GiftCard Partners Blog

There were many workshops, panels and info-sessions at this year’s IMA Summit. GCP’s Deb Merkin moderated the highly attended panel discussion: Challenges of Moving Bulk eCerts/mCerts Through the Distribution Pipeline. There was an overarching theme that carried throughout the discussion amongst panelists and attendees; 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. Another standard isn’t quite as simple to create: a common technology platform or industry technology standards for eCerts/mCerts.  Some companies have a legacy system or a middleware provider with technology that isn’t compatible with the technology running a loyalty program’s platform (just one example). This issue affects retailers’ willingness to adopt eCerts/mCerts in the B2B marketplace, therefore meeting or not meeting the wishes of B2B customers and the consumers demanding technology based gift cards. The goal is common amongst all parties; we want to make it simpler for retailers to adopt technology based gift cards and for customers in the B2B market to purchase eCerts and mCerts in bulk. Plainly stated…standardization will be a win-win for our industry.    

The "Kicks for Guns" program in Central Florida, will be held from this weekend in order to get illegal and unwanted guns off the streets of the greater Orlando area.  No questions will be asked of anyone turning in a gun, and people who turn in guns will be rewarded with gift card options from select local retailers.  These types of buy-back programs are common in communities when local law enforcement is trying to rid the community of certain dangerous materials.  Another common buy back program is for old prescriptions.  Often in communities local law-enforcement will reward community members with a relevant gift card in exchange for their old prescriptions. This is a way for the community to come together to promote safety and unity, and indulge in the offered rewards. For more information on the
gun buy back in Orlando click here.  Have you seen any other buy-back programs? Where and what was the reward? Let us know by leaving a comment.

Virtual work-force Promotes Company Growth, Family Values and a Healthier Environment

WELLESLEY, Mass.,
Aug. 16, 2011
/PRNewswire-iReach/ -- Today
GiftCard Partners' (GCP)
Ed Shulkin and Deb Merkin announced 10 years of vision coming to fruition as their virtual workforce now stretches across all regions of the country.
Massachusetts,
New York,
California,
Florida, and
Oregon are just a few of the company's remote workplace "home" offices. Read the rest of the PR Newswire release here:

GiftCard Partners Expands from Coast to Coast with Entirely Remote Workforce.

The voice of the consumer should be heard very clearly if retailers are going to make the most of the coming holiday season. On August 4th, 2011, Retail TouchPoints (RTP) published their Holiday Outlook and Retailer Case Studies from savvy retailers who are using technology in answer to call. “The retail industry is moving into the second half of what could be considered the best-performing sales cycle since the economic downturn, and the pressure is on to maximize holiday sales. To succeed during the 2011 holidays, retailers are adopting more innovative, customer-engaging strategies and tactics to create winning experiences across all channels” says RTP.
The 2011 Holiday Outlook is a report from
Retail TouchPoints (RTP) that addresses key trends and strategies driven by “omni-channel shoppers”. What will you find in the report? *    Shopping technologies are becoming an important factor for showing which retailers will capture the all-important economy recovering sales. “Shopper-driven technologies, such as tablets, and tactical ideas on how retailers can utilize the mobile channel to cater to today’s time-starved, empowered shoppers *    Retailers can learn about mining the social sphere to extend their holiday strategies beyond engagement and storefronts, capitalizing on peer reviews and user-generated content. *    Unique and effective ways retailers can be on the forefront of cross-channel innovation, by utilizing new media and integrating the shopping experience to drive customer engagement and sales.” And case studies from *    Kirkland’s “Glee Spree” multichannel promotion *    Coach’s recent venture into mobile commerce *    Hallmark.com’s ability to forecast and cater to seasonal online demand; and *    JCPenney’s aggressive iPad implementation designed to deliver a seamless in-store experience Click here for the RTP article:
Retail TouchPoints 2011 Holiday Outlook Highlights Holiday Must-Haves Click here for the Retailer Case Studies PDF:
Savvy Retailers Can Count On A Winning Season

We have been talking quite a bit about e-certs; how they are used, who buys them, and why the technology is changing the gift card industry.  Here are some helpful hints from our friends at CashStar about how to best market your e-cert programs.
Highlight eCerts on the Home Page “Brands promoting eGift Cards on the website homepage during the week of Christmas realized over four times as many sales per day (339% lift) when compared to the priort wo weeks.”
Integrate eGifting on all Relevant Pages Use page headers and highlights to bring attention to your e-Certs.  Some examples of where to mention e-Certs are: Gift Card Page Gift Center Page Consistent header and footer navigation Customer Favorites Page.  These are pages and areas where there is a high turnaround between seeing a purchasing option and actually making the purchase.  If your consumers see that you offer e-Certs, they are more inclined to purchase them.
Consider the impact of eMail campaigns during the Holidays E-Cert email campaigns provide lift for brands.  There was a 289% lift for brands with no previous e-Cert marketing activity. Specifically there was a 10 fold increase in sales in 48 hours for CVS after using blogging and e-Cert promotion tactics during the holiday season. E-Certs are a powerful part of the gift card market. GiftCard Partners is planning to promote eCerts to our B2B customers who purchase direct during the holidays, based on the clear value of this type of program. How does your company market this technology? Let us know by leaving a comment!