GiftCard Partners Blog

We are increasingly seeing companies adopt health and wellness programs as a way to manage staggering health care costs. These programs promote healthy behavior, which can reduce the employers health cost per employee. According to one study, lifestyle related illnesses account for 80% of all employer health care costs. Health and wellness programs help companies of all sizes save money, from small start-ups to large corporations. Johnson and Johnson recently stated that their health and wellness program has saved the company more than $250 million in health care costs over the last 10 years. The impact is measurable across a large variety of organizations. Skeptical Employees? As more companies begin to adopt this practice employers are looking at how much these programs affect their bottom line, and how best to affect their employees' behaviors. While many employees can be quick to adopt programs offerings, others feel as though it is a violation of their personal life in the workplace. These individuals often adopt the practice with the incorporation of Health and Wellness rewards. Carrot rewards, that offer incentives for desired behavior, such as meeting a health goal or quitting smoking are proven to be the most effective method of implementing health and wellness rewards. Small incentives such as gift cards to retailers that promote healthy living such as 
CVS/Pharmacy, 
GNC and 
Nutrisystem can help guide employees and make a tangible contribution to their effort to live a healthier life. The more dedicated to health your employees are, the lower your costs, and the larger your bottom line.

Holiday marketing season is in full swing! Consumers are planning their holiday shopping, if they have not started already, and retailers are planning their big holiday marketing and promotional push. If you are looking for some innovative ways to stretch the last piece of your 2012 budget check out these 5 ways to execute a holiday marketing campaign with a limited budget.

As the holiday season approaches and the holiday shopping season descends consumers are spending more than they have in recent memory, but they are still looking to save and add value whenever possible. Adding a loyalty program for your consumers, your employees, or both can add measurable value to your business. Adding a loyalty program for consumers will keep them coming back throughout the holiday season, and an employee loyalty program will keep employees satisfied and motivated during a busy time of year. Loyalty programs can take a variety of forms, from a points system in which consumers or employees can accrue points over time based on purchases or a job well done respectively,  to a rewards based system where consumers or employees receive rewards, such as gift cards, for these same behaviors. According to Mark Johnson, CEO of Loyalty360, "From a data/analytics/insight perspective, the generic branded, especially the reloadable cards are more important [for brands] and you glean more insight into the interests of the consumer." Johnson goes on to note that the ease of use gift cards provide to both consumers and employees makes them very valuable in the context of loyalty programs. During the holiday season as people become busy and very budget conscious, gift cards help ease the burden on necessities such as clothing from
The Limited or
The Children's Place, or gifts for others from retailers such as
1-800-Flowers. The flexibility of gift cards offers employees and consumers the flexibility to use the loyalty rewards gifted to them on gifts for others.  
For more information on gift cards as loyalty rewards check out this article from BizReport.

Retaining employees and creating a community with a loyal dedicated workforce doesn't have to be expensive. Optimizing your rewards budget, and leveraging non-monetary employee recognition can help you achieve these goals without breaking your budget. Here are 3 effective tips for retaining satisfied and devoted workforce for less.

Using a total reward system for employees can benefit an employer as well. Offering rewards and incentives, as well as professional development opportunities for employees, helps control employee rewards cost as well as enhancing employee satisfaction. Incorporating even small rewards such as gift cards for a family meal at the Cheesecake Factory, or a shopping trip at Whole Foods Market or CVS/pharmacy, in addition to regular benefits and compensation can go a long way in keeping employees satisfied and content in their jobs. Here are 4 ways a total rewards strategy can benefit your employees, as well as your business.