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Hello

I’m excited to welcome you to this first edition of Gift Card Navigator. I'm Emilie, a gift card expert, and I'll be leading this newsletter to help you maximize the revenue and efficiency of your gift card programs.📈

Without further ado, let’s dive into the hot topic: Black Friday, which is just around the corner. ⭐ 

Here’s what I’ve prepared for you:

• A detailed course that guides you step-by-step in creating a B2C promotional campaign around gift cards.

• A key statistic on the B2B gift card market that highlights the current trends.

• For Buybox clients, a practical guide to creating and launching a gift card promotion directly through our platform.

Enjoy the read, and see you in October!

Emilie de Buybox

Revenue rocket – A Promotional Campaign for Black Friday Gift Cards ✉️

In this first mini-course, we’ll set up a Black Friday promotional campaign focused on gift cards, offering a discount on the face value of the gift card. This is a classic yet highly effective approach to boost gift card sales for the holiday season.

1 – Laying the Foundation

• Primary Objective: Increase gift card sales by leveraging the Black Friday shopping frenzy.
• Target Audience: Early buyers—consumers looking to get ahead on their Christmas shopping with great deals.
• KPIs: Number of gift cards sold, conversion rate, average face value, during the campaign. Follow up with tracking the number of gift cards redeemed, average basket value, additional payments, new customer acquisition, unused gift cards, new customer conversion rate, and overall ROI.
• Launch and Duration: During the Black Friday weekend.

2 – Set the Gift Card Discount

The discount needs to be enticing enough to drive purchases, without significantly cutting into the brand’s margins.

Here are some suggestions for setting the percentage:

• 5-10%: A standard and effective discount.
• Tiered Discounts: 5% for €30, 10% for €50, 15% for €100.
• Adjust gift card validity to maximize immediate revenue without extending the margin impact.

Make sure you’re aware of your average basket size, product margins, and past campaign statistics to define the ideal percentage.

Don’t forget to factor in unused gift cards or additional payments—when customers spend more than the card's value—which can generate extra revenue. This can offset some of the initial impact from offering a discount.

3 – Segmenting Your Audience and Crafting the Right Message

Highlight the key benefits of gift cards:

• Access to the full product range: Give a gift that opens the door to the entire brand experience.
• Guaranteed satisfaction: A flexible gift that allows recipients to choose exactly what they want, eliminating the risk of disappointment.
• Simplicity and speed: Easy to purchase and gift, with just a few clicks.
• Budget control: Buyers can select a specific amount, ensuring full control over their spending.
• Immediate availability: With digital gift cards, they are delivered instantly via email—perfect for last-minute shoppers.
• Personalization: Add a personal touch with custom messages and visuals for any occasion.

Tailor the messaging based on customer segments:

• Existing customers: Emphasize loyalty with special offers.

Example: "You already know the quality of our products. Why not treat your loved ones with a gift card, now with X% off?"

• New customers: Create a sense of urgency with messages like:

"Limited-time offer, don’t miss out!"

"Not sure what to gift? Our gift cards are flexible and perfect for every taste."

• Previous gift card buyers: Encourage repeat purchases by reminding them of positive past experiences.

Example: "You’ve already made someone happy with our gift cards. Why not do it again this year with a special Black Friday discount?"

4 – Create an Event Around Your Gift Card Service

Design gift card visuals specifically for Black Friday and the holiday season.

Revamp the ordering page, both for physical and digital gift cards, by updating the wording and visuals to reflect the Black Friday theme.

The goal is to immediately immerse users in the excitement of special offers while reminding them that the holiday season is approaching, making it the perfect time to start preparing gifts.

5 – Choose the Right Communication Channels

• E-commerce site: Use banners and pop-ups on key pages to promote your Black Friday offer.
• Email marketing: Send targeted newsletters and follow up on abandoned carts related to gift cards.
• Social media: Create posts, paid ads, stories, and short videos to highlight the offer.
• Display & search ads: Set up Google Shopping campaigns and targeted ads to attract gift seekers.
• SMS marketing: Send promotional SMS with a direct link to the gift card page.
• In-store advertising: Use posters, point-of-sale displays, and flyers to promote the offer directly in stores.

Here’s a sample timeline to help you structure your campaign🔽🔽

Gift card goldmine – Latest Gift Card Statistics 📊

While reading a report from KPMG, I came across a very interesting statistic that aligns with what we’ve observed at Buybox.

According to KPMG’s 2024 report, digital gift card purchases in the B2B sector grew by 17.1% in the first half of the year, confirming their increasing popularity. This success is largely due to the immediacy of digital cards, making them ideal for quick rewards such as employee recognition or loyalty campaigns. Although a temporary shift back to physical gift cards is expected at the end of the year for the holidays, digital cards continue to gain ground, proving their importance in reward strategies.

Source: KPMG 2024

Innovation Station – Spotlight on Buybox’s "Promotional Codes" Feature 💯

For those using Buybox’s B2C solution, you can create promotional codes directly via the Buybox back office. These codes can be entered by customers at checkout.

To access the feature: Log in and go to the "Promotional Codes" section in the left-hand menu of the back office.

Here’s how you can set up a code:

• Immediate or scheduled activation – You can schedule the code to activate on a specific day.
• Promotional code reference – Internal reference for tracking, and the code customers will enter to access the promotion.
• Discount type – Choose between a fixed discount (e.g., €5 or €10) or a percentage (e.g., 5%, 15%).
• Minimum gift card value – Set a minimum purchase value to ensure your margins remain healthy.
• End date – Define the last day the promotional code will be active.
• Usage limit – Set whether the code can be used a limited number of times or an unlimited number of times over the two days of Black Friday.

Once configured, you can activate, deactivate, or delete the code at any time. Your Black Friday campaign is ready to launch!

Pro tips  - Advice from a Gift Card Expert 💬

For this first edition of Gift Card Navigator, I’m excited to kick off this section myself, but I promise, in future editions, other experts will join in.

Retargeting is a powerful tool for boosting the performance of your gift card campaign, especially during Black Friday. Here’s how to use it effectively:

• Retargeting Ads: Use social media and Google Ads to target visitors who have already interacted with your site but haven’t made a purchase yet. Highlight urgency ("Limited Offer") and tailor visuals based on their behavior.

• Retargeting via SMS: For high-potential customers, send a reminder via SMS with a direct link to your gift card page, emphasizing the exclusive Black Friday offer.

Retargeting helps you not only recover potential sales but also strengthens your campaign by maximizing each customer interaction.

Emilie Martinez, Marketing Manager

 Meet & connect -  Buybox Events & Meetups  👋

GCVA Summit on November 7, 2024, in London, with Jorge (COO)

TechForRetail at stand C98, November 26-27, 2024, in Paris

Coming soon: BigBoss Winter 2024

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