Rewarding loyal customers and providing incentives to spend should be an integral part of all marketing plans, according to Blackhawk Network marketing manager for Asia Pacific, Michael Nguyen, and gift cards purchased through the company’s Corporate Card Store offer the perfect solution.

New customer research commissioned by Blackhawk Network found that close to six in 10 (59%) Australian consumers found gift cards an appropriate reward for brand loyalty.

Furthermore, 52% agreed they were an appropriate compensation to resolve a problem or an issue, while 46% saw gift cards as an appealing incentive to make a specific purchase.

“Our research found that Australian customers appreciate receiving a digital gift card as a reward or incentive to remain loyal to your brand. The flexibility and choice offered by multi-branded or pre-paid Visa cards is appealing. With digital cards being easily downloadable to a mobile wallet, customers always have access to their reward,” Nguyen said.

The benefits for businesses go beyond generating loyalty and customer engagement, with the survey also finding that 75% of customers spend more than the value of the gift card – an average 40% more than the face value.

“In tough times as we are experiencing now, we know rewards and incentives like gift cards work for brands and make great sense from a business perspective in helping to maintain customer loyalty, increase revenue and provide valuable customer engagement and data,” Nguyen added.

The Corporate Card Store enables businesses to purchase digital gift cards that provide instant rewards, reducing wait times for physical card delivery and helping build greater customer loyalty and engagement.

Businesses can choose from more than 50 branded, Visa and Eftpos cards from brands including Amazon, Myer, Kayo, Gourmet Traveller, Red Balloon and Google Play.

For greater choice, The Ultimate Gift for card range offers multi-branded gift cards with a large selection of retail brands that are themed for particular customers such as Her, Him, Active, Eats, Home, Style, and Beauty and Spa.

Gift cards can be purchased in single or multiple volumes as digital or physical cards.