On June 18th, our CEO Rocío Liébana hosted an insight-packed webinar focused on transforming how brands approach gift cards. With participants joining from across Europe, the session was both strategic and practical, cutting through the noise to address what really drives performance.
Here’s a recap of the key highlights, insights, and takeaways:
The Big Shift: From Side Product to Strategic Lever
Too often, gift cards are still treated as an operational product, hidden at the bottom of a website or managed by whoever has time.
“Gift cards are one of the few tools that can drive revenue, loyalty, and acquisition — if you treat them like a strategic lever instead of a side product.” – Rocío Liébana
Many brands miss out on millions in potential revenue simply because gift cards don’t have a clear owner, KPIs, or commercial vision. The webinar laid out how this mindset is changing among industry leaders.
B2B is Where the Growth Is
50%+ of gift card revenue now comes from B2B in leading programs — and that number keeps growing.
“Most of the brands we work with see B2B go from a side channel to their main growth engine in under two years. But it requires the right commercial strategy, pricing model, and visibility.” – Rocío Liébana
“B2B KPIs are often stronger — better basket sizes, better targeting, and stronger acquisition results. But most brands don’t treat it as a growth channel yet.” – Rocío Liébana
B2B use cases span from employee incentives to customer acquisition campaigns, and loyalty partnerships. Brands like Zalando, Adidas, and Airbnb are leveraging these channels to tap into new revenue and distribute at scale.
3 Common Pitfalls (and How to Avoid Them)
- No dedicated commercial owner – “When no one owns the P&L, gift cards become an afterthought.”
- Poor visibility – “If customers can’t find them, they won’t buy them. This applies to both B2C and B2B buyers.”
- Tech not built for scale – “Many platforms are designed for basic distribution. Not for real performance.”
“Tech is not your problem. Tech is your enabler. But only if your commercial team knows what to ask for and why.” – Rocío Liébana
Real Strategies That Work
Rocío walked through examples from top-performing programs:
- Rituals – Scaled their B2B offering 10x in a year with a strategic B2B campaign engine
- Zalando – Created smart segmentation and targeting across loyalty and employee benefit platforms
- IKEA – Embedded gift cards into customer service journeys and return flows
“The brands that win with gift cards are not the ones with the best tech. They’re the ones with the best go-to-market plans, internal ownership, and visibility.” – Rocío Liébana
“If you want results, you need more than a platform. You need a team, a commercial strategy, and visibility across all customer touchpoints.” – Rocío Liébana
Missed It? Here’s What’s Next:
If you missed the session and would like access to the replay or a 1:1 session to discuss your setup, get in touch via: partners@rlc-solutions.com
We’re also offering a limited number of free 30-minute strategy assessments (valued at €1,500) to map out growth potential and gaps in your current gift card strategy.
Let’s turn your gift cards into your next growth engine!