Best Present This Season? GIFT CARDS.

Here are some VBRs for use in pitching advertisers to promote the sale of Gift Cards this season...

According to the American Pulse™ Survey of 4,069 respondents, 52.1% say they would rather receive a gift card or cash. One reason for this preference may be that consumers do not like gifts that were chosen for them (45.4% of those who received clothing as a gift in the past didn’t like or didn’t wear it). Another possible reason is that 46.3% of those who participate in gift giving/receiving during the holidays say they hate to return gifts because it is a hassle.

Other key findings regarding the Holiday season (of those who participate in gift giving/receiving during the Holidays):
82.4% say gift cards are a smart gift alternative for people they don’t know well
10.5% have “re-gifted” gift cards received
22.5% have “re-gifted” gifts received
22.7% like to exchange gifts for things they would rather have
13.5% have received gift cards that they’ve never redeemed
16.1% have received gift cards that they’ve only partially redeemed
53% of gift card users often or always spend more than the original card value, and most likely redeem their cards over two visits

Read more findings here.

PS: MixMarketplace is another great way to promote gift card sales while requiring no cash outlay from the client.

The Biggest Retailer's Biggest Marketing Tool

Arguably the nation's biggest retailer (perhaps the world's biggest retailer) is Wal-Mart, but what does this industry giant consider it's biggest marketing tool? Their website.

Walmart.comhas become the physical store's marketing megaphone. The retailer plans to tap the web site to announce several online and in-store promotions that will run from Thanksgiving Day through the following week.

Wal-Mart expects 800 million visits to its web site, but Wal-Mart execs are smart enough to understand that not all consumers coming to the site will make purchases, especially around the holidays. Many will go online to research potential buys. In fact, Walmart.com CEO Raul Vazquez estimates many of the 10 million people who visit Walmart.com on Thanksgiving Day will end up in the store on Friday.

Tapping into their online audience, WalMart.com will start running about 100 special sales, rather than the 50 items featured last year. The site will reveal new "secret sale" items daily. But, before the secret items become available online, consumers who opt-in by texting the keyword "save" to 96278 (WMart) will receive a text alert when WalMart.com reveals the product information on the site.

With so many businesses chasing after Wal-Mart's successes, a strong internet strategy can be the great equalizer. There's nothing in Wal-Mart's game plan that can not be duplicated (or improved) by one of our own advertising clients.