enables true omnichannel retailing from both parties, combining the online comparison shopping enabled by Openbay and the in-store experience consumers have come to know and depend on for both parts and service from AutoZone.