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PurposeThis study aims to provide a better understanding of how gift card receivers react to the types of gift cards. This study examined the effect of gift card types (intangible experiences vs less intangible experience vs tangible goods) on a recipient’s willingness to spend more through emotions and perceived effort (Study 1) and on feeling of appreciation (Study 2).Design/methodology/approachStudy 1 adopted a scenario-based 2 (tangible vs intangible) × 3 ($100 vs $200 vs $300) between-subjects design. Study 2 narrowed the scope of gift card type (intangible vs less intangible).FindingsReceivers tended to perceive less effort in gift card selection and feel less emotion when receiving gift cards for intangible experiences than when receiving gift cards for both tangible and less intangible products. However, as face value increased, gift card receivers for intangible experiences felt more pleasure and, in turn, rated higher willingness to spend more money than face value than those with gift cards for tangible products.Research limitations/implicationsFuture studies can rule out alternative explanations related to brand-related effects, previous experiences and personal preferences.Practical implicationsService providers should put more effort into tangibilizing the intangibles to reduce receivers’ uncertainty. Also, they can increase their profitability by stimulating gift card receivers’ willingness to spend more money through pleasure.Originality/valueAnswering research calls for examining consumers’ perceptions of different gift card types, this study might be the first to unveil the differential effect of gift card types associated with the tangibility of products on purchase behavior and the underlying emotional mechanism.

This research aimed at investigating whether watching Brazilian advertising pieces that portray a sociocultural behavioral pattern called Brazilian jeitinho would influence participant’s subsequent behavior. One carried out an experiment in which 200 subjects watched and assessed three advertisement pieces. Upon recruitment, participants were informed that they would be taking part in a raffle for a gift card. The number of tickets received per participant was defined by a die-under-cup task. The more tickets they obtained, the higher the chance to receive the prize, providing an incentive to cheat. Afterwards, respondents took part in a task that defined the number of tickets that each would receive to participate in the raffle. Independent variables consisted in the manipulation of priming of jeitinho (video content: jeitinho or neutral) and privacy of the task (with or without privacy). On the other hand, the dependent variable consisted in the result obtained when participants rolled the dices that defined the number of tickets. One found a significant difference between the groups in which privacy was manipulated, indicating that the groups that performed the task aimed at measuring dishonesty with privacy actually tended to report lower values than the ones actually obtained, entailing an effect of contrast. This finding suggests that the implementation of public policies that utilize propaganda that portrays Brazilian jeitinho could reduce engagement in dishonest behavior among Brazilians.

V diplomskem delu so opisani in predstavljeni grafični izdelki, ki smo jih izdelali za lepotni salon, torej logotip, vizitka, darilni bon, nalepka z logotipom, kartica za zapisovanje terminov, cenik in embalaža. Namen diplomske naloge je bil izdelati različne grafične izdelke za dodatno promocijo novega kozmetičnega salona. V teoretičnem delu sta opisana uporabljena programa (Adobe Illustrator in Adobe Photoshop), ki smo ju v nalogi uporabljali za izdelavo prej omenjenih izdelkov. V teoretičnem delu so prav tako predstavljene in opisane uporabljene tehnike tiska (kapljični tisk, vroči tisk s folijo in elektrofotografija). Na začetku eksperimentalnega dela je prikazana primerjava izdelkov enega izmed lepotnih salonov. V nadaljevanju sta nato opisana uporabljena programa za izdelavo izdelkov, stroji, ki smo jih uporabili za izdelavo končnih izdelkov, uporabljeni materiali in pripadajoči formati. Prav tako so v tem poglavju opisani postopki izdelave posameznih izdelkov. Kasneje je prikazana priprava datotek za tisk in razrez, v poglavju „Rezultati in razprava“ pa so prikazani končni izdelki. Na koncu diplomskega dela so prikazani tudi rezultati ankete, ki smo jo izvedli. Glavni cilj naloge je bil izdelati logotip in podobo novega podjetja. Rezultat diplomskega dela so uspešno izdelan logotip in že omenjeni grafični izdelki, ki bodo pripomogli k večji prepoznavnosti kozmetičnega salona, kar so potrdili tudi rezultati ankete. In the Diploma thesis there were descriptions and presentations of the graphical designs, which were made for the beauty salon: the logo, a business card, a gift certificate, a sticker with a logo type, a card for appointment dates, price list and the packaging. The purpose of the Diploma thesis was to make different graphical products for an additional promotion of the new beauty salon. In the theoretical part there was a description of the two programs that were used (Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop) to create the above mentioned products. In the theoretical part there were also presentations and descriptions of the printing techniques which were used (inkjet printing, hot foil printing and electrophotography). At the beginning of the experimental part the overview of one of the beauty salons was shown. In the continuation there was a description of the programs that were used for the production of the designs, machines which were used for the manufacturing of the end products and the materials and formats which were used. In this chapter there were also descriptions of the design procedures of individual products. Later the preparation of files for printing and cutting were shown, and in the chapter “Results and discussions” the end products were presented. At the end of the Diploma thesis the answers to the survey that was made were shown. The main goal was to make a logo and image of the new company. Results of the degree were a successfully designed logo and the aforementioned graphic products, which were contributing to greater recognition of the beauty salon, which the survey has already shown.

