Incentive - February 2009 - (Page 55) a specific retailer, restaurant or manufacturer, “Incentive 101” tactics should be top of mind. Make sure the card is appropriate to the audience. Although it may sound obvious, missteps are easily made. Things that executives may not have needed to consider in the past, bear attention now. “You want to be culturally and religiously sensitive, such as not giving an Omaha Steaks gift certificate to a vegetarian, and there are a lot more of those special needs to be aware of these days,” she says, adding that it is vital to align the gift card with what will have the most appeal. “It doesn’t have to be a universaluse card like Visa, but you don’t want to be giving a Barnes & Noble gift card to someone who spends all their time outdoors or a sports equipment card to someone who is really a book fan.” INFORMED DECISIONS Michelle Smith advises managing a gift card program like any other incentive program, especially with redemptions. It often doesn’t happen that way. “A lot of people mistakenly think once they get that card in the recipient’s hand, GIFT CARD PURCHASING CHANNELS Retailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72.7% Manufacturer/Service provider . . .26.2% Online vendor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30.1% Catalog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8.2% Reseller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5.5% Incentive providers . . . . . . . . . . . .14.2% Source: Incentive Gift Card IQ Survey 2008 BUSINESS INCENTIVE SOLUTIONS WITH THE HALLMARK TOUCH. With Hallmark Insights, you can give your employees or customers what they really want: a choice. Our solutions combine recognition and reward in one attractive package. Award recipients can choose gift cards from the industry’s largest merchant network. So people get rewards as unique as they are. We work with clients that include more than half of the Fortune 100, providing recognition incentives that offer meaningful, memorable rewards and measurable results. Call 800.765.4438 or visit HallmarkInsights.com. Employee Recognition Health & Wellness Incentives Sales Incentives Customer Acquisition & Retention MEANINGFUL. MEMORABLE. MEASURABLE. © 2009 Hallmark Insights. All rights reserved. SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION | FEBRUARY 2009 INCENTIVE 55 http://www.HallmarkInsights.com http://www.HallmarkInsights.com
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