Designed to keep our clients informed of the evolving B2B gift card landscape The third quarter of this year brought GiftCard Partners’ sales and marketing teams to a hugely successful Motivation Show (MoShow) in Chicago as well as a very productive IMA (Incentive Marketing Association) meeting in San Diego. We are pleased to keep you current in the events that are shaping the gift card industry as well as provide you with insights into hot topics and themes that affect your role in the retail industry.
If you have any questions or would like guidance navigating any facet of the industry, we’re here to help. Just contact Ed Shulkin at: Eshulkin@giftcardpartners.com.
At this year’s MoShow we were reminded of some valuable lessons in listening and reacting. We’re happy to share with you a presentation around embracing technology to listen to your customers, to bring your brand and brand programs closer to enlightenment. Are you willing to accept social media and online networks as listening tools, to assess your customers’ opinions and react? Many believe that adopting these technologies could back-fire on a brand in an all-too-public forum. But consider that negative conversations about your brand are happening online, whether you are present or not…how you listen and address them could be the difference between a proactive leader and a tarnished reputation.
Some really great advice and answers to these nagging concerns come to us in a presentation given at the MoShow’s Incentive Gift Card Council (IGCC) meeting. This presentation, by Mike McDonnell, Vice President, Product Management & Client Solutions at Affinion Loyalty Group, offers fresh perspectives and real-world examples of how to turn negativity into opportunities for engagement in The Bright Side of Negative Engagement. This presentation will help you determine a critical response to a negative customer experience and help you answer the important question,”What’s Your White Chocolate Mickey?”
At the Motivation Show, final show exhibitors included more than 500, registration topped 5,000 and end-buyers totaled 2,221. Pete Erickson, Managing Director of the Motivation Show noted this show as their “best opening day in years”. Over 88 percent of registrants represented a net buying influence, which is well above the all-show average of 80 percent.”
Highlights from show constituents: - The Society of Human Resources Professionals (SHRP), the largest of local SHRM chapters, addressed the role that engaged employees play in increased productivity, higher profits, and improved customer satisfaction. SHRP’s success at the show is paving the way for plans to increase the involvement of SHRP at the 2012 Motivation Show and bring more HR executives to the exhibit floor. - Training Magazine reported that 64% of readers use incentives/awards to recognize employee performance; 71 percent of which are gift cards.
Earlier in the quarter Incentive Marketing Association held their 12th Annual Summit, where GCP’s Deb Merkin moderated the highly attended panel discussion: Challenges of Moving Bulk eCerts/mCerts Through the Distribution Pipeline. An overarching theme amongst panelists and attendees was that there is a clear need for technology based gift card industry standards. Starting with what they are called, there are many terms used – “let’s standardize” was the consensus. IMA will survey leaders in our industry to cull common terms and help create standards.
Visit GCP’s blog for more IMA 12th Annual Summit Roundup.
FinCen was a prevalent topic at the MoShow. The FinCen Final Rule will go into effect on March 15, 2012 and all issuers and resellers need to be in compliance. Your legal teams or advisors will help with direction.