We develop a model of free gift card promotions in a two-product supply chain. We analyze three cases with different gift card strategies based on whether the wholesale and retail prices are changed or unchanged. The results indicate that, in the strategy of unchanged wholesale and retail prices, the retailer and two manufacturers are better off. The gift card promotions can effectively stimulate the demands of two products. We find that the two manufacturers benefit more from the gift card promotion than the retailer does. In the strategy of unchanged wholesale prices and changed retail prices, if the gift card value is not very large, the retailer’s profit margins and average consumer surplus from the gift card promotion are increasing in the gift card value. In the strategy of changed wholesale and retail prices, the retailer and two manufacturers have an incentive to raise the retail and wholesale prices under certain conditions. Furthermore, we show that, keeping the prices at the level of no gift cards is the dominant strategy for the supply chain and consumers, and the difference between retail prices and wholesale prices of two products is the key factor in determining the gift card value.

We provide a novel rationale as to why firms sell gift cards, although consumers prefer cash to gift cards. Issuing gift cards enables firms to charge higher prices for products. Since gift cards have the effect of price discrimination by discounting the product prices only to card-holding consumers, the card-holding consumers become less price sensitive, and thus firms can raise prices due to the elasticity effect. Although gift cards lock consumers into the card-issuing firm, the lock-in effect is not essential for our result. We show that in the absence of lock-in effects (when competing firms honor their rival's gift cards), the equilibrium price, surprisingly, rises even higher due to a double elasticity effect. Our results predict that rapid growth in the gift card market is likely to continue, and that it could attract additional regulatory scrutiny based on their anti-competitive effects.

Though the retailer gift card has been an ultra-practical marketing tactic to attract customers to spend more, it, on the contrary, also places a great number of customers in troublesome situations due to its current limitations. First, dealing with unwanted gift cards is often time-consuming, costly, or even risky due to the frequent occurrences of gift card resale frauds. Worse still, the issuance and redemption of gift cards happen inside the retailer as in a “black-box,” indicating that a compromised retailer can cheat customers (or even third-party auditors) to deny the issuances of some unredeemed gift cards. This paper proposes a practical middle-layer solution based on blockchain to address the fundamental issues of the existing gift card system, with incurring minimal changes to the current infrastructure.

This paper empirically investigates using the e‐mail channel to target customers with a delayed incentive promotion—specifically, gift card promotion—and derives data‐driven e‐mail targeting policies. Gift card promotions are popular across retailers because they incentivize customers to spend more than a fixed expenditure level on regularly priced products by rewarding customers with a gift card to be redeemed against a future purchase. The e‐mail channel provides retailers with new sources of customer‐level data, which enables better prediction of customers' responsiveness to e‐mails (e.g., clicking) and the sales promotion that comes with it (e.g., participation in the promotion). We formulate the retailer's promotion e‐mail targeting problem by maximizing two objectives—the promotion's profitability (i.e., profit‐based targeting) and e‐mail click‐through rate (i.e., CTR‐based targeting). We also take into account the retailer's promotion budget and exclusivity concerns in targeting e‐mails. We use a comprehensive dataset from a Fortune 500 luxury fashion retailer's online channel and utilize both parametric and non‐parametric methods to predict customers' response to promotion e‐mails. Our data‐driven targeting policies improve the promotion's profitability by 5.57% and e‐mail CTR by 472.57%, on average, compared to our partner retailer's current e‐mail policy. We also find that the CTR‐based targeting policy lowers the promotion profitability by, on average, 9.09% compared to the profit‐based one. However, the CTR‐based policy recuperates the short‐term losses in the long‐term and increases the long‐term profitability by 3.94%, on average, compared to the profit‐based targeting policy.

This article discusses an experiment run at the beginning of an effort to substantially enlarge the RAND American Teacher Panel, a nationally representative sample of K-12 public school teachers. Ten strategies were evaluated. We considered different modes of contact (FedEx vs. US Postal Service \[USPS\]), contingency status of incentