GiftCard Partners Blog

As we enter the new year everyone is trying to maintain a healthier lifestyle, or shed those holiday pounds. Employees returning to work in the new year find their employer's health and wellness program to be beneficial, these programs work because they hold employees accountable for their behavior. Based on a new industry study 78% of employers offering wellness programs are using metrics, such as biometric testing or health risk assessments to make employees aware of their health status. This testing is meant as a tool to reward employees who improve their health, and penalize employees who consistently make bad health choices. Gift cards are a great way to reward employees for healthy choices. Retail outlets such as CVS/Pharmacy, which can help employees along their road to wellness, further encourage the desired behavior. These employee decisions affect the employers health care costs and so to ring in the new year employees are going to be increasingly held accountable for their health and wellness choices.  
To read more about trends in employee responsibility in health and wellness programs check out the Columbus Dispatch story.

As we head into 2013 and employees commit to the New Year's Resolutions to quit smoking, lose weight, or generally live healthier lives it is the perfect time for your small business to implement a health and wellness program. Here are a few tips on starting the year off right for your business and your employees.
Lead the Way Lead by example. If employees observe you living a healthier life style they will take note, and be more motivated to follow suit. If you live a healthier life, and offer a health and wellness program it gathers integrity for the program because employees see the business owner participating.
Designate a Leader Appoint a leader to charge ahead with implementation of the program. Provide a framework, and a budget to work with, and really let someone in your organization make this program their own. This will also plant roots for the program within the organizational community. A peer leader is bound to give strength to a health and wellness program.
Make it Relevant Know your audience. Use motivators and carrot rewards, like gift cards, that will hold intrinsic value with your employees. Having a variety of rewards for goals achieved, whether it is a goal weight reached or another health goal, is important. Providing gift cards to a variety of healthy living retailers such as
CVS/Pharmacy,
NutriSystem, or
GNC is a great way to support employees on their way to healthier living.
Involve Your Insurance Company Many health insurance plans now offer a wellness program or reduced rate on wellness options such as massage, yoga classes, gym memberships and more. Inquiring with your insurance provider about what might be available to your employees could build in more incentive for employees to participate in a health and wellness program.
For more information on Health and Wellness program ideas for 2013 check out this article from SmallBizTrends.com.  

We don't tend to cover topics outside of the gift card industry in our blog, but this story came to us and we found it so compelling, we decided we have to share. Through the NBA lockout the entire NBA community was on edge wondering if there would be a 2011-2012 NBA season, and for teams they were wondering if there would be any opportunity to take in ticket revenue this year. But not Boston Celtics’ Interactive Media Director, Peter Stringer. He was busy maximizing the Celtics' 3-Point-Play Facebook App. This App turned 5.6 million Facebook followers into revenue generating ticket holders. He used the popularity of a Facebook App to raise awareness and strength for his brand, and parlayed that into thousands of dollars in revenue for his organization. This is one instance that proves the power of social media. How will you use that power for your organization?
This social media success earned Stringer the Pymnts.com Innovator of the Week Award this week. For more information check out the article.

The Ventura, CA community is taking innovative steps to minimize drunk driving this holiday season. A group of Ventura County bars and restaurants is taking part in a safety rewards program funded by a local government grant. The participating businesses are giving away small spot rewards, such as gas cards to dedicated designated drivers throughout the holiday season. Larger items are also raffled off during special drawing nights. The program rewards good drivers, but has also garnered the support of the community by making the roads safer and putting citizens at ease during the holidays, knowing that drivers are being incented to stay safe. Does your community use these types of rewards for good behavior? Should we need to use spot safety rewards to keep citizens within the rules of the law? Let us know what you think, and leave a comment!  
To read more about the Ventura County DUI Safety Rewards Program click here.

In this slow recovering economy, trends in the incentive industry are leaning towards caution and scaled back rewards programs. Safety rewards, which used to garner large incentive travel programs, or other large rewards, are now are being scaled back to much smaller incentive rewards programs. According to the latest Incentive Research Foundation survey, incentive rewards program administrators' confidence levels are down to lows not seen since 2008. The survey indicated the following specifically about travel rewards programs: