“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”

Click here to read the full article.

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.

Sometimes it’s all in the way we look at things that determines the final outcome. In a recent interview with Incentive Magazine, Patrick Lencioni (President of The Table Group, a management consulting firm focused on improving teamwork and employee engagement) makes a great point by stating that we have to ask ourselves the fundamental question: “Do we believe things will get better?” (Lencioni, 2009)². If the answer is no, then we’ve essentially pigeon-holed ourselves into an inevitable conclusion. However, most people would admit that in due time, the economy will rebound and we should take this time to invest in employees; the backbone of every organization.

Now is the time when employee morale can be low and employers are looking for ways to energize and restore confidence. The reasons for low morale are many: whether it’s worries about money, job security, the stress of having to take on more work as a result of company layoffs, or the general media negativity seen and heard all around, the impact of the situation can be overwhelming. As such, it is the role of organizations, and more specifically upper management and HR, to help employees feel secure and reduce their level of fear and anxiety. Employee incentives, coupled with positive communication and leadership, are steps in the right direction to re-engage and motivate employees towards a common organizational goal.

Now is the time when a tiny gesture of recognition through an incentive will go a long way in restoring morale. During a time of abundance, when everyone was living in a sea of prosperity, such gestures could go unnoticed. The same is no longer true and many organizations are finding that a small reward and, more importantly the recognition it carries, are doing wonders in making employees feel valued. The impact of such gestures can be amplified further if the reward is personalized through symbols that the recipient identifies with (eg. their name or project name). This can be easily accomplished through customized and personalized gift cards.

Now is the time when talent management must be considered a top priority within an organization. Current conditions in the economy can leave an organization vulnerable towards a talent sweep by the competition. Maintaining your current talent workforce will not only sustain you through the down times, but it will also ensure that your organization is ready to compete during boom times. Some industry experts suggest that this environment can lead to greater innovation and discovery of new efficient procedures (Hebert, 2009)³. An incentive for idea generation can be built into your current program to recognize the top talent in your organization.

Hbc Gift Cards has incentive solutions that can fit in with your existing program. Talk to us today about the many options that are available from standard, to personalized and customized Gift Cards. Visit www.hbc.com/b2b or call us at 1-888-461-2323 to learn more.

_________________________________________________________

1 CareerBuilder, Nearly 40 Percent of Employers Plan to Trim Benefits and Office Perks This Year, Finds New CareerBuilder.com Survey. Press Release, February 18,2009, Chicago. Retrieved from http://www.careerbuilder.com

2 Lencioni, Patrick. Leaders, Take a Ride on the “Down Economy” Bandwagon, Incentive Magazine; The Recession Survival Guide. February 20, 2009.  Retrieved from http://www.managesmarter.com

3 Hebert, Paul. Now Is Your Chance…Thrive!, Incentive Magazine; The Recession Survival Guide. February 19, 2009. Retrieved from http://www.managesmarter.com

Fueled by this persistent growth and the maturation of gift cards as a corporate incentive, we’re seeing more and more organizations looking to improve the efficacy of their corporate gift card programs by customizing solutions to meet the needs of their end-user customers. 

ÜBER-TREND: CUSTOMIZATION

If there is one true über-trend in B2B Gift Card Incentives, it has to be customization.  The last few years have seen the concept of customization move from simply printing a name on a card, to complete customization of the entire incentive experience from end-to-end.  This process often includes customizing not only the name but the messaging, the creative and visuals, logos and co-branding, the carrier, related collateral material and many other aspects of the overall experience.

That being said, there is one major drawback to the trend toward customization – more customization adds more complexity. 

A recent poll by Incentive and Potentials  magazines showed that the number one reason why businesses use gift cards as incentives is ease of use.  Given that, it has become imperative to move towards customization without increasing the complexity of managing the program.  Added complexity might explain why, in another recent survey by Incentive magazine, only 30%  of respondents actually make use of customized or co-branded cards.  

Luckily for all of us, there are a number of other trends that are now making full B2B gift card customization a reality. 

TREND#1: CUSTOM FULFILLMENT

In keeping with this trend toward full customization of the gift card experience, we are starting to see a major move toward what is known as one-to-one fulfillment.  While this trend has many facets, in it’s simplest terms it refers to the practice of shipping B2B Gift Cards directly to end-user customers.  B2B customers have been asking for this feature for some time – and with good reason.  One-to-one fulfillment allows for the continuation of the customized gift card experience right through to the time of receipt.

