Blackhawk Network Recognizes Outstanding Achievement in the Prepaid Industry

PLEASANTON, Calif., May 16, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Blackhawk Network, the leading provider of prepaid and financial payment products, has announced the winners of the company's fifth annual Hawk Awards. Each year, the Hawk Awards recognize exceptional achievement among companies and individual leaders in the prepaid arena.

"The Hawk Awards are an opportunity for us to recognize our partners for their outstanding achievement and valuable contribution to the prepaid industry," said Talbott Roche, president at Blackhawk Network. "This year's winners have set a high standard in the prepaid arena and we are proud to celebrate their wonderful accomplishments today."

The following leaders were recognized at the Hawk Awards annual ceremony:

Best Card Design: Regal Entertainment Group

The Best Card Design Award honors the most artful and inventive card in the prepaid category. Regal's innovative gift card, crafted in the shape of a theatre movie ticket, was recognized for its creative and eye-catching design. Similarly, the card's imagery of popcorn, drinks, and a movie stub, conveys that it can be used to purchase both tickets and concessions.

Best Promotional Program: Universal Orlando

The Best Promotional Program Award honors the most impressive advertising or marketing campaign to successfully showcase a prepaid product. Universal Orlando's promotional campaign commemorated the grand opening of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. This unique program included three-dimensional displays with multiple signage touch points within a major southeast region retailer.

Best Promotional Program by an Alliance Partner: Price Chopper

The Best Promotional Program by an Alliance Partner honors the best advertising or marketing campaign successfully executed by an alliance partner. Price Chopper was awarded for introducing fuel perks into its Gift Card Mall program in October 09, executing its first double fuel event during the 2010 holiday and achieving triple digit growth of its Gift Card Mall program.

Most Innovative Product or Service: Marriott International

The Most Innovative Product or Service Award honors the most revolutionary strategic progression in the prepaid industry. Marriot was recognized for its new technology platform that enabled sales and redemptions in currencies worldwide. The connectivity enabled 3,600 of its hotels and 11 of its brands around the world to effectively sell and redeem Marriott-branded gift cards.

Best Overall Gift Card Program by an Alliance Partner: Loblaws Inc.

The Best Overall Gift Card Program recognizes a top notch, ground-breaking program by a partner company. Loblaws Inc., Blackhawk Network's largest alliance partner in Canada, was honored for its impressive double-digit year-over-year growth rate.  Growth at Loblaw can be attributed to its vast distribution network and multiple in-store gift card fixtures, making it a top destination for Canadian consumer gift card purchases. In addition, dedicated store colleagues and impressive in-store execution played a key role in the program's success.  

Industry Achievement: Starbucks

The Industry Achievement Award honors the individual or organization that made the greatest contribution to the advancement of the gift card industry. Starbucks was honored for several innovative feats throughout the past year including the gift card team's creative designs and innovative packaging which have achieved positive consumer response, developments in mobile purchasing systems, the effective launch of a mobile app and the company's virtual gift card program.

Most Innovative Prepaid Product: Seastone

The Most Innovative Prepaid Product award celebrates products that change the way consumers use traditional prepaid product for the better.  Seastone's Home Depot Gift Card Holder Program was honored for focusing on the consumer buying behavior and preferences, which allowed the company to create unique packaging options for purchases of gift cards.  Gift Card Packaging provides the gift card giver an opportunity to increase the giftability of the cards themselves. Seastone is a division of Berwick Offray LLC.

Industry Innovation: i3 Plastic Cards

The Industry Innovation award recognizes the year's largest and most strategic progression in prepaid. i3 Plastic Cards won this award for their Zone Laminated Gift Card with Promotional or Coupon offer. This unique format offers a laminated card at the bottom, with a paper promotional or coupon offer at the top in a single piece construction.  This "zone laminated" Gift Card at bottom and paper promotional coupon on top creates a multi-use format for retailers to drive in store or on-line traffic while providing gift with purchase to either the purchaser of the prepaid card, or the recipient of the prepaid card.

About Blackhawk Network

Blackhawk Network, a subsidiary of Safeway Inc., is a leading provider of prepaid and financial payments products for consumers and businesses. The company's Gift Card Mall™ offers the industry's most popular prepaid gift card and telecom products. Gift Card Mall reaches more than 165 million people each week through an exclusive network of leading grocery stores, big box, convenience, pharmacy, and specialty stores and is available through Internet retailers including GiftCardMall.com. Blackhawk Network's business solutions include reward and incentive programs that offer choice and flexibility through a wide array of card brands, custom designed Visa® prepaid cards and fulfillment options.

Headquartered in Pleasanton, California, Blackhawk Network Inc. has offices in the United States, Australia, Canada, France, Mexico and the United Kingdom. For more information about Blackhawk Network visit www.blackhawknetwork.com and www.giftcardmall.com.

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SOURCE Blackhawk Network