Incentive - January/February 2012

MERCHANDISE

By Leo Jakobson
The electronics retail giant is offering other businesses its
own consumer loyalty program points as incentive awards
Best Buy Doles Out the Love

In addition to offering incentive gift cards, Best Buy is now selling its own consumer loyalty program points as an award for incentive and employee engagement programs.

The newly unveiled Reward Zone Incentive Points are redeemable for Best Buy reward certificates in denominations of $5 and larger. Point codes can be awarded via printed certificate, email, or direct deposit if the recipient is already one of the 30 million Best Buy Reward Zone program members.

The certificates can be used in Best Buy
retail stores and at www.bestbuy.com. In addi-
lets its loyalty program members trade Coke
Rewards points for Best Buy points.

CSR Is a Sweet Ingredient
In Corporate Bakery Gifts
Netflix and Coca-Cola have been awarding
Best Buy points to build
consumer loyalty to their own brands.

tion, recipients with the Best Buy app on their smartphones or tablet computers can redeem their points for awards at the checkout counter by using their devices instead of the printed certificates.

Large corporate users of Best Buy’s reward
points include Netflix, which has used them
to entice new customers to its movie and
television subscription service. Coca-Cola
point purchasing and tracking simple, the
points do expire. Planners have 12 months to
issue the points they purchase, and recipients
have 12 months after the issue date to convert
those points into reward certificates. ■

Find more information, visit www.Reward ZoneIncentivePoints.com

Dancing Deer Baking Co.’s philanthropic mission is to end family homelessness, contributing to various nonprofit programs that help homeless families stabilize their lives and find homes. So each year, the company ensures that its generosity grows along with its business. The 18-year- old, Boston-based bakery affectionately calls its employees Deers, who are passionate about the local community and enjoy whipping up contributions to a variety of charitable organizations and good works.

The Sweet Home Project is Dancing Deer’s line of gourmet confectionary gifts that give back to charities. Not only does the bakery sprinkle love and compassion into Sweet Home Project products, it adds a healthy serving of practical assistance by donating proceeds equaling up to 35 percent of the retail prices of its products to scholarship programs.

Incentive columnist Geraldine Gatehouse, an independent CSR specialist and speaker, based in San Diego, recently spoke with Frank Carpenito, Dancing Deer’s president and CEO, to shed more light on the company.