Posts Tagged ‘Marketing’

« Older Entries

Social Media as a Sales Tool

Tuesday, January 24th, 2012

For small businesses, using efficient, low-cost marketing is essential to growing a brand and growing the business. Social media is a great way for small businesses to spread their brand. According to a recent survey, 81% of small businesses use social media in their marketing plan, and that number is constantly growing.

Giving gift cards through social media outlets is a great way to handle customer service inquiries that are brought through social media. Gift cards are also a great way to reward and recognize loyal customers publicly. Social media provides inexpensive, effective ways to grow business and small businesses are catching on quickly. How is your small business using social media?

 

For more information on how your business can utilize social media check out the abc-13 article.

The author:

Rachel Merkin is a recent college graduate, beginning a career in marketing and public relations. She has been exploring the worlds of social media and B2B gift cards since 2006. When she is not blogging, tweeting, or finding ways to leverage Facebook as a marketing tool, she spends as much time IN or ON the ocean as possible, beaching and boating.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in General | No Comments »

Socializing Rewards Points

Thursday, January 5th, 2012

The Citi Thank You Program is revolutionizing the use of rewards points. Imagine being able to share points with your friends to save up for a get-away weekend, or save up points with one friend for another friends’ birthday present. Many people pool points for gift cards from retailers who partner with Citi to make their gift cards available through the Citi ThankYou program such as CVS/Pharmacy and Charming Shoppes stores. This allows consumers to use points for gift cards for themselves, or to use as gifts, giving the recipient of the gift a chance to choose their own gift. You could even pool points with friends and family to make a group contribution to a good cause. Well, now you can. The new Citi ThankYou Point Sharing App on Facebook allows groups of friends to pool points in order to redeem the value of the points for a bigger reward.

This app is the beginning of a revolution in monetizing social media. This app is allowing users to move assets and share funds through Facebook, a social media platform. This app will soon promote itself, benefiting not just the Citi ThankYou Program, but its users and potential users as well. The more people use the Point Sharing App, the more people will post on Facebook about it, making the App and its use go viral across the platform.

A rewards program that rewards itself, an incentive social media innovation.

For more information on the Citi ThankYou Points Sharing App check out the pymnts.com article.

The author:

Rachel Merkin is a recent college graduate, beginning a career in marketing and public relations. She has been exploring the worlds of social media and B2B gift cards since 2006. When she is not blogging, tweeting, or finding ways to leverage Facebook as a marketing tool, she spends as much time IN or ON the ocean as possible, beaching and boating.

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Fundraising, Gift Card Technology, Incentives & Engagement, Loyalty | No Comments »

Turning Social Media Marketing into Revenue

Thursday, December 29th, 2011

We don’t tend to cover topics outside of the gift card industry in our blog, but this story came to us and we found it so compelling, we decided we have to share.

Through the NBA lockout the entire NBA community was on edge wondering if there would be a 2011-2012 NBA season, and for teams they were wondering if there would be any opportunity to take in ticket revenue this year. But not Boston Celtics’ Interactive Media Director, Peter Stringer. He was busy maximizing the Celtics’ 3-Point-Play Facebook App. This App turned 5.6 million Facebook followers into revenue generating ticket holders. He used the popularity of a Facebook App to raise awareness and strength for his brand, and parlayed that into thousands of dollars in revenue for his organization. This is one instance that proves the power of social media. How will you use that power for your organization?

This social media success earned Stringer the Pymnts.com Innovator of the Week Award this week. For more information check out the article.

The author:

Rachel Merkin is a recent college graduate, beginning a career in marketing and public relations. She has been exploring the worlds of social media and B2B gift cards since 2006. When she is not blogging, tweeting, or finding ways to leverage Facebook as a marketing tool, she spends as much time IN or ON the ocean as possible, beaching and boating.

Tags: , ,
Posted in General | No Comments »

Gift Card Marketing as an Advertising Strategy

Wednesday, November 23rd, 2011

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.

Are you a retailer looking to boost holiday revenues? Review these tips from Heartland Payment Systems:

  • Attract new customers by pre-loading cards and partnering with neighboring, non-competing businesses to distribute your cards to their best customers. Plus, you can surprise and delight your existing customers by handing out cards from the other local partnering businesses.
  • Make your promotions visible by having employees wear promotional buttons and by posting prominent signage in and around your store or restaurant.
  • Train employees to remind shoppers that gift cards are perfect for teachers, mail carriers, hair stylists and others they would like to thank during the holiday season.
  • Encourage customers to spend more and return more frequently by setting a visit-based reward that specifies the number of visits and minimum purchase amount to receive the reward back on the card.
  • Offer top-up rewards that encourage gift card purchasers to load more money onto their cards to receive the extra reward.

