When it comes to turning shoppers into loyal customers, few marketing tactics are as powerful or as versatile as a Gift With Purchase (GWP). Whether it’s a digital reward, or a gift card, GWPs deliver instant gratification that builds brand trust, drives sales, and enhances customer perception.
At SCA Promotions, we’ve helped brands design and protect creative GWP programs for nearly 40 years. But the smartest marketers know there’s an even more effective way to take a standard GWP offer and make it unforgettable: pair it with promotional prize coverage.
Why Gift With Purchase Works
A Gift With Purchase campaign is one of the most direct ways to influence consumer behavior. By offering a tangible or digital reward such as a gift card, bonus item, marketers can:
Drive immediate sales by giving shoppers a clear incentive to buy now rather than later.
Increase average order value (AOV) by setting thresholds (for example, “Spend $100, get a $25 gift card”).
Strengthen customer loyalty by making every purchase feel like a win.
Differentiate the brand in crowded retail environments, both online and in store.
From major retailers to direct to consumer brands, GWPs consistently deliver results because they appeal to both logic and emotion. Customers get something extra for their money, and brands enjoy measurable sales lift.
The Power of Digital and Physical Gift Cards
Gift cards, digital or physical, are among the most effective GWP incentives because they are flexible, universal, and easy to fulfill.
Digital gift cards provide instant delivery and integration with online campaigns, making them ideal for eCommerce, subscription services, or digital first brands.
Physical gift cards, on the other hand, create a tactile sense of value that resonates with in store shoppers or event attendees.
Beyond consumer incentives, gift cards also work internally. Companies use them to reward sales teams, recognize top performers, or motivate channel partners, creating a unified incentive strategy across customer and employee engagement.
Adding Prize Coverage: The Game Changer
While a gift card is a great motivator, adding promotional prize coverage can turn an ordinary promotion into a viral, high impact event.
Imagine this:
“Spend $50, get a $10 gift card and a chance to win $50,000 if your code unlocks the jackpot!”
SCA Promotions provides the risk management and prize indemnity coverage that make these headline grabbing campaigns possible. Instead of risking your marketing budget, you pay a fixed fee, and SCA covers the payout if someone wins.
The result?
Exponential engagement as customers share, talk, and return to play again.
More excitement for less cost because you control your spend while offering life changing prizes.
Brand amplification as your campaign stands out in a crowded advertising landscape.
Smart Marketers Combine Both
The best campaigns don’t choose between gift cards or prize coverage. They combine them.
For example:
- Retail example: “Buy any two products, get a $25 digital gift card and a chance to win your purchase free for a year.”
- eCommerce example: “Shop this weekend for a $10 bonus gift card and be entered to win a $100,000 shopping spree.”
- Employee incentive example: “Top performers earn a $50 gift card and a chance to win a dream vacation.”
By combining guaranteed rewards such as gift cards with chance-based prizes covered by SCA, brands engage both rational and emotional motivations, maximizing participation and return on investment.
Partner with Experience You Can Trust
For nearly four decades, SCA Promotions has helped the world’s biggest brands design, insure, and execute promotions that get attention and deliver results. From gift with purchase programs to multi-channel programs, our team knows how to make your incentive marketing not only exciting but risk free.
