Gift Cards - Clarion and Maldron Hotels Get It!

Wednesday, 01 December 2010

 Productising and marketing = sales

We often tell our customers that gift cards are not gift vouchers - they need to turned into a product, openly merchandised and marketed and sold as you would any other product or service your business sells.

In the past 10 days I've received communications from both the Maldron and Clarion Hotel Groups.  These communications, one a hard copy DL flyer with my O2 bill, and the other in an e-shot, both included the organisations gift cards as a product.  In addition, both those organisations highlight their gift cards on the home pages of their website - not on a 'vouchers' tab on the site, but slap-bang in the middle of the home page where everyone can see it.

This isn't rocket science in terms of marketing but it does highlight the fact that these two organisations genuinely see the benefit that their gift card programmes can bring - new customers, guaranteed float, pre-xmas income (which has to be used early in the new year - a quiet period in hotels).

Whether you are a fashion or music retailer, hotel, spa or bike shop, you should be making every effort this year to get your gift cards in front of your customers either in your store via posters, merchandising and other POS display; or in their homes and offices via e-shots, flyer campaigns or advertising.

It really will pay dividends.

SMcI