Giannini O'Connor LLC Now an Authorized Distributor of American Express Incentive Programs

Business Wire, Oct 5, 2004

ALLENTOWN, Pa. -- Used to be businesses gave their employees a fruitcake for the holidays, and that was it for the yearly show of appreciation. Today, things have become much more complex. Rewards programs have evolved into an elaborate maze of engraved paperweights, fruit baskets, and gold-plated pens. Planning for these gifts has become a full-time job.

Giannini O'Connor, an Allentown-based marketing group, is now an authorized distributor of American Express Incentive Services (AEIS) products. What this means is that clients can now partner with AEIS and give their employees a gift that is classy and simple to use. The benefits are threefold: It takes the quagmire of administering such a program out of the equation, because AEIS sets it up and it's ready to go. Individual available funds can easily be tracked online, and cards can be re-loaded depending on the employer's needs. Second, it allows employees to get what they really want. According to an AEIS survey, when asked if employers preferred to be rewarded with an extra vacation day or a $100 check, 57 percent went with the money. The third major benefit to the program is it brands employers with the prestigious American Express logo, which appears on the cards. Cards can be customized with a logo, background artwork or photography that reflect a company's image.

Jonathan Price, AEIS Area Vice President of Agency Sales, says the time is ripe. "Stored value cards are gaining lots of momentum. Most forward-thinking organizations will be very receptive to displacing the old programs with a product that's more flexible and can be branded."

The program is not limited to in-house use. Cards can also be administered the way rebates and other sales incentives are offered to customers. "This is a clean way to handle incentives," notes partner Bernie O'Connor. "All employers need to do is design a program that meets their reward objectives, write a check, and get back to concentrating on their business. No more hunting down lost packages, returning defective gifts, or juggling cumbersome accounts."