Put It On Plastic

IN AN ERA where “charge it” has become not just a saying but a way of life, it’s not surprising that plastic cards of all kinds have found themselves at the top of the totem pole as profitable and enduring consumer products. To that end, some promotional products suppliers have adopted their own, increasingly popular version of the coveted plastic card—promotional gift cards. Promotional Marketing sat down with Watson Nichols, senior communications manager at Atlanta-based InComm and Steve Pruitt, vice president of marketing and business development at Midland, Texas-based Teraco for an in-depth look at this new wave in gift-giving.

PM: How are plastic cards being used as promotional products?

WN: Over the past few years, gift cards have become perhaps the most sought-after promotional or incentive item, largely because of their popularity among recipients. Two of InComm’s most exciting promotional programs feature gift cards.

InComm’s patent-pending Win It Now! product takes gift cards to the next level. WIN! cards are similar to traditional gift cards, but a scratch-off area on the back offers recipients the thrill of a chance to win large prize values.

In addition to WIN!, InComm’s alliance with Serious USA allows us to add content value to our card-based offerings. Serious’ CD-Cardz and DVD-Cardz have the same shape and size as traditional gift cards, and can be redeemed as such, but the underside of the card is actually an interactive CD or DVD allowing clients to provide customized digital content including video, music and other interactive experiences.

SP: As plastic cards have become a ubiquitous part of our society, promotional plastic cards have followed. Anytime you have a heavy usage of a product (in this instance credit, debit and gift cards), there is a natural tendency for promotional uses of those products to follow. Currently, you can find a good mix of legacy and newer emerging products in the plastic promotional card space. More mature products would include calendar cards, prepaid phone cards and promotional hotel key cards. Newer products would include music download cards, ringtone cards and promotional gift cards.