Incentive - February 2008 - (Page 52)

GIFT CARDS >> Passionate PURSUITS Gift cards provide recipients with rewarding experiences that fit their lifestyle By Jeanie Casison I 52 | February 2008 ncentives are all about inspiration. As awards, gift cards generate excitement and relevancy in employee and customer programs by providing individuals with instant access to the products and services that they want most. Once limited to restaurant and retail experiences, gift cards have grown significantly over the years to include travel, entertainment, and just about anything else. Whether dreaming of a trip to Disney or the tools for that next do-it-yourself project, incentive participants have their pick of gift cards to pursue lifelong passions, favorite pastimes, or even just to take care of practical matters around the house. Insiders agree that gift cards offers immense appeal for all types of audiences. “Gift cards give recipients choice. The biggest benefit is that gift cards allow a company’s employees or customers to select what they want for themselves as a bonus,” says Lizz Wheeler, marketing manager of the Crystal Lake, Illinois-based National Gift Card, an incentive rewards company with more than 150 retail partners, including Amazon.com, Bass Pro Shops, and GameStop, among others. Giftcertificates.com CEO Sean O’ Toole sees more corporate clients accommodating people’s personal preferences into the context of incentive programs. “Companies have different socio-demographic profiles within their employee base. We are seeing success with categorizing different portfolios of gift card merchants based on these socio-demographics,” he says. “If you have a younger employee base, you might want to offer gaming gift cards, while an older group may be more interested in department store merchants.” Here's a look at how to strategically integrate gift cards into incentive programs and consumer promotions by tapping into popular interests. TRAVEL TAKES Wanderlust never wanes, and the chance to discover new destinations provokes people to pack their bags at the first opportunity. When staying close to home, gasoline gift cards can help travelers go the distance on their next road trip. Last summer, Meineke Car Care Centers in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut gave away SVM gasoline gift cards to customers who performed needed repairs before hitting the highway for their vacations. As the Chicago-based SVM offers gasoline gift cards from every major oil company in the United States— Chevron Gift Card, ExxonMobil Cash Card, to name a few—it SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION http://www.Giftcertificates.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Incentive - February 2008

Incentive Magazine - February 2008 Editor’s Note: Archie and the Boys In The News Cover Story: On The Ball Incentives Incentive Primer: How to Use Sporting Events Incentive Interview: Jim Avery on Doing the Right Thing Employee Empowerment Motivates and Pays Dividends Hospitals, Nurses Win With Flexible Scheduling Legal Ease: Safety Programs and Unions Case Study: The Weitz Company Retains Its Boomers Potentials: Here and Now Star Power in the Kitchen Awards: Gift Card Trends for the New Year Travel News The Manhattanization of Las Vegas Classics Renewed: Monaco and France Advertiser Index Off The Cuff: Tumi’s Mike Landry

Incentive - February 2008

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