Across the pond Digital vs plastic gifting With the rapid growth of digital gift cards delivered to email and smartphones, and the growing buzz around mobile wallets, some have asserted that plastic gift cards are becoming a trend of the past. While it is true that digital cards are gaining acceptance, both digital and plastic cards are thriving within the prepaid space and each offers a different set of benefits. Plastic, tried and true The vast majority of gift cards today are in the physical form. They are the predominant choice when the gift is being physically handed to the recipient. A plastic gift card, coupled with a greetings card is tangible and is viewed by some as more personal than the digital counterpart. Plastic gift cards are an established product in the marketplace. Purchasing a physical gift card doesn’t generate measurable friction for a consumer when they are already in a distribution outlet of gift cards as they hunt for the perfect greeting card. The physical gift card has been a trusted and reliable product for a number of years and it continues to grow in popularity. Digital and right in the nick of time Digital gift card trends indicate that digital cards are most frequently leaned on during the last-minute purchase. Fast and convenient, digital gift cards allow customers to purchase a gift card and receive it within seconds, delivered via email or mobile phone. Digital gift cards also allow consumers to purchase and receive a gift card outside of normal business hours, which is a draw for busy consumers. Reduced cost of production and the speed of fulfillment add to the allure for retailers. Many retailers now lean on digital cards as a mechanism for customer service resolution, promotions and loyalty programmes/rewards. Trends in ecommerce gifting Giftango helps a large variety of retailers sell both plastic and digital gift cards from the retailers’ own websites, putting Giftango in a unique position to provide data on gift card preferences. Looking at plastic vs digital gift card sales during the Christmas season, ecommerce sales of plastic and digital gift cards are about even for the first half of December. As time for delivery of the card becomes a factor, the selection of digital gift cards surge. In fact, the busiest day of the year for digital gift card purchases is usually 24 December, just one day before Christmas Day! On the horizon Physical gift cards are the form factor of choice in today’s market. Digital gift cards are just beginning to scratch the surface. There are clear advantages to the digital format in certain environments, such as ecommerce sales. Businesses that offer both physical and digital gift cards are able to serve a wider consumer base by providing the benefits of both formats. We expect to see savvy consumers start to lean more toward digital cards as they come to rely on features, such as instant balance check, easy storage on a mobile device and reload capabilities. However, we also expect to see digital and physical cards happily coexist for the foreseeable future. Latest across the pond Cultural considerations for global motivation success Michelle M. Smith, CPIM, CRP, Vice President, Business Development at O.C. Tanner Share Humility: the key to effective leadership Humility may be a virtue, but itâs also a competitive advantage. Michelle M. Smith, CPIM, CRP, Vice President, Business Development â O.C. Tanner Share The Secrets & Benefits of a Motivational focus In which kinds of situations are you most effective? What factors strengthen— or undermine—your motivation? People⦠Share Leaders should only have one face Article written by Michelle M. Smith, CPIM, CRP Vice President, Business Development – O. C. Tanner I love optical⦠Share Digital vs plastic gifting With the rapid growth of digital gift cards delivered to email and smartphones, and the growing buzz around mobile⦠Share Mobile gifting in the age of the app Michael Fletcher, SVP Sales and Marketing, Giftango Corporation, on how to create a mobile strategy that works for⦠Share Behind the scenes with social media Cleaning up the house before throwing the party, by Michael Fletcher, SVP Sales and Marketing, Giftango Corporation Share Instant reward gives egift cards the edge Michael Fletcher from Giftango Corporation gives his insights into running successful programmes that incorporate instant egift cards. Share Think about giving to those who âlikeâ you! Michael Fletcher, CMO at Giftango Corporation, discusses the growing use of social media in consumer gifting. Share Social media + digital gifting = a new level of customer engagement Michael Fletcher, CMO at Giftango Corporation, offers his tips on engaging customers with digital rewards via social media. Share Post navigation Mind the gap – rewarding appropriately at work
