GiftCard Partners Blog

A new MarketWatch survey release this week indicates that employees don't need much to feel rewarded during this holiday season.

This was my first MoShow. I was struck by how interesting it was to connect the dots between so many gift card industry players and perspectives. Present were partners (tech & business alliances), customers (channel partners & end customers), professional organizations, and clients and prospective clients (retailers/merchants), all whom found the MoShow an important place to be. In that vein; each GiftCard Partners attendee offered me their take-aways from the show. I had a sense that the take-aways would be diverse…and they are!
Ed Shulkin: “Employee Wellness Programs topped the list of programs employers were looking for.”
Deb Merkin: “Our plan was the following and it led to just the kind of activity we wanted from the show. Prepare - Do your homework- know who is attending and reach out and make appointments through Motivation Connect. Penetrate - Penetrate and engage new and old accounts through intimate meetings.Progress – Move potential sales through the sales funnel by following up after the motivation show.”
Melina Balboni: “This year’s Motivation Show proved to be a great ground for networking with potential new clients. We found that several established companies are interested in taking their business to the next level and looking for creative ways of reaching the ever-growing end-user market”.
Diane Freeland: “Overall, this year’s Motivation Show had fewer exhibitors and reduced attendance, but we found it’s becoming a great venue for partner meetings and better networking opportunities. Canada is a continually growing B2B frontier. Several partners asked us about international redemption options with Canada topping the list.”
Kate Balboni: “The new “Final Rule” law issued by FinCEN was a big topic of discussion at the MoShow’s IGCC meeting! The new anti-money laundering regulations will directly impact the Gift Card Industry.  For in-depth information regarding the “Final Rule” by FinCEN, please visit:
http://www.bankbryancave.com/2011/09/fincen-issues-final-rule-on-prepaid-access
 Cynthea Baldwin Florsheim: “The show confirmed to me that plastic cards are here to stay – there is definitely more and more interest in eCerts; however, I believe we will see complimentary growth in that market vs. plastic being replaced.”
Stacey Sicurella: “The show really allowed me to learn about and communicate with the contingents that glue to our industry and our company together. I was also fascinated at how many meetings we had going on, and often at one time…a good sign for gift cards from merchant and customer perspectives. What Did YOU Get out of the 2011 Motivation Show? Please leave us your comments HERE.

It’s holiday corporate gift giving season and gift card promotion time, but some retailers aren’t losing track of their long term goals and strategies. Forbes.com presents The Home Depot’s advice to retailers and merchants on developing their gift card strategy, including their placement in B2B programs like corporate incentive programs, the importance of personalization, promoting eGift Cards, mobile and social channels, and more. GiftCard Partners is always proud to bring you examples of who is doing B2B gift cards right! Read on to discover
The Home Depot’s best in breed advice for gift card strategies. Source: Forbes.com MarketShare

Schools are now incentivizing students for higher test scores, college admittance, after school study programs, and even good attendance.  But some parents are now wondering what incentives take it too far. Some schools have fun, experiential incentives, such as a teacher dunk-tank, or a friday afternoon carnival, to acknowledge students' hard work, and incent them to continue the good behavior. Other schools are using cash incentives or expensive material incentives (such as a laptop, or iPad) to reinforce good behavior. Some parents feel that these lavish incentive gifts are going too far.  Do you think kids can handle the same level of incentives offered to their parents? What happened to offering kids a gift card to their favorite lunch spot, or a class breakfast for good behavior. Is this the way we want to teach our kids to learn, or is it okay as long as it raises test scores and ensures entrance to college? Can we incent our kids like adults, or is it teaching them the wrong lessons? Should we stick to small denominations of gift cards, or are the bigger better rewards really the right way? Let us know what you think by leaving us a comment.  
To find out more about parental concerns regarding student rewards click here.

Even though it is not yet Halloween financial analysts and retail experts are already working to predict holiday spending.  With an unstable economy and uncertain times ahead most shoppers will be keeping tight budgets, and not making extravagant purchases.  According to a recent Accenture survey "One quarter of shoppers (24 percent) plan to have a 'thrifty' holiday season and one in five (18 percent) admit that they will be 'focused on necessities', just 6 percent admit to planning 'extravagant' or 'unrestrained' holiday spending." In this type of market, where consumers are being conservative with their holiday budgets gift givers want to ensure that they give "targeted" gifts.  These are gifts where the givers' dollar is stretched and the giver is sure the receiver is going to use and enjoy the gift.  Gift cards are great examples of "targeted" gifts, they are meaningful, and guaranteed to be enjoyed.  Allowing a friend or employee to enjoy dinner with their family, or to splurge on a new outfit is a win/win; a low risk purchase for the giver and a high reward for the receiver. With 43% of survey respondents claiming that they have less income than last year, and historic economic swings, it is going to be a year of low risk gift purchases. Remember the value of gift cards as you make your holiday purchases this year, whether it be for your friends, or employees.  
For more information on the recent Accenture survey click here.