Incentive - December 2008 - (Page 71) GIFT CARDS This One’s on the Boss Whether staying in or going out, dining and entertainment gift cards give winners a night to remember By Alex Palmer n Incentive’s Gift Card IQ survey this past August, dining gift cards were the most popular type used by planners in their incentive program, while entertainment came in fourth. According to incentive planners and corporate end users, there’s a good reason for this popularity of restaurant and entertainment gift cards: impact. “Whether it’s a free burger or a free evening with their family, both are considered rewards because it’s something that they wouldn’t go out and buy themselves, but they’ll treat themselves to,” says Jean Landsverk, SVP of sales and customer support for First Data Prepaid Services. When it comes to dining and entertainment, suppliers to the industry offer a vast array of choices, from $10 in Burger Bucks from Burger King to a high-end, multiday excursion from Xperience Days or Roadtrips Inc. But the experiential awards most popular with planners generally fall into the dinner and a movie category—an enjoyable, relaxing evening winners can share with their loved ones. “The majority of what we see is somebody who wants a [card] that they can offer their family,” says Landsverk. “It’s considered more of a reward if they can treat their families instead of just treating themselves.” I Illustration: Chad Crowe Applebee’s, AMC Theatres and TGI Friday’s are popular choices, with restaurants like Maggiano’s Little Italy, Ruth’s Chris Steak House or Smith & Wollensky for more formal evenings out. While rewarding employees with cards for specific restaurants can make a distinctive statement, planners also can opt for more flexible options. Restaurant.com offers certificates that can be used at the 9,000 locations in the company’s network—many of them local or independent businesses that operate right in the recipient’s neighborhood. Darden Restaurants offers cards that can be used at any Red Lobster, Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse or Bahama Breeze. For even broader appeal, planners can reach for a card like Sodexo’s new Esteem Pass, which combines 35 brands under one card, including such dining and entertainment options as Outback Steakhouse, Borders, Legal Sea Foods and Roy’s Restaurant. “Esteem Pass is targeted to organizations at large, so we needed to design a product that meets the individual’s needs at every level,” says Vincent Hillenmeyer, president of Sodexo Pass USA. “[The winners] spend a lot of time at work, so if they can have a nice dinner with their Planner Resources AMC Theatres amctheatres.com (816) 480-4715 Applebee’s applebees.com (866) 812-8543 Blockbuster Incentives bbincentives.com (214) 854-3000 Darden Restaurants darden.com (800) 642-7336 Esteem Pass by Sodexo esteempass.com (888) 453-8820 First Data Prepaid Services firstdata.com (303) 488-8000 Omaha Steaks osincentives.com (800) 228-2480 Restaurant.com restaurant.com (888) 745-6991 family as a reward for their work, that makes an impact.” Hillenmeyer says Sodexo had the option of including fast food dining options but decided on the more service-oriented brands to reinforce the sense that winners are being treated to an experience, not just a meal. To help emphasize the idea that this is a “night out” for winners, a popular option is to offer dining and entertainment together as a package. Edison, N.J.–based camera company Abe’s of Maine offered its customers a “dinner and a movie package” with a incentivemag.com | December 2008 | Incentive | 71 http://www.amctheatres.com http://www.applebees.com http://www.bbincentives.com http://www.darden.com http://www.Restaurant.com http://www.esteempass.com http://www.firstdata.com http://www.osincentives.com http://www.Restaurant.com http://www.restaurant.com http://www.incentivemag.com
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