Digital vs plastic gifting With the rapid growth of digital gift cards delivered to email and smartphones, and the growing buzz around mobile wallets, some have asserted that plastic gift cards are becoming a trend of the past. While it is true that digital cards are gaining acceptance, both digital and plastic cards are thriving within the prepaid space and each offers a different set of benefits. Plastic, tried and true The vast majority of gift cards today are in the physical form. They are the predominant choice when the gift is being physically handed to the recipient. A plastic gift card, coupled with a greetings card is tangible and is viewed by some as more personal than the digital counterpart. Plastic gift cards are an established product in the marketplace. Purchasing a physical gift card doesn’t generate measurable friction for a consumer when they are already in a distribution outlet of gift cards as they hunt for the perfect greeting card. The physical gift card has been a trusted and reliable product for a number of years and it continues to grow in popularity. Digital and right in the nick of time Digital gift card trends indicate that digital cards are most frequently leaned on during the last-minute purchase. Fast and convenient, digital gift cards allow customers to purchase a gift card and receive it within seconds, delivered via email or mobile phone. Digital gift cards also allow consumers to purchase and receive a gift card outside of normal business hours, which is a draw for busy consumers. Reduced cost of production and the speed of fulfillment add to the allure for retailers. Many retailers now lean on digital cards as a mechanism for customer service resolution, promotions and loyalty programmes/rewards. Trends in ecommerce gifting Giftango helps a large variety of retailers sell both plastic and digital gift cards from the retailers’ own websites, putting Giftango in a unique position to provide data on gift card preferences. Looking at plastic vs digital gift card sales during the Christmas season, ecommerce sales of plastic and digital gift cards are about even for the first half of December. As time for delivery of the card becomes a factor, the selection of digital gift cards surge. In fact, the busiest day of the year for digital gift card purchases is usually 24 December, just one day before Christmas Day! On the horizon Physical gift cards are the form factor of choice in today’s market. Digital gift cards are just beginning to scratch the surface. There are clear advantages to the digital format in certain environments, such as ecommerce sales. Businesses that offer both physical and digital gift cards are able to serve a wider consumer base by providing the benefits of both formats. We expect to see savvy consumers start to lean more toward digital cards as they come to rely on features, such as instant balance check, easy storage on a mobile device and reload capabilities. However, we also expect to see digital and physical cards happily coexist for the foreseeable future.
Cultural considerations for global motivation success Michelle M. Smith, CPIM, CRP, Vice President, Business Development at O.C. Tanner Share
Humility: the key to effective leadership Humility may be a virtue, but itâs also a competitive advantage. Michelle M. Smith, CPIM, CRP, Vice President, Business Development â O.C. Tanner Share
The Secrets & Benefits of a Motivational focus In which kinds of situations are you most effective? What factors strengthen— or undermine—your motivation? People⦠Share
Leaders should only have one face Article written by Michelle M. Smith, CPIM, CRP Vice President, Business Development – O. C. Tanner I love optical⦠Share
Digital vs plastic gifting With the rapid growth of digital gift cards delivered to email and smartphones, and the growing buzz around mobile⦠Share
Mobile gifting in the age of the app Michael Fletcher, SVP Sales and Marketing, Giftango Corporation, on how to create a mobile strategy that works for⦠Share
Behind the scenes with social media Cleaning up the house before throwing the party, by Michael Fletcher, SVP Sales and Marketing, Giftango Corporation Share
Instant reward gives egift cards the edge Michael Fletcher from Giftango Corporation gives his insights into running successful programmes that incorporate instant egift cards. Share
Think about giving to those who âlikeâ you! Michael Fletcher, CMO at Giftango Corporation, discusses the growing use of social media in consumer gifting. Share
Social media + digital gifting = a new level of customer engagement Michael Fletcher, CMO at Giftango Corporation, offers his tips on engaging customers with digital rewards via social media. Share