Again, referring back to ease-of-use as the number one reason companies use gift cards, one-to-one fulfillment is an obvious extension of the trend towards personalization.  Producing a customized gift card, loading it – these things are only half the battle.  The job is not complete until the gift card reaches its ultimate destination. 

TREND#2: CUSTOM ACTIVATION

Customized Activation (or Single Card Activation, as it’s known in the industry), is another emerging trend we’re expecting to see more of in the coming months.  Essentially, Single Card Activation is the ability to activate a single card, or any block of cards from a larger order. 

The main benefit of Single Card Activation is security.  A Gift Card that enters the mail system loaded and activated (ready to use) can be a major liability for the purchaser if it falls into the wrong hands.  By contrast, an unactivated gift card has no real value and therefore, presents no security risk when shipped, stored or otherwise. 

In simple terms, companies can take advantage of cost savings by bulk ordering cards while still maintaining control by activating in small batches, or even one card at a time.  What’s more, by combining Single Card Activation with One-to-one Fulfillment, cards can be activated by the end-user, once they have safely reached their destination.  The ultimate combination of customization, cost-savings and security. 

TREND#3: CUSTOM LOADING

Perhaps the most powerful of all the new developments we’re seeing in the B2B Gift Card space is the ability to Auto-Reload gift cards.  Imagine…ship a gift card to the end-user once, then reload it at any time, with any amount required.  This idea combines the ability to truly customize the reward or incentive (exactly the right dollar value at exactly the right moment), with the considerable cost savings of printing and shipping a single card with multiple users.

Consider a group of 1000 sales reps across the country who are rewarded for exceeding performance quotas on a monthly basis. The rewards vary based on the excess of sales ($100 for $10,000 in sales, $500 for $50,000 in sales) and each rep is measured on an individual basis. 

Using the typical “one card, one use” model, it’s easy to see we have a potential to produce and ship 12,000 cards per year to this group (1000 reps x 12 months x 1 reward/month). 

By using Auto-Reload, we could immediately reduce this number to 1,000 cards per year, each reloaded up to 12 times.  The cost savings on card production and shipping could be staggering.  What’s more, the re-loadable card provides each rep a constant, tangible reminder of the need to perform consistently.  Lastly, the cost of customizing the gift cards is more palatable if less cards are produced.  At $1.00 per card, the difference in savings  between issuing 1,000 vs. 12,000 units is significant!

THE BOTTOM LINE: ROI

There’s no doubt that the trend toward customization in the B2B Gift Card space has been fueled largely by a search for greater ROI. 

Obviously, the investment in customization is paying off for many organizations, since usage continues to grow by leaps and bounds.  But improvements in top line performance are only half the ROI equation – the other half lies in the bottom line costs.  The movement toward One-to-one Fulfillment, Single Card Activation, and Auto-Reloading is putting true end-to-end customization within reach of most organizations. 

We are all witnessing a glimpse into the future of Corporate Gift Card Incentives – and that future is customization.

1. "2008 Incentive Gift Card Roundtable", March 06, 2008; Manage Smarter. Obtained at www.managesmarter.com
2. Incentives for Your Employees or Clients, Newsletter-December 2007. Obtained at www.giftcards.com

Business Challenge:
Dealers are national therefore required an incentive premium which would be:

• Relevant to all consumers regardless of demographic (i.e. geographical location or taste)
• Cost effective; preference was to purchase only what was required (difficult to forecast)
• Business was seeking a new channel by which incremental sales may also be acquired
• Reward had to be executed on the spot to encourage instant / impulse sign ups

How Hbc Gift Card helped:
Rogers Dealers worked with Hbc in advance of the Holidays on a 2 pronged approach to leverage upcoming December traffic:

• Set up booths in Bay stores across Canada during 4 weekends in December; booths were staffed by Rogers Dealers; captured on the spot sign ups for wireless packages
• Negotiated an insert with a coupon in the November Hbc Credit Card statement to drive traffic into Rogers Dealers locations
• Rogers Dealers purchased custom Hbc Gift Cards to use as gifts with purchase
• Relevant to all recipients as they were either shopping at the Bay at time of sign up and could use the gift card immediately OR were engaged Hbc shoppers who received a credit card statement which drove them to Rogers Dealer locations.
• Hbc stores are national 400 locations coast to coast (the Bay, Zellers and Home Outfitters). Cards expired at the end of December; Rogers Dealers paid for redemptions only (minimum purchase required).

Fueled by this persistent growth and the maturation of gift cards as a corporate incentive, we’re seeing more and more organizations looking to improve the efficacy of their corporate gift card programs by customizing solutions to meet the needs of their end-user customers. 

