GiftCard Partners Blog

All employers use the upcoming holiday season as an opportunity to recognize their employees. Whether it is a holiday party, bonuses, or rewards such as gift cards, holidays are the time to say "thank you" to your employees.  But more and more companies are using the recovering economic climate as a tool to recognize employees and energize them for the year ahead.  Instead of just saying "thank you" retroactively employers are now using holiday recognition to renew employee commitment and drive, and catapult the momentum into the year ahead. Boosting employee morale at the end of the year is a way to boost morale and confidence in the year ahead. "If business is moderate or down, there's an attitude that develops and you are not in a good place when you look toward the next 12 months." says  Robert Preziosi, professor and chair of management at Nova Southern University. Confident employees who feel valued reduce fear and increase productivity. Does your company try to close with a boost in revenue? Do you make an effort to recognize employees to increase confidence and productivity? Let us know what your company is doing for its employees this holiday season.  
For more about holiday rewards as motivation for the new year click here.

Veteran’s Day is this Friday, November 11th and we're seeing lots of gift card promotions, offers and sales …but how many of them actually benefit US Veterans? One VA Medical Center held a women’s health program that gave away $20 gift cards to women who received HIV testing in the month of September. This was a great way to support our veterans while promoting routine female healthcare checks and disease control. You may know that GCP has been collecting and sharing the great employer health and wellness uses of gift cards that we are capturing in our series of surveys –
check out our blog: Health and Wellness Employer Gift Card Successes: for more great healthcare gift card uses. Source:
The Business Journal of Greater Milwaukee

eGift and mobile gift cards are a popular topic as excitement grows around digital technologies. CreditCards.com reports that one half of the major gift card brands that offer eGift cards only started offering them this year. Retailers and merchants are ramping up to take advantage of growing mobile and tablet buying segments, as they are quickly becoming some of the most valuable online shoppers. Interestingly, when GCP recently surveyed B2B gift card buyers; we found that the B2B market still prefers to purchase physical plastic cards over

The latest analytics from comScore Inc. indicate that the number of consumers using mobile online banking has increased 45% since one year ago.  This staggering number is proving the shift to mobile technology use is growing, and most importantly, that consumers are beginning to trust mobile technology more as it continues to develop. Upon the initial introduction of mobile financial applications the majority of consumers indicated through various surveys and studies that they used mobile technology, but would not do so for banking or financial purposes. Having a trusting consumer base has caused a massive growth in mobile banking, which could also mean big changes for gift card usage and receipt of employee rewards.  Imagine getting a spot reward, gift card from your boss for doing well on a big project, and having it download right to your phone. Or having your year end bonus go into your checking account and being able to move that money around on your way to buy your holiday gifts. Mobile banking is changing the way people handle their money. How will it change your financial attitudes? Do you trust mobile banking?
For more information on the latest comScore Inc. analysis click here.

Increasing numbers of consumers are using their mobile devices while shopping.  In tough economic times, consumers are always looking for the best deal, and will do extra work and research to ensure that they get the best price.  Consumers are now looking for deals, coupons, rewards, and free gifts through their mobile devices.  63% of consumers asked in the 2011 Hipcricket Mobile Marketing Survey said that they had accessed a retailer's website from their mobile device, and 41% said they had done so from inside a retail store.  Mobile technology is revolutionizing the way consumers shop and receive coupons and special offers, it is even changing the way employers give out rewards and incentives. Imagine getting your holiday gift in a gift card form, right to your mobile device.   33% of consumers indicated that they would be interested in receiving special offers through their mobile device, which often includes quick response deals, deals only good for a few hours after receipt of the coupon. This statistic proves how engaged consumers are, and how even when consumers are on the go, or even at work, they are a captive audience for retailers looking to deliver coupons, offers, and even free gifts. Consumers are allowing retailers to access them on their mobile devices, which means a constant cycle of deals, coupons, and shopping.  This holiday season mobile engagement is going to play a big role in retailer success. If you use mobile retail sites or deals leave us a comment and let us know how you use them, and what advancements you would like to see in the future.  
For more information on the 2011 Hipcricket Mobile Marketing Survey, or mobile retail strategy click here.