E-gifting is on the rise. Marketing Innovators International, Inc., a full-service agency of employee engagement and incentive programs and technologies, for example, started offering e-gift cards in 2012 for its employee and sales incentive client programs. “E-gift card redemptions for these programs grew 111 percent in 2014 from 2013,” says Cindy Mielke, CPIM, vice president of marketing.
Although convenient, e-gifting can lack excitement. “Personalization is definitely critical,” says Gary Lombardo, vice president of marketing for CashStar, a provider of omni-channel digital gifting solutions. “When the user experience is more personal, it becomes more engaging and impactful.”
One way to personalize the experience is by understanding the recipient’s past transaction experiences. “Then you can surprise them with a reward directly from a category they are interested in,” adds Lombardo.
