For years, Gift Certificate Center has shared the same values and commitment as Hallmark. Now we share the same name.

The name reflects the company's growing reputation as an innovator in the incentive business, and builds on the equity of Hallmark Cards, a leader in the greeting card and personal expression business.

Vivid and Memorable Approach to Incentive Programs
Homer Kay, vice president of greetings subsidiaries at Hallmark Cards, Inc., indicates that Gift Certificate Center's name change to Hallmark Insights aligns with the corporate positioning of its parent company.

"The incentive marketplace has become increasingly competitive, and Gift Certificate Center sets itself apart by creating truly meaningful programs for their clients," Kay says. "Their business approach and commitment to innovation really fits within Hallmark's mission to help people communicate, celebrate and connect with others - a trademark that we have built our reputation on for nearly 100 years. Becoming more closely aligned with the parent brand was a natural next step for the company and we are proud to have them operate under the Hallmark name."

Insightful Business Approach
According to Keith Fenhaus, president of Hallmark Insights, the name change also reflects the changing nature of the incentive industry, and the role the company plays in it. "The whole incentive business is vastly different than when we started out in 1990," says Fenhaus. "As we've grown and changed, the scope of our offerings has also changed. No longer does the name Gift Certificate Center reflect all that we offer our clients. Hallmark Insights better communicates the range of business solutions we offer companies desiring incentive programs."

Helping Companies Motivate and Inspire Their Audiences
With customized planning, communications, support services, program management systems and measurement and analysis services, Hallmark Insights helps companies create special incentive programs for a variety of audiences:

Consumer Incentive Solutions help companies reward consumers with customized programs using the Reward Choice™ Certificate for customer acquisition, loyalty or cross-sell programs, thank-you gifts, and holiday/year-end customer gifts.

Employee Recognition Solutions recognize and praise employees with customized programs using the Premiere Choice® Award for employee recognition and retention, service anniversaries, customer service recognition, peer-to-peer recognition, safety awards and more.

Sales Incentive Solutions keep sales teams motivated and selling with the Premiere Choice Award for distributor preference awards, best practices solutions and goal recognition programs.

Health And Wellness Solutions helps companies overcome escalating health care costs by encouraging employee participation in wellness programs, producing positive outcomes for everyone in a company.

Technology Helps Create Insightful, Customized Programs
One area Hallmark Insights has invested heavily in is technology. As a result, it has long offered a 24-hour award order and redemption for gift cards and certificates through a fully automated online process. In addition, award recipients are able to select from more than 350 merchants nationwide.

The company offers advanced a Program Management System. This unique system provides clients with greater flexibility, program management tools, control and ease for the user, whether they're human resource managers at the corporate level or consumers redeeming certificates. It includes robust reporting to provide the control that program administrators' value.

"Our investment in technology allows us to offer clients a platform from which they can grow and in a way they need it, option-by-option, and program by program," says Fenhaus. "It is yet another way that we create memorable, insightful programs, now reflected by our name."

Once upon a time, gift cards were a last resort for people who didn't know what to buy.

According to a recent survey conducted by Stored Value Systems, a national leader in electronic gift card programs, that is no longer the case.

The results of a national web survey of adults conducted at the end of February 2006 revealed that eight in 10 said they would rather receive a gift card to their favorite retailer than any other kind of gift.

"We've been doing surveys and watching gift cards grow in popularity for years," said Bob Skiba, SVS executive vice president and general manager. "Cards are so appreciated that many people specifically ask for gift cards to their favorite store or restaurant."

"There were some fascinating insights that emerged in the survey," Skiba said. "Most people - 91 percent - had redeemed their gift cards before the end of February, which shows how quickly cards are used.

"We were interested in some of the new distribution channels for people receiving cards, such as their availability at gift card malls, at the retailer's website, or as incentives and gifts from employers.

We are also seeing that gift card usage is expanding into other areas beyond the traditional winter holiday gift for friends and family.

Special events and holidays like Valentine's Day, weddings, birthdays and anniversaries are times when our culture exchanges gifts so it is only natural that consumers use those occasions to offer a loved one a gift card."

Source: Comdata's Post-Holiday Gift Card Survey, March 2006

WorldatWork Total Rewards Conference
May 7-10
Anaheim, CA
Hallmark Insights Booth # 141

Learn effective strategies and the latest methods from world-class speakers and notable session presenters covering all aspects of employee rewards including: total rewards, compensation, benefits, executive rewards and work-life effectiveness

New Merchants
Two online merchants are new to our offering in the Travel and Sporting Goods categories this spring.

Coming soon... the web-based TravelAwardsOnline® catalogue will offer the most comprehensive online collection of individual travel awards in the incentive industry.

TravelAwardsOnline features only the most recognized, "Best In Class" travel suppliers from accommodations, cruises, air travel and rental car to adventure travel, recreational and team sports, action experiences, pre-packaged travel, spas and personal lifestyle awards. This catalogue offers the ultimate in choice and flexibility, and allows users to design their own customized travel experience. Paper certificates will be issued for use online at TravelAwardsOnline.

BikeShop.com is your online shopping center for a wide variety of Trek bicycles, accessories and cycling gear. You will find their bicycles and accessories to be of the highest quality and their customer service second to none.

BikeShop.com guarantees one of the most satisfying experiences in bicycle ownership today. Paper certificates will be issued for use online at BikeShop.com.