GiftCard Partners Blog

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:

For many small businesses staying open on the holidays is a key way to compete with major retailers. In doing so, this often causes obvious strain on employees and employee relations. It is essential to the success of the company that these difficult situations are handled properly, and that employees needs are kept in mind. There are some pretty simple ways to say "thank you" to employees. When assigning holiday shifts, keep flexibility in mind. Things like allowing employees to request certain shifts or switch off holidays among employees can go a long way toward boosting morale and making workers feel appreciated. Another way to say "thank you" is by giving small denomination gift cards, as a token of appreciation. Giving small gift cards is like a small bonus, and the trophy value makes employees feel like they have done enough to earn something as a reward. This motivates employees beyond the holidays, and into the new year. Be sure to be sensitive to your employees this holiday season and it will benefit your organization long after the holidays have ended.  
To read more about employee rewards and holiday shifts check out the Fox Business article. 

Retailers' preparation for the holiday shopping season is now in full swing, and as retailers look for last minute ways to boost their year end revenue; gift marketing becomes a very effective option.  Gift marketing uses gift cards as a device for loyalty and rewards. Giving bonus gift cards to shoppers for spending a certain amount turns a gift card from a one-transaction device into a revenue boosting loyalty device that keeps shoppers coming back. It shows appreciation and gives the essential value-added incentive that shoppers look for as they shell out their holiday gift spending.

According to a new Gallup poll 71% of employees indicated they do not feel engaged, or feel actively disengaged at their jobs.  Employees that do not feel engaged are often far less productive than employees who feel engaged and connected to their position within their company. This staggering statistic is indicative of employers needing to make more of an effort to engage their employees at work, and recognizing their hard work. Tom Agnew author of "The Enemy of Engagement: Put an End to Workplace Frustration--and Get the Most from Your Employees" identifies three causes of disengaged employees: poor communication about goals and performance, resource constraints that make it more difficult for employees to do their jobs, and employees who feel that they do not have the authority to do their jobs effectively. In order to engage employees it is important to keep open communication lines, and ensure that employees know when they are doing their jobs well. Giving small spot rewards such as a small denomination gift card to useful retail outlets such as CVS/pharmacy lets employees know that an employer is noticing their work, and empowering them to do their jobs to the best of their ability. Do you think your employees feel engaged? How do you think you can engage your employees better?
For more information on employees engagement from Business Finance magazine click here.