1. InComm Digital Gateway
Best Practices

2. Best Practices for Virtual Gifting
InComm’s most successful digital partners use the below marketing strategies which have proven to maximize e-card sales
Developing
User Awareness
Campaigns
The single most important marketing strategy is to develop user awareness announcing that your consumers can now purchase e-cards online
Exclusive Promotions
&
Virtual Item offers
Drive sales through exclusive promotions and virtual item offers, tied to the purchase of an e-card
Covering
All Angles
On-line Marketing
Launching an “all points marketing” marketing campaign of your e-card
Innovative Cards
&
Unique
Designs
Innovative and unique e-card designs, promoting various gift giving seasons and occasions.

3. Developing User Awareness Campaigns
Providing prominent site real estate and dedicated pages for card images and promotions has provided immediate sales lifts between 40-60% for partners who have implemented these strategies. Touting Group gifting has proven to bring 3X the load value of an independent e-card!
Facebook Splash Page
Promoting e-cards on your website

4. Developing User Awareness Campaigns
Partners who have made announcements to loyal consumers about new e-card gifting offering a new standard for last minute gifts, extended reach gifts and instant gratification have experienced sales lifts between %.
Facebook Wall Post examples

5. Developing User Awareness Campaigns
News letters, blogs, blasts, banner advertisements and Social Media
Advertisements are highly effective as well as prominent placement (above the fold) on your Facebook fan page.
blast example
Facebook App position above fold example

6. Exclusive Promotions and Virtual Item Offers
&
Virtual Item offers
E-card partners that provide exclusive virtual content tied to a prepaid card purchase have seen incremental sales growth during these promotional periods between 80%-110%.
Tips:
Exclusive virtual promotions offered for limited time only
Items should change frequently and be communicated through website and Facebook fan page or blast
Package a virtual bundle together so consumers have to purchase a card X number of times to complete the virtual set of items, this generates repeat business for e- tailers and encourages purchase of multiple cards
Link online offer to in-store redemption to drive foot traffic to your stores
Higher card denoms or group- gifting purchases receive a higher valued item
-Newzoo 2011

7. Developing User Awareness Campaigns
Covering All Angles Online Marketing
Utilize social media, search engines , marketing events, and loyalty programs to further educate and inform consumers to the latest news of your e-card offerings, promotions, and group gifting ability
External Marketing Efforts
AdSpace on Facebook, Twitter and MySpace
Registering key words with top search engines
In-store marketing
Loyalty/Rewards programs

8. Innovative Cards and Unique Designs
&
Unique
Designs
Unique card offers can be extremely successful centered around an online promotion or providing creative seasonal e-card solutions
Refresh card Art | Exclusive Designs | Create Your own E-Card

9. Effectiveness of Developing a User Awareness Campaign
Campaigns
E-Card Partner Case Study:
BEFORE
Partner X was not very pleased with the sales results from their branded prepaid card program.
The key missing elements identified:
Web Advertising
Site space secured to constantly promote e-cards
Explanation of e-cards and group gifting
Facebook Fan Page gifting app location prominently
displayed
The Arrow highlights the period in Oct/Nov prior to creating a user awareness campaign.
Strategy: In October, Partner X designed a user awareness campaign based around InComm's best practices to increase marketing efforts and promotions of their branded prepaid cards.

10. Effectiveness of Developing a User Awareness Campaign
Campaigns
E-Card Partner Case Study:
AFTER
Partner X implemented the below InComm Best Practices and created a User Awareness Campaign to promote their branded prepaid cards:
Web Advertising
Provided site space to promote cards and card
offerings
Positioned gifting app on Facebook fan page before
the fold
Announced offering through wall posts & blasts
Explained how e-cards and group gifting works on
landing page after clicking on the gift card app
The arrow highlights the period March - May after creating a user awareness campaign and implementing some of the best practices.
Results: Partner X implemented a User Awareness Campaign and utilized best practices increase sales of their branded prepaid card which resulted in an instant 120% incremental sales lift and moved their product higher in rank for prominent retailers

11. 28% of time spent on internet is spent on social networks.
Best Practices Recap
InComm values its relationships with our digital partners and strives to share the latest information and marketing strategies to make each partner’s E-card program successful in retail.
28% of time spent on internet is spent on social networks.
734M unique visitors per month on Facebook
-comScore 2011
Best Practices and Key Points to Remember:
Create a User Awareness Campaign
Prominently display E-card offering
Promote Facebook gifting app above the fold on fan page
External marketing efforts (i.e.. Facebook, Twitter)
Communicate card offerings (i.e. blasts, message boards, gift reminders, etc.)
Offer Exclusive Virtual Items with Card Purchases
Change frequently and communicate through website, Facebook,
Online / Offline promotions to drive in-store traffic
Virtual bundle packages through use of promotional codes

12. Industry is embracing Industry is embracing digitaldigitl distribution
Digital Gifting Gaining Marketshare:
Online sales of gift cards forecast to be $6B in 2013; E-card growing by rate of % annually
One-third of consumers spent between $50 and $200 total on gift cards purchased online in 2011
70% of consumers prefer convenience of eGift card over plastic
More than a quarter of consumers surveyed shopped via smartphone
Over 200M people have a tablet or smartphone device
59 of the top 100 retailers offer a virtual gift card in – many via social channels
25% higher load values on e-gift cards
Load of gift cards linked to group gifts is 3X+ that of individual purchases
Social Media is a Powerful force:
Social Media site users spend an
Avg of 5.4 hrs/mo. Engaged in
Networking sites
Source: comScore 2011
Facebook attracts million
Unique visitors / month
Source: comScore 2011
Source: comScore , National Retail Federation,
The e-tailing group, Mercator, in-Stat, Cash Star & InComm GroupCard