For more information on holiday revenue boosting and gift marketing click here.

The author:

Rachel Merkin is a recent college graduate, beginning a career in marketing and public relations. She has been exploring the worlds of social media and B2B gift cards since 2006. When she is not blogging, tweeting, or finding ways to leverage Facebook as a marketing tool, she spends as much time IN or ON the ocean as possible, beaching and boating.

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in General, Incentives & Engagement, Retailer & Merchant Topics | No Comments »

Mobile Retail: Combining in-store and online shopping

Thursday, October 27th, 2011

Increasing numbers of consumers are using their mobile devices while shopping.  In tough economic times, consumers are always looking for the best deal, and will do extra work and research to ensure that they get the best price.  Consumers are now looking for deals, coupons, rewards, and free gifts through their mobile devices.  63% of consumers asked in the 2011 Hipcricket Mobile Marketing Survey said that they had accessed a retailer’s website from their mobile device, and 41% said they had done so from inside a retail store.  Mobile technology is revolutionizing the way consumers shop and receive coupons and special offers, it is even changing the way employers give out rewards and incentives. Imagine getting your holiday gift in a gift card form, right to your mobile device.

 

33% of consumers indicated that they would be interested in receiving special offers through their mobile device, which often includes quick response deals, deals only good for a few hours after receipt of the coupon. This statistic proves how engaged consumers are, and how even when consumers are on the go, or even at work, they are a captive audience for retailers looking to deliver coupons, offers, and even free gifts.

Consumers are allowing retailers to access them on their mobile devices, which means a constant cycle of deals, coupons, and shopping.  This holiday season mobile engagement is going to play a big role in retailer success. If you use mobile retail sites or deals leave us a comment and let us know how you use them, and what advancements you would like to see in the future.

 

For more information on the 2011 Hipcricket Mobile Marketing Survey, or mobile retail strategy click here.

The author:

Rachel Merkin is a recent college graduate, beginning a career in marketing and public relations. She has been exploring the worlds of social media and B2B gift cards since 2006. When she is not blogging, tweeting, or finding ways to leverage Facebook as a marketing tool, she spends as much time IN or ON the ocean as possible, beaching and boating.

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in General, Gift Card Trends, Retailer & Merchant Topics | No Comments »

5 Holiday Marketing Tips

Thursday, October 20th, 2011

Retail competition definitely intensifies during the holiday season, so it is important to make sure your business’ holiday strategy stands out.  Here are 5 quick tips from “Practical Ecommerce” to keep your strategy fresh this year.

  1. Start Campaigns Now- don’t wait until after Thanksgiving, the holiday shopping season is already half over at that point
  2. Advertise and sell on Amazon- if you don’t advertise and sell your products on Amazon someone else will
  3. Offer Gift Cards- a favorite of both givers and receivers, due to their low-risk nature
  4. Use Video- it is all about how you engage your consumer, and what is more engaging than using video to attract them?
  5. Add a ‘Gift Ideas’ landing page- get on your consumer’s thought path and it will make it easy for them to see why they need to buy your product

How are you going to spice up your strategy this holiday season? Let us know and leave us a comment.  For more information from “Practical Ecommerce” click here

Tags: , , ,
Posted in General | 1 Comment »

“Careful” “Controlled” Holiday Spending to Come

Tuesday, October 11th, 2011

Even though it is not yet Halloween financial analysts and retail experts are already working to predict holiday spending.  With an unstable economy and uncertain times ahead most shoppers will be keeping tight budgets, and not making extravagant purchases.  According to a recent Accenture survey “One quarter of shoppers (24 percent) plan to have a ‘thrifty’ holiday season and one in five (18 percent) admit that they will be ‘focused on necessities’, just 6 percent admit to planning ‘extravagant’ or ‘unrestrained’ holiday spending.”

