Gift cards comprise a $360 Billion Dollar industry that hasn’t changed much since it was invented. Atlanta-based DigitalGift wanted to provide an alternative to plastic gift cards and allow users to send a gift that is environmentally-friendly.
Users can send gift cards right through a free app that currently features more than 200 brands and merchants, including restaurants, retailers, and grocers.
“Our app is built around patented technology that allows users to send the equivalent of a plastic gift card, in almost any denomination, perfectly personalized with a message, video, and photos to friends, family and business acquaintances straight from their mobile device to the recipient’s,” said Jim Clark, President and CEO at DigitalGift.
The receiver then stores the “card” in a digital wallet within their mobile device. Instead of a plastic gift card that can be easily lost, the digital gift card is available with the touch of a screen. The target audience for DigitalGift are mobile device users between the ages of 18 and 45 who embrace technology, enjoy the convenience, and value a personal gifting solution.
DigitalGift is a proud member of the Plastic Pollution Coalition, a global alliance of more than 1,200 organizations, businesses, and thought leaders in 75 countries with the aim of eliminating plastic pollution.
“The goal of DigitalGift has been to make a great industry and one of the most requested gifts on the planet even better,” said Clark. “We want to provide an avenue for people to send ‘The Perfect Gift Perfectly Personalized.’”
DigitalGift recently launched a Buy Local program that allows small businesses to compete in the gift card space, which can be cost-prohibitive. A small business can set up a gift card program on the DigitalGift platform, alongside national merchants, for a low start-up fee. There are no merchandising stands or instore displays to purchase, and no plastic card inventories to buy and maintain.
“Sending a gift card with a personal message and video and photos at a specific time and date to a national merchant is personal… so is sending that same personal message, video and photos attached to a gift card for a favorite hole in the wall or local charity, said Clark. “That is perfectly personalized, and it is a win for small businesses.”
DigitalGift has just started marketing the Buy Local program, and so far they are working with the Boy Scouts of America, (BSA) Cherokee Council in Chattanooga, Tennessee to bring their campcard onto the app. They are also talking with several local merchants in the Atlanta area that plan to utilize Buy Local in the mid-December to January time frame.
“In addition to local merchants, we are seeing interest from non-traditional businesses; an aircraft repair shop and construction contractor are currently both interested in DigitalGift, not as a way to generate revenue through gift card sales, but as a marketing tool,” said Clark. “They are both interested in using the platform to send gift cards to current and potential clients and customers.”
This marketing strategy with DigitalGift’s Buy Local initiative would work similarly to couponing, but would provide a more targeted, personal, and cost-effective solution than Groupon or another comparable avenue.
“DigitalGift is going to be great for small and mid-size businesses,” said Clark. “We are pretty excited about our Buy Local initiative and very happy that we will be able to make this revenue stream available to small businesses that, now more than ever, are looking for new and affordable ways to generate revenue and bring customers back through the doors.”
The DigitalGift app can be downloaded on the App store for Apple devices, and the Google Play store for Android.