ÜBER-TREND: CUSTOMIZATION

If there is one true über-trend in B2B Gift Card Incentives, it has to be customization.  The last few years have seen the concept of customization move from simply printing a name on a card, to complete customization of the entire incentive experience from end-to-end.  This process often includes customizing not only the name but the messaging, the creative and visuals, logos and co-branding, the carrier, related collateral material and many other aspects of the overall experience.

That being said, there is one major drawback to the trend toward customization – more customization adds more complexity. 

A recent poll by Incentive and Potentials  magazines showed that the number one reason why businesses use gift cards as incentives is ease of use.  Given that, it has become imperative to move towards customization without increasing the complexity of managing the program.  Added complexity might explain why, in another recent survey by Incentive magazine, only 30%  of respondents actually make use of customized or co-branded cards.  

Luckily for all of us, there are a number of other trends that are now making full B2B gift card customization a reality. 

TREND#1: CUSTOM FULFILLMENT

In keeping with this trend toward full customization of the gift card experience, we are starting to see a major move toward what is known as one-to-one fulfillment.  While this trend has many facets, in it’s simplest terms it refers to the practice of shipping B2B Gift Cards directly to end-user customers.  B2B customers have been asking for this feature for some time – and with good reason.  One-to-one fulfillment allows for the continuation of the customized gift card experience right through to the time of receipt.

Again, referring back to ease-of-use as the number one reason companies use gift cards, one-to-one fulfillment is an obvious extension of the trend towards personalization.  Producing a customized gift card, loading it – these things are only half the battle.  The job is not complete until the gift card reaches its ultimate destination. 

TREND#2: CUSTOM ACTIVATION

Customized Activation (or Single Card Activation, as it’s known in the industry), is another emerging trend we’re expecting to see more of in the coming months.  Essentially, Single Card Activation is the ability to activate a single card, or any block of cards from a larger order. 

The main benefit of Single Card Activation is security.  A Gift Card that enters the mail system loaded and activated (ready to use) can be a major liability for the purchaser if it falls into the wrong hands.  By contrast, an unactivated gift card has no real value and therefore, presents no security risk when shipped, stored or otherwise. 

In simple terms, companies can take advantage of cost savings by bulk ordering cards while still maintaining control by activating in small batches, or even one card at a time.  What’s more, by combining Single Card Activation with One-to-one Fulfillment, cards can be activated by the end-user, once they have safely reached their destination.  The ultimate combination of customization, cost-savings and security. 

TREND#3: CUSTOM LOADING

Perhaps the most powerful of all the new developments we’re seeing in the B2B Gift Card space is the ability to Auto-Reload gift cards.  Imagine…ship a gift card to the end-user once, then reload it at any time, with any amount required.  This idea combines the ability to truly customize the reward or incentive (exactly the right dollar value at exactly the right moment), with the considerable cost savings of printing and shipping a single card with multiple users.

Consider a group of 1000 sales reps across the country who are rewarded for exceeding performance quotas on a monthly basis. The rewards vary based on the excess of sales ($100 for $10,000 in sales, $500 for $50,000 in sales) and each rep is measured on an individual basis. 

Using the typical “one card, one use” model, it’s easy to see we have a potential to produce and ship 12,000 cards per year to this group (1000 reps x 12 months x 1 reward/month). 

By using Auto-Reload, we could immediately reduce this number to 1,000 cards per year, each reloaded up to 12 times.  The cost savings on card production and shipping could be staggering.  What’s more, the re-loadable card provides each rep a constant, tangible reminder of the need to perform consistently.  Lastly, the cost of customizing the gift cards is more palatable if less cards are produced.  At $1.00 per card, the difference in savings  between issuing 1,000 vs. 12,000 units is significant!

THE BOTTOM LINE: ROI

There’s no doubt that the trend toward customization in the B2B Gift Card space has been fueled largely by a search for greater ROI. 

Obviously, the investment in customization is paying off for many organizations, since usage continues to grow by leaps and bounds.  But improvements in top line performance are only half the ROI equation – the other half lies in the bottom line costs.  The movement toward One-to-one Fulfillment, Single Card Activation, and Auto-Reloading is putting true end-to-end customization within reach of most organizations. 

We are all witnessing a glimpse into the future of Corporate Gift Card Incentives – and that future is customization.

1. "2008 Incentive Gift Card Roundtable", March 06, 2008; Manage Smarter. Obtained at www.managesmarter.com
2. Incentives for Your Employees or Clients, Newsletter-December 2007. Obtained at www.giftcards.com