GiftCard Partners Blog

Year-end rewards are not one-size-fits-all, but gift cards have clear appeal. In fact,81% of U.S. consumers would like to receive gift cards from their employer. Yet a reward that works for a distributed workforce may not suit a customer campaign, executive gift, or community program. Some organizations prioritize recipient choice and brand visibility, while others want speed, simplicity, or a specific experience.

Successful holiday incentive programs depend more on operational planning than on choosing the perfect year-end reward. Most organizations don't set out to run a poor incentive program. They budget thoughtfully, choose meaningful rewards, and genuinely want to recognize employees, customers, and partners with bonuses and rewards at year-end.

Employee recognition platforms are under growing pressure to deliver more than recognition. Customers increasingly expect rewards to be built directly into the employee experience—without requiring another vendor, another login, or another manual process.

By the time Q3 begins, sales teams are often balancing two realities: there is still time to influence annual performance, but mid-year fatigue, pipeline slowdowns, and shifting priorities can make momentum harder to maintain. That makes Q3 an ideal time to revisit your quarterly sales incentives and introduce targeted rewards that help sales teams refocus on the behaviors that drive revenue.

Sales Kickoff is one of the few moments all year when your entire revenue team pauses, reflects, and realigns around what matters most: performance, momentum, and belief. But in today’s hybrid sales environment, even SKOs can feel transactional: packed agendas, back-to-back decks, and little space to reconnect with purpose.