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Gift Cards - Marketing Tool Extraordinaire
27.6.08
At Cards Plus, we have always believed that something as seemingly simple as a small plastic card could carry benefits far and above its diminutive size.
Aside from the obvious durability over the old fashioned paper issued gift certificates of old and the advantage of full colour advertisment, custom printed gift cards carry benefits for both the retailer and the purchaser, offering the perfect "Win-Win" situation that every business desires.
In a recent article by Fastmoving, editor Karen Naude lists the reasons that gift cards have become an invaluable marketing tool,
"The benefits of what effectively boils down to a pre-selling of revenue lie in an exchange of small investment for good return. And that return is not purely monetary. Earning money in advance of the card being redeemed translates into a double whammy winning. Indeed, customers in Europe and the US spend between 40% and 140% more than the face value of the card. And, because they’re buying a gift for themselves, and because part of that cost is already covered, they also tend to select more expensive items.
But the gift card scheme also serves the retailer in less tangible, less measurable ways. It simultaneously procures for the retailer a peripheral marketing system whereby store customers transform others into same-store customers – at no extra cost to the retailer. Retailers also have the option of using the gift card as an employee incentive. And what’s in it for the bestower of the gift? Supreme convenience!
In South Africa, nearly every major retailer offers gift cards, and the offering is proving popular. Top end retailer Woolworths, for instance, launched its gift card last October, and celebrated the issue of its millionth card after just seven months. The Pick n Pay Gift Card was launched in December. With its focus on convenience and safety, this card is designed to be as much a gift to oneself as to another.
At Cards Plus, we are pleased to offer solutions to our clients, offering not only the pre-printed card itself, but a software for small to medium size retail establishments that enables them to institute their own gift card program.
Our helpful staff assist our clients in determining exactly which card features available would be best suited for their needs and budget. No minimum orders as well as our Quick Cards -less than 5 day turn around time makes launching such a program a less daunting task.
Contact us at 086 16 CARDS or +27 11 894 3915 for more information and a personalized quote on your preprinted card needs. You can also check out our company at www.cardsplus.co.za