In this type of market, where consumers are being conservative with their holiday budgets gift givers want to ensure that they give “targeted” gifts.  These are gifts where the givers’ dollar is stretched and the giver is sure the receiver is going to use and enjoy the gift.  Gift cards are great examples of “targeted” gifts, they are meaningful, and guaranteed to be enjoyed.  Allowing a friend or employee to enjoy dinner with their family, or to splurge on a new outfit is a win/win; a low risk purchase for the giver and a high reward for the receiver.

With 43% of survey respondents claiming that they have less income than last year, and historic economic swings, it is going to be a year of low risk gift purchases. Remember the value of gift cards as you make your holiday purchases this year, whether it be for your friends, or employees.

 

For more information on the recent Accenture survey click here. 

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in General, Gift Card Trends, Incentives & Engagement | No Comments »

Mobile Payments, the Credit Card of the Future

Tuesday, October 4th, 2011

Within 9 weeks of Starbucks launching mobile payment apps,customers chose to pay with their phones over 3 million times, according to an eMarketer interview with Starbucks VP of Digital Ventures Adam Brotman.  The apps provide convenience and control for customers, and speeds up those dreaded lines at Starbucks on weekday mornings.  Customer use of the app increases steadily as time goes on.

 

But where are mobile payment systems going? The innovation has to keep evolving if it is going to maintain its popularity.  Starbucks has already added an egift card component to the app, meaning that one Starbucks customer can gift another customer with the app through the mobile system.  This is a computer free, cash free, and credit card free transaction that can happen anywhere.  Imagine being able to receive gifts anytime anywhere, whether it is birthday gifts, or a reward from an employer. Mobile payments also help retailers track in-store activity based on mobile coupons.  Brotman explains “In response to an ad campaign ran by adidas via Google’s AdMob where 10% discounts were offered Schultz said “they were able to track that in-store activity, they saw that the weekly redemption numbers were up 50 percent. You still have users who are willing to engage with commerce now. As consumers we don’t operate in silos and as marketers we should either. When we work with retailers, we try to figure out their strategies and how we can enable that – we look at consumer behavior.”

 

Convenience for consumers, additional metrics and tracking for retailers.  Get rid of your cash, and shred your credit cards, just make sure you have your smartphone.

 

For more information on mobile payments click here.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Gift Card Trends, Incentives & Engagement | No Comments »

Is Your Loyalty Program Listening?

Wednesday, September 28th, 2011

Loyalty programs are an important channel for GCP to sell our gift cards into, so we thought our loyalty companies (clients) as well as our retailer audience would find this article interesting and educational. It outlines an interesting argument for integrating a holistic approach to the business, which includes loyalty, resulting in a cohesive customer experience.

As a consumer, I have received offers that exclude me because I am already a loyalty member…a classic show of “the disconnect that customers feel (that) is the result of the siloed approach to loyalty programs…”

Read on @ Retail Customer Experience: Beyond a loyalty program: Using loyalty data to create a unified strategy

 

 

The author:

Stacey Sicurella is a 15 year marketing veteran, working in the Boston area for GiftCard Partners. Recent accomplishments include blogging with abandon, acquiring work-life balance and building amazing sand-castles with her children.

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in General, Loyalty, Retailer & Merchant Topics | No Comments »

Multi-Channel Retailers, Gift Cards, and Profit Margins

Thursday, August 4th, 2011

The number of consumers shopping across multiple channels is expanding while retailers everywhere face margin challenges and an uncertain economy. Consumers will seek information both on-line, and through mobile technology but will only shop in the most convenient channel. Multi-channel retail has become theexpectation (and a competitive advantage). This strategy allows the company to be everywhere the consumer is shopping, and lowers the risk the shopper will inquire at their outlet, and spend their money elsewhere. The difficult part of multi-channel retail is making the transition and keeping up with the consumer trends.

How are multi-channel retailers reacting to this change in consumer shopping?

  • 67% of retailers currently enable cross-channel returns ( buy it on the internet, return instore)
  • 64% of retailers provide product availability across channel
  • 31% provide loyalty point redemption through multiple channels
  • 23% provide transparency/consistency of pricing
  • 18% provide in store self-serve kiosks

These are pretty staggering numbers.  The retail industry is changing based on consumer dollars, because in this kind of unstable economy retailers have to follow the money, and find consumers on the consumer’s terms. What do you think? Leave us a comment and let us know how you use multi-channel retailers, or how you see the technology being used in the industry.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in General, Gift Card Technology, Gift Card Trends, Retailer & Merchant Topics | No Comments »

« Older Entries