Grabbing Attention With Promotional 'Gift' Cards

Perceived value has become even more critical when vying for the attention of economic-wary consumers. One proven approach in the contention for attention is repurposing the popular gift card into a "coupon by mail." The perceived added value of a promotional card is high and can provide that little something extra needed to convince the consumer to take action.Promotional "gift" cards are the same size as credit cards and can be used as stand-alone direct mail pieces or as inserts with virtually any type of customer communication. With an engaging design and use of a sturdy substrate, consumers are likely to view the promotional cards as something different and more special than typical coupons. The recipient receives an actual, tangible "reward" she can put in her wallet and use the next time she's out shopping or surfing the Internet.Because applications for the promotional gift cards are limited only to your imagination, the opportunities for creativity are endless. For example, retailers can use the cards to enhance promotional capabilities and drive incremental sales. The cards also can be presented to reward loyal customers with special discounts or sales—making an appealing enhancement for outreach campaigns within a range of ZIP codes or other demographic categories. Additionally, with special authorization obtained from the USPS, automated letter rates can be applied to letter-sized self-mailers carrying these cards, resulting in significant postal savings—an important feature as postal costs continue to rise.While these cards have a great deal of promotional value for the retail sector, they also can be used as an effective vehicle for corporate marketing campaigns. Because the cards are fully customizable, marketers can personalize them to meet specific advertising objectives and formats, including folded self-mailers that can control production costs without sacrificing privacy. The cards can be used to highlight an offer based on purchasing history, cross-sell with a partner retailer or encourage customers to try other services.Marketers also can track their campaigns to ensure that desired time frames are met to maximize highest possible response rates. Promotional gift cards provide measurability through trackable barcodes. Scanned at the point of purchase and providing real-time reporting on everything from who is redeeming the promotion and at what locations to where the promotion is generating an increased response rate and lift in transaction sales amount, trackable barcodes add a key benefit to gift cards as vehicles for driving profitability.A promotional gift card campaign also can be tailored to take into consideration any green initiatives. Environmentally friendly substrates are available to provide eco-friendly alternatives, while still remaining practical for use by direct marketers.Dave Henkel is president of direct mail firm Johnson and Quin of Niles, Ill. He can be reached at (847) 588-4800.

General

Grabbing Attention With Promotional 'Gift' Cards

Dave Henkel

About

Subscriptions

Events

Publications

WORK SMARTER - LEARN, GROW AND BE INSPIRED.

Subscribe today!

Dave Henkel