GiftCard Partners Blog

Saying "thank you" is a small gesture that often goes a long way. In the workplace a simple "thank you" from a boss to an employee, or from upper management to a workforce can help keep employees motivated, loyal to the business, and productive. According to a survey this year of 2,007 people 
for from the John Templeton Foundation, only 10% of employees say thank you to a colleague every day, and a mere 7% express gratitude daily to a boss. The same study indicated that spouses, children, even mail carriers were more likely to receive a thank you or other gratification from adults in the workforce. The majority of HR managers believe that showing gratitude increases retention rates, and 49% of those HR Managers believe that the simple act of  saying "thank you" in the workplace can increase profits. Expressing gratitude to bosses, subordinates, and colleagues builds trust and culture in a company. For employers and management it is important to show gratitude, as well as express it. Providing small rewards for a job well done allows employees to feel the impact of a "thank you." Whether it is a simple 
CVS/Pharmacy gift card to help with everyday expenses, a gift card to 
The Children's Place to help get the kids special holiday outfits, or a 
1-800-Flowers gift card to help employees pass the gratitude on; small rewards given as "thank you's" to employees can go a long way.
For more information on the importance of saying "thank you" and expressing gratitude in the workplace check out this article from the Wall Street Journal.

As the holiday season approaches it is important to show appreciation for your employees, and ensure that end of year gifts that go beyond the standard holiday bonuses provide meaning and extra gratitude for employees. Here are 3 quick quick tips to make sure your employee gifts prove meaningful this year and motivate your employees:

We have all seen fuel rewards programs, where businesses reward customers by awarding points for dollars spent at the store. These programs continue to grow with national gas prices, and can be an effective way to drive loyalty, and gift card sales. Offering flexible items such as gift cards, that consumers can then repurpose as gifts holds a huge value for consumers. Their gift dollars go twice as far, since they are earning gas rewards, a huge and necessary expense for most Americans. The value of repurposing every dollar for twice the impact will keep consumers coming back to both the gas retailer and grocer consistently as long as they can continue to gain rewards.

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.