CSR

How can a corporate gift card be part of a CSR approach?

July 9, 2024

At first glance, the link between CSR and corporate gift cards may not seem obvious. But when you're dealing with a universal, solidarity-based tool, then the gift card can help promote societal and environmental values, and thus be part of a more responsible corporate-wide movement.

CSR, a growing priority for companies and employees alike

CSR stands for Corporate Social Responsibility. This concept encompasses a set of practices and policies adopted by companies to contribute to sustainable development and have a positive impact on society. Various initiatives fall within the scope of CSR when they aim to reduce carbon footprints, promote diversity and inclusion, ensure fair working conditions or support social causes.

CSR is not to be confused with greenwashing, a marketing strategy that plays on ecological concerns to embellish a company's image. It is a fundamental approach, which in some cases leads to the status of a company with a mission. CSR profoundly transforms organization, relationships and practices, and meets the new expectations of employees who are increasingly concerned about social and environmental issues. A company sincerely and convincingly committed to CSR improves both its employer brand and its image with partners and customers. It is also a movement driven by increasingly coercive regulations on these issues, in order to achieve France's carbon neutrality targets by 2050.

The gift card, more than a reward lever

In addition to the fixed or variable remuneration paid to its teams, a company can reward its employees on certain occasions. To reward loyalty, for example, or an employee's outstanding performance in an internal sales challenge. Rather than a bonus, the employer may opt for a gift for his employees: high-tech equipment, a hamper, a meal, a holiday... With the risk that the "prize" may not be suitable and may not achieve its aim, namely to strengthen the bond between the company and its employees. The same problem arises when it comes to offering a gift to a customer in order to build loyalty; a "bad surprise" could have the opposite effect!

The corporate gift card - or gift voucher - is therefore an increasingly popular alternative solution for rewarding a salesperson, a deserving employee or a valued customer. In today's inflationary economic climate, employees are obviously keen to benefit from the extra purchasing power. For the employer, in certain cases - URSSAF events (birth, marriage, retirement, Christmas, back-to-school, etc.) - offering a gift card means an exemption from social security charges. But it's also a tool to support the company's CSR commitment, when the gift card goes beyond the strict framework of a bonus and embraces the values espoused by the company.

The Sorewards gift card, virtuous in more ways than one

The Sorewards gift card is compatible with a CSR approach because of its universal and supportive dimension. The company wishing to reward and develop loyalty among its teams or customers can certainly offer additional purchasing power, but through this gesture it can also encourage a more responsible approach and even encourage donations.

On the environmental front, the Sorewards gift card is dematerialized. It's part of a "paperless" commitment and contributes to the fight against plastic pollution, positions shared by a growing number of companies. Rather than yet another card to clutter up your wallet, it's easy to use via your smartphone, in Apple Pay and Google Pay wallets! The carbon footprint is further reduced by the fact that digitizing the gift card also avoids all the travel involved in its delivery.

This corporate gift card can be easily configured to reflect the employer's ethical values, in terms of the selection of brands and stores in which to spend the sum allocated. For example, by restricting its use in certain brands according to their social commitments (organic, local, fair trade, etc.). All stores are able to accept this means of payment, as it is a VISA prepaid card that can be used on all compatible terminals.

Concrete, quantifiable CSR impact

The tool offered by Sorewards to reward employees is also a solidarity gift card, as it can be used to make a donation to a charity or NGO. A powerful lever for a positive impact on society, which corresponds to a strong community commitment for the company. The company can align its rewards with its CSR values, and even reclaim the unused portion to make a donation in turn!

A CSR approach also implies the publication of a "sustainability report" within the framework of the CSRD directive, to illustrate the company's performance in terms of sustainable development. In this respect, the deployment of the Sorewards gift card will provide the employer with anonymized macro transactional data that will feed this extra-financial reporting.

Digital, universal, supportive: a gift card can have a positive impact, and that's what a CSR approach is all about. And this virtuous model goes beyond the environmental and societal framework, since a corporate gift card remains a lever for motivating and building loyalty among your employees!

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