What's New
The following news bytes are the latest articles in customer loyalty, customer analytics and stored-value gift card programs:
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Retail Info Systems News recently published an article by Malcolm Fowler titled "Calling all business owners: it's time to give stored-value cards a second look" in their Executive Intelligence column. Fruitcake, tube socks, reindeer sweaters. Ring a bell? Think back to Christmas morning, right when it was time to open Aunt Edna's gift. As you examined the box, you knew full well it didn't contain the gift you had hoped for but instead, another oversized, itchy Rudolph sweater, which you, without a doubt proudly displayed at the back of your closet. Thankfully, a clever marketer who thought Rudolph belongs in the North Pole and not on a sweater introduced the stored-value card, a convenient payment tool used by millions of consumers that has practically bullied the tacky sweater industry right out of business.
Calling all business owners: it's time to give stored-value cards a second look |
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Hotel Interactive recently interviewed Malcolm Fowler for an article titled "Gift Cards - Heartful Holiday Hospitality". Associate Professor of Advertising Research at Virginia Commonwealth University, Tracy Tuten Ryan, noticed during the 2005 holiday season that gift cards were proliferating at a staggering rate and penetrating all markets from Starbucks to grocery stores and retailers. She decided to conduct a survey on the impact of gift cards as a holiday present in 2006, and tabulated the findings of 1191 respondents from 47 states. The most amazing result of the study, according to Tracy, was the finding that recipients did not view gift cards as an impersonal, last-minute, thoughtless alternative to other gift choices. A gift card from Four Seasons Hotels was prized by recipients for its unique quality of pampering.
Gift Cards - Heartful Holiday Hospitality |
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Malcolm Fowler, Vice President & General Manager, Ernex will be speaking at the HFTP 2006 Annual Convention & Tradeshow, Thursday, October 19, 2006. Gift Cards - Expand Revenue, Attract Customers, and Build Brand
HFTP 2006 Annual Convention & Tradeshow |
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The Wisemarketer.com recently featured an article by Malcolm Fowler titled "It's time to give stored-value cards a second look". January retail sales figures are climbing, undoubtedly largely due to the popularity of gift cards as a holiday gift. But gift cards are more than a simple cash replacement. How can they best be used? Fruitcake, tube socks, reindeer sweaters. Ring a bell? Think back to Christmas morning, when it was time to open Aunt Edna's gift. As you examined the box, you knew full well it didn't contain the gift you had hoped for but instead another oversized, itchy, Rudolph sweater, which you, without a doubt, proudly displayed at the back of your closet. Thankfully, a clever marketer who believed that Rudolph belongs at the North Pole and not on a sweater introduced the stored-value card; a convenient payment tool used by millions of consumers, that has practically put the tacky sweater industry right out of business.
It's time to give stored-value cards a second look |
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Hotel Executive featured an article from Malcolm Fowler titled "Making Loyalty an 'Out of Wallet' Experience" In today's fast-paced market loyalty programs are becoming a dime a dozen, and as a result, business owners are struggling to come up with the "next big idea". But do we really need to reinvent the wheel? The majority of loyalty programs are designed to reward consumers for repeat purchases at your business. And if the program is properly structured and executed, it can help retain your existing customer base, attract new customers, deepen customer relationships and even persuade customers to spend more...
Making Loyalty an 'Out of Wallet' Experience |
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Hotel Executive featured an article from Malcolm Fowler titled "How Smart are Smart Cards for Loyalty Programs? The Smart Card vs. Magstripe Card Debate." The popularity of customer loyalty programs is at an all-time high. According to an analyst report by industry research firm Gartner Inc., more than 60 million Americans belong to at least one of more than 200 U.S. based loyalty programs, making these programs so widespread that customers have increasingly come to expect them.
How Smart are Smart Cards for Loyalty Programs? |
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