GiftCard Partners Blog

Incentives within workplace safety programs have long been central to engaging employees in achieving and promoting an optimally safe work environment. However, learnings over time have led to debate about HOW to incent properly, whether it be with gift cards, merchandise or travel. Promoting not only safe behaviors, but also creating a safe environment to report unsafe behaviors, is critical to the long term success of a safe workplace. Some look to incentive companies like TharpeRobbins to create their workplace safety programs. These companies help define ideal, safe working environments and behaviors and they roll out programs like “Safe Work and Safe Driver Programs”. These programs promote and work towards accident-free workplaces through recognition and rewards via point systems. A recent
Incentive Magazine article, noted that “During the announcement of the new programs, TharpeRobbins put the reality of workplace safety into context with some financial statistics from the National Safety Council 1: *         There are 3.8 million workplace injuries in the US each year *         90,000 of those injuries cause permanent disabilities *         The average cost per injury: $28,000, adding up to $130 billion for the country overall So, there is a lot of cash at risk for companies to get their safety programs “right” and to do it right, it means creating an incentive program for the long term. Organizations like The National Safety Council support the use of incentives to promote a safer workplace, as long as the program goes “beyond the gift cards and improved performance indicators” to ensure that unreported injuries aren’t on the rise. They say, “Incentive programs can enhance established occupational safety programs but should not be considered an easy fix to underlying safety problems”. 2 OSHA also stands strong on the incentive debate, challenging companies to not just institute a safety rewards program, but be sure they aren’t based primarily on injury and illness numbers. Successful programs  weigh heavily on promoting proper reporting of injuries, without the risk of retribution or loss of incentives. Some food for thought for your creating or improving your workplace safety incentive program for 2012. Sources: 1.      
Incentive Magazine: TharpeRobbins Rolls Out Safety Incentive Programs 2.     
National Safety Council: What's your reward? The debate over incentive programs

We don't tend to cover topics outside of the gift card industry in our blog, but this story came to us and we found it so compelling, we decided we have to share. Through the NBA lockout the entire NBA community was on edge wondering if there would be a 2011-2012 NBA season, and for teams they were wondering if there would be any opportunity to take in ticket revenue this year. But not Boston Celtics’ Interactive Media Director, Peter Stringer. He was busy maximizing the Celtics' 3-Point-Play Facebook App. This App turned 5.6 million Facebook followers into revenue generating ticket holders. He used the popularity of a Facebook App to raise awareness and strength for his brand, and parlayed that into thousands of dollars in revenue for his organization. This is one instance that proves the power of social media. How will you use that power for your organization?
This social media success earned Stringer the Pymnts.com Innovator of the Week Award this week. For more information check out the article.

Loyalty Programs are an important facet of the incentive industry for B2B gift cards or buying gift cards in bulk. Gift cards have been touted as one of the most coveted gifts in universe (well, pretty much). Are you offering gift cards for reward points as a way to keep your loyalty program alive with customers? In a recent article “5 Ways to Keep Loyalty Points from Expiring”, it’s noted that the massive quantities of rewards points that consumers hold “has created a headache for the companies that offer them”.  BUT – aren’t these “loads of points” also an opportunity for loyalty programs to try to engage customers 1 last time? Will offering highly coveted gift cards for points get these folks back in the game? Surely the engaged customer is more valuable than the dormant one. This article highlights great ways for consumers to keep their points in play, but these tactics should also be looked at as strategies, by the programs themselves, to promote the ongoing use of their program. Consumer or program provider…
take a look at these loyalty program strategies for the new year. Source:
The Toronto Star:
5 Ways to Keep Loyalty Points from Expiring

In the spirit of the new year, and burning off those holiday calories, it is time to make sure that employers are keeping their employees healthy going into 2012. In a country where 65% of adults don't exercise regularly, 50% have high cholesterol, 25% have high blood pressure, and 30% are obese it is critical that employers, who monopolize adults waking hours promote healthy living. Incorporating a wellness program, where employees are rewarded with small bonuses such as small denomination gift cards for participation in an exercise regiment, or for participating in a diet program pays off. Government and industry statistics show that for every $1 invested in wellness programs employers save between $3 and $5 in health care costs for their employees.   Keep your employees healthy this new year, and it will save your company money.
To learn more check out the Wilkes-Barre Times Leader article.

Adopting new technologies as important as your wallet isn’t as easy as Google saying “NOW…GO!”. Embracing a mobile wallet also isn’t just about spending on your credit cards, it’s about embracing technology to spend the money you already have, on prepaid cards like all those gift cards we received for the holidays. Fraud is also on the minds of consumers, bulk gift card givers, retailers, and merchants. So, what will facilitate the use of mobile prepaid on the technology and consumer sides? Check out this series of interviews from the
PREPAID EXPO with Jonathan Treiber of RevTrax.