Incentive - December 2007 - (Page 41)

Here & Now chio. She also disputed the article’s claims that the expiration dates and fees on bank-issued cards are somehow obscured or could come as a surprise to the average consumer. Frustrated or not, consumers and incentive planners continue to purchase gift cards at ever-higher rates. Predictions from the National Retail Federation expect consumers to spend $26.3 billion on gift cards this holiday season, up from $24.8 billion last year. Speaking about the retailer-issued cards, Incentive Gift Card Council President Cindy Mielke agreed that too many cards are left unused, but saw it as a problem with choosing the wrong retailer or type of gift card, Hungry? Increase Your Sales Force’s Appetite Is your team really hungry to meet, and even exceed their sales goals? An incentive like Omaha Steaks can really whet their appetite and make them hungry for more! Omaha Steaks offers quality products that will have real appeal and value. So give your sales force a reward worth sinking their teeth into and watch your profits grow. “It’s all about fit.” —Cindy Mielke rather than a problem with gift cards in general. “We talk about the importance of understanding who you’re motivating and what you’re using to motivate them. Whether it’s a gift card or product, it has to fit the audience, otherwise the incentive to perform isn’t there,” says Mielke. “It’s all about fit.” Mielke also pointed out that incentive winners are often given a choice among several retailer-issued gift cards, as opposed to most consumer recipients, who get what is given them. This increases the likelihood that incentive gift card winners will receive a desired card reward that will be redeemed. Also pointed out was the fact that the disuse of gift cards hurts vendors and retailers as well as the consumer, since these groups rely on the cards to bring in new customers or to strengthen the loyalty of current customers. “Retailers want these cards to be redeemed. They want the customers coming into their stores,” says Rich Killian, president of gift certificatefocused incentive house RK Incentives, “It’s a win-win for the retailers, for the economy and mostly for the recipients themselves.” OS SalesCo, Inc. Call one of our Sales Incentive Experts today. ©2007 Omaha Creative Group, Inc. 1-800-228-2480 www.osincentives.com incentivemag.com 270836-H | December 2007 | Incentive | 41 http://www.osincentives.com http://www.osincentives.com http://incentivemag.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Incentive - December 2007

Incentive - December 2007 Contents Editor’s Note: Revved Up In the News Cover Story: Rolls-Royce Empowers Its Own Case Study: Booz Allen Hamilton Beating Your Best Incentive Primer: Add Value to Your Event Keeping Safety In Mind Incentive Interview Potentials Here and Now Research: Corporate Gifts Facts Report Tabletop Awards: Travel Gift Cards Travel News Viva Puerto Vallarta Indigenous Spas Advertiser Index Off the Cuff: Ambassador Christoph Bubb Luxury Brands Special Supplement

Incentive - December 2007

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