Personalization is all about strengthening relationships by creating unique product offerings or experiences for each and every customer. Nowadays, when you buy a book or movie online, not only does the website address you by name, but often they recommend other books or movies you may like based on previous purchases. It’s this type of exchange that shows a consumer that as a company, you know them, understand them and want them to ultimately find exactly what they want and need.

So how can you apply this same approach to the world of corporate rewards and incentives? While it’s impossible for you to get out there and hand pick a personal gift for every member of a team of 500, you can still reward them in a way that is just as meaningful. Cash bonuses are always appreciated, but a gift card that is well timed with the right message attached to it can certainly get the team motivated too. In fact recognizing the actual work that was done can often be more valuable to the employee than the actual value of the gift.

Hbc Gift Cards has really taken the concept of personalization to new levels. With each gift card, you can add your own imagery and personal message, which really allows the recipient to feel like the card is meant just for him or her. And the best part is that recipients can then redeem the card for something they really want – something they will have an emotional connection to for years to come.

So what about things like electronics, travel vouchers and cold hard cash? Are these traditional favourites still good incentives options too? Well they can be. But what Hbc Gift Cards really allow you to do is offer more than a reward, it lets you offer an experience. And it’s an experience that you get to be part of too. From choosing different graphics for different departments to tailoring the message in just the right way, you have total control and flexibility over your own rewards and incentives program.

While rewards and incentives options are changing everyday, so too are the perceptions regarding gift cards. Gone are the days when they were considered impersonal gestures.  Today, these tiny tools pack a huge punch when it comes to personalization and results. You can give them to customers, employees and anyone else who helps you build your business. And when recipients get to redeem their gift card for that sweater, camera or CD they’ve had their eye on, it’s as if you went out and personally picked it for them.

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Here are a few ways to make your life greener and our planet cleaner.

The Green Mile

We all need to get from point A to point B, but there are ways to do it in a more eco friendly way. If you’re currently driving to work in an SUV by yourself, you can instantly upgrade to a darker green by adding one passenger to your car or taking public transportation a few days a week. To be medium green, trade in the SUV for a hybrid or ride your bike to work. Remember, it ain’t easy being green.

Get Your Greens

When it comes to food, some goods make us greener than others. Local organic food is a greener choice because it doesn’t use harmful chemicals or pesticides and isn’t transported in gas guzzling trucks like store-bought goods. To go from light to medium green, shop at farmers markets and buy organic. To go a shade darker, start growing your own veggies in your backyard.

Home Sweet Green Home

Your home is a really great place to get greener. If you’re the light green type who has been recycling and using energy efficient light bulbs, you can really kick things into high gear by switching to energy star appliances and windows. If you want an even darker green abode, try switching to formaldehyde-free kitchen cabinets and non-toxic paint. And when it comes to the yard, the grass really shouldn’t be greener. Get a shade darker by limiting lawn chemicals and fertilizers.

“As organizations being to recover from the recession, picking the right way to reward a job well done, and avoiding common pitfalls, will be critical to repairing wounds to morale and restoring staff confidence and loyalty”

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So let’s start with the extreme green –the incredible hulks of the eco world. While these enviro-trailblazers used to be oddball survivalists who lived off the grid and swore off electricity and fossil fuels, this type of lifestyle has slowly become more mainstream. More and more people are now living lifestyles where they supply their own energy, grow all their own food and believe radical political change is the answer to our environmental problems.

What exactly would you see around the home of an extreme green? Well they use dirty bath water to water plants, run their cars on vegetables and it’s not entirely uncommon for darkest of greens to turn the refrigerator off and use the great outdoors to keep food cold. It’s a tough lifestyle that certainly isn’t for everyone.

If you happen to like electricity, and your fridge but still consider yourself somewhat environmentally friendly, you may be more of a medium green. What exactly happens in the life of a medium green? Well for starters something as simple as getting from point A to point B is a big deal to you. If you’re not driving a hybrid, you’re car-pooling – maybe even riding your bike to work. And when it comes to changes around the home, a medium green goes beyond the call of duty, buying locally grown organic food and energy efficient appliances and shutting down computers when they’re not in use. Medium greens understand the big picture and their role in it. If there’s a corporation out there that’s not doing their part for the earth, a medium green just might boycott them.

If you’re not quite as committed as a medium green but are still doing your part, you are likely a light green. The light greens have mastered the basics and are always looking for other small changes they can make. They use cloth grocery bags, recycle at home and use a stainless steel water bottle and recyclable lunch container. And when it’s vacation time, light green will likely use the same towels for a few days to conserve water. Regardless of light greens’ daily behavior, the important thing is they are making an effort. Besides, being light green is better than not being green at all.

So when it comes to your own shade of green, there are always opportunities to go darker. If you’re a medium green at home but work in a light green office, you can help make a few simple changes. Take a look at the suppliers you work with and choose ones that are introducing sustainability practices to their work. For example, Hbc offers Eco friendly gift cards that companies can incorporate into their own rewards and incentives program. The biodegradable, corn-based plastic Eco friendly gift cards are reloadable and come with a 100% recycled paper card carrier. It’s a simple way to go from a Pale Green to maybe a Lime Green. And who knows, employees just might use the cards towards energy efficient appliances or stainless steel water bottles. And that’s a good thing.

Collaboration not cattiness
Competition should bring out the best in people not the worst. Try to encourage everyone to support colleagues in their own quest for the gold. And if you want to avoid any unnecessary infighting, create competitive goals between your company and other companies in your industry. It’s “us vs. them” in a good way.

Corporate Captain
While hockey teams honour a team leader with a “C” on the jersey, you can honour corporate leaders by having them lead new projects or initiatives within the company. If there is someone who has some value to add in Social Media, make them Captain for that task. The next thing you know you’ll have a whole crew of Social Media experts on your team.

No gold? Go plastic.
As an employer who encourages a little healthy competition, it’s important to recognize the work of everyone who steps foot on the field. And while bonuses and raises certainly are part of the corporate game, you can really keep everyone motivated with simple, convenient rewards, like Hbc Gift Cards.

The Hudson’s Bay Company’s story is a rich tapestry spanning 339 years.  What started as a trading post has evolved into a 21st century retailer with a loyal following from coast-to-coast. Its major retail channels – the Bay, Zellers and Home Outfitters – together provide more than two-thirds of the retail needs of Canadians. With 1,000,000 products and over 400 stores across Canada, the Hudson’s Bay Company continues to dress, decorate, reward and incent Canadians during the spring, summer, fall, and yes Winter too.

When it comes to buying something for the home, most Canadians head to an Hbc family store location. But Hbc has a lot to offer Canadian businesses too: Same convenience, great service, and same great feeling of satisfaction knowing you’re promoting a true Canadian experience.  Hbc Gift Cards are really one of the simplest, most effective tools when it comes to building an effective rewards and incentives program, regardless of the size of your business.

So why not just reward recipients with a wad of cash this winter, you ask? Well you can, but there’s a certain emotional experience that recipients just can’t get from cash. It’s important to offer people tangible rewards that they can imagine themselves enjoying. With Hbc Gift Cards, they actually have an experience they then connect to. An emotional toast during the holidays is now associated with your company simply because the wine glasses were a redemption item. Or a child’s first bike ride without training wheels was a byproduct of an Hbc Gift Card. This psychological aspect of rewards and incentives programs can be just as important as the actual rewards themselves. And with its history and popularity among Canadians, Hbc has the potential to create more meaningful stories for hundreds of thousands of Canadians.

So this winter, lace up the skates, watch a little CBC, and don’t forget to warm up the office with Hbc gift cards. It’s really “aboot” being a good Canadian.

When it comes to productivity, one of the biggest challenges facing businesses during this time of the year is how to maintain a healthy workforce. While you can’t avoid every bug out there, you can certainly promote prevention. Here are a few wellness tips to keep the office full of healthy, happy, and yes, productive people.

Talk about it

It sounds simple, but just talking about health and wellness will encourage people to make it a priority. Maybe it’s a quick morning meeting to discuss tips or an email for people to read during their break.

Walk it off
Work related stress can quickly lead to other health problems. Encourage employees to take a brisk walk at lunch or mid afternoon. This simple activity burns calories, provides fresh air and reduces stress.

Roll with it
Bad posture can lead to chronic pain and reduced productivity. A good alternative to traditional office chairs is exercise balls, which force your body to use and correct postural muscles, abdominals, gluteals and leg muscles.

Home Sweet Home
With a tough cold and flu season ahead of us, it’s more important than ever to encourage people who are feeling slightly under the weather to work from home. With email, conference calling, and instant messaging capabilities, it will feel like they never left the office.

Make it official
It’s nice to talk about wellness, but the only way to see a difference is to implement a health program. Create a tiered plan, where basic participation will earn employees a $25 Hbc Gift Card, moderate involvement will earn them a $75 gift card and a wellness champion will earn a $100 gift card.