Prepaid Industry Leaders Recognized at 10th Annual Hawk Awards Ceremony Presented by Blackhawk Network

PLEASANTON, Calif., May 31, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Blackhawk Network, Inc., a pioneer of prepaid gift cards, payments tools and rewards delivered via a robust and convenient network, announced the winners of its 10^th annual Hawk Awards, which recognize the prepaid industry's most innovative leaders.

"Blackhawk Network has honored excellence in the prepaid industry for the last decade, and we continue to be impressed with the innovations and creativity from our partners year after year," said Talbott Roche, CEO and president of Blackhawk Network. "We congratulate all the winners and finalists for their outstanding achievements this year."

Category winners received awards in front of more than 500 attendees at the 2016 Hawk Awards gala on May 5, 2016, during the Blackhawk Network Summit in San Antonio, Texas. The following organizations were among those recognized:

Industry Achievement: Honors the individual or organization that made the greatest contribution to the advancement of the gift card industry.

• Chase: for its Chase Freedom Mobile App, which enables its credit card holders to have their cash back rewards with them to redeem directly at checkout at 40 merchants.

Industry Innovation: Honors the year's largest and most strategic progression in prepaid. Winner is selected via votes placed by Blackhawk Network Summit attendees.

• Stockpile / Multi Packaging Solutions / TDC INSTORE : for launching an innovative card on carrier product. The display was pre-merchandised with many different versions of the gift card for stock to ensure accuracy of the planogram and comprehensive education about the product.

Best Overall Prepaid Program: Honors a top-notch, ground-breaking program offered by a content partner or distribution partner.

• Ahold: for boosting sales and revitalizing their prepaid program with robust marketing programs, including featuring gift cards in-ads weekly and installing of new gift card fixtures in 2015.

Best Promotional Program – Small Company: Honors the best promotional or marketing program by a small company featuring a prepaid product.

• Gift Card Impressions: for bringing meaningful gifting solutions in packaging to consumers. For holiday 2015, Gift Card Impressions worked with multiple retailers to create a "Gift with Purchase" package that provided consumers with a total gifting solution on the Kroger pallet.

Best Promotional Program – Large Company: Honors the best promotional or marketing program by a large company featuring a prepaid product.

• GAP Inc.: for partnering with Albertson's/Safeway to implement a robust marketing plan utilizing its "Just For U" platform, which resulted in strong year-over-year sales growth.

Best Card Design: Honors the most creative, innovative and impactful physical or egift design within the prepaid category. 

• The Cheesecake Factory®:for launching a new wrap packaging design to maximize the gift card carrier real estate and emphasize its brand.

Best Omnichannel Program: Honors the company who successfully executed a program in both physical and digital distribution channels to drive prepaid commerce.

• Kroger: for connecting its best customers and card partners using an omnichannel approach. Kroger continues to drive sales with strong in-store promotions, but has embraced digital channels as well by executing online and mobile marketing programs that provide customers 24/7 access to purchase gift cards or egifts via Kroger.com.

Best International Program: Honors the best promotional or marketing program by a content partner or a distribution partner outside of the U.S.

• Sport Chek: for partnering with retailers to develop strategic marketing plans during back-to-school season to drive incremental sales growth in 2015.

About Blackhawk Network
Blackhawk Network Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: HAWK) is a leading prepaid and payments global company, which supports the program management and distribution of gift cards, prepaid telecom products and financial service products in a number of different retail, digital and incentive channels. Blackhawk's digital platform supports prepaid across a network of digital distribution partners including retailers, financial service providers, and mobile wallets. For more information, please visit www.blackhawknetwork.com or product websites Cardpool, Gift Card Lab, Gift Card Mall, GiftCards.com and OmniCard.

CONTACT:
Ashley Jackson
[email protected]
719-332-3495

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SOURCE Blackhawk Network Holdings, Inc.