Debit and gift cards will be an increasing component of merchandise and noncash incentive programs in the future, according to the Spring 2012 Pulse Survey.
Conducted by the Incentive Research Federation, the survey polls a cross section of incentive industry professionals on topics including trends, economic outlook, anticipated budgetary changes, and the anticipated impact of the upcoming Presidential Election.
This spring’s survey reflected a mixed outlook. The majority of participants were more positive about the economic climate and more than a third (32%) planned on increasing the use of debit and gift cards in their incentive programs. The excitement, however, did not fully translate to prepaid as 19% of respondents viewed prepaid gift cards negatively, not surprising given the impact of prepaid regulation within the last two years.
The survey also noted shifts in technology and social trends:
CSR, social media and gaming techniques are increasingly being used in incentive programs to inform and engage participants. When asked what tools/techniques they use in conjunction with incentive programs, 74% said they incorporate social media, and 33% use gaming techniques. In addition, 57% said they regularly add a corporate social responsibility (CSR) component to their incentive programs in order to give something back to the communities they serve.
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