The gift card display at Target offers the usual array of businesses: Apple, Starbucks, Amazon, etc. but it also features some unusual vendors such as MD Box and DAZN.
I had never heard of either until I saw their gift cards for sale on the rack at Target and I wonder what it took for them to receive national distribution and placement on a limited display. But it got me thinking: instead of a gift card being only for brands that you know, perhaps utilizing gift cards as an awareness vehicle is a new form of advertising.
Maybe you could work with a local retailer to offer gift cards to promote your organization or its fundraiser. Political candidates could have their own rack of gift cards to solicit donations. Instead of brochure racks, tourist areas could have gift cards for local restaurants and attractions. Think of the possibilities!
If the technology is not here yet it will be soon that will make gift card distribution economical and accessible. Start thinking of how you can capitalize on the pervasive use of this plastic to generate attention as well as business.
p.s. MD Box is a telehealth service that provides virtual doctor appointments for $49.95 each. You can buy a gift card for the equivalent of one visit — an interesting gift to give to a new graduate or someone without insurance. A DAZN gift card purchases you a month of the streaming service that covers sports you won’t find on broadcast television such as darts, extreme sports, boxing, and indoor football — a perfect gift for fans of those activities.