Jan 2026 Gift Card Industry Update by Eric Thiegs

It's back to basics for this week's Coffee Chat. Today, we'll cover the five types of gift card and prepaid card incentives — the building blocks behind nearly every loyalty, award, market research, and rewards & recognition program

January 21, 2026 There’s a magic that happens when fun , connection , and flow come together in your workday. Let's call it Fun + Work — and that’s exactly what I wanted to explore in Coffee Chat #41 . In it, I read from The Power of Fun by Catherine Price and share some of the albums that help me tap into a productive, joyful mindset at work (and get into that “flow state” where time seems to disappear). What Is Flow and Why It Matters Flow is a psychological state w

As 2025 comes to a close, Eric Thiegs takes time to reflect on strategy before shifting into action. In Coffee Chat #39, Eric compares the Year of the Snake — thoughtful, intentional, and strategic — with the Year of the Horse, which represents momentum and forward movement. Reflection matters, but progress requires commitment. As we head into 2026, the question is simple: what plan from the past year is finally ready to move?

It’s Halloween season — the perfect time to talk about things that send chills down every business leader’s spine. I spend a lot of time thinking about business risk: what could go wrong, how to prepare for it, and how to keep growing despite uncertainty. So, in the spirit of Halloween, here are the Top 10 Scariest Things Facing Businesses Right Now — and a few ideas for how to keep those monsters at bay.

The Power of Moments - Surprise & Delight using Customer Data

This week, I filmed from Frisson Espresso on 44th Street in the heart of New York City. Grab your coffee - our topic today: Trends in business travel, with a little fun as we throw in some "bleisure" and Broadway, too.

This week’s Coffee Chat is a little “inside baseball” for those of us in the incentive industry. As co-chair of the Incentive Gift Card Coalition Communications Committee, I’ve been in Incentive Marketing Association mode with the IMA Summit happening in Austin July 14–16. I wanted to give a personal sneak peek at this special industry event.

This week’s Coffee Chat is a special one - I’ve got a guest...my daughter, home from college and proudly repping GenZ, joined me for a post-Father’s Day chat about gifts, dads, and what gifts feel the most meaningful from her 20-year-old point of view. As a GenX dad, I loved hearing how she thinks about showing love and appreciation. According to her, the best gifts check these four boxes: Make it personal. Keep it simple + heartfelt. Make it useful, e.g. gift cards. Prioriti

Small Value with High Loyalty Impact - let's talk about the power of ‘micro rewards. These small, frequent incentives can increase engagement in loyalty, rewards, promotions, and employee recognition programs by up to 25%.

Are you looking to reward or incentivize Gen Z consumers? Eric's Coffee Chat this week offers pro tips for motivating the younger demographic in your recognition or loyalty program by using gift cards from Uber Eats, DoorDash, and other third-party food delivery service apps.

Eric celebrates 25+ years in the incentive, gift card, and payments partnership industry with the launch of his Coffee Chat video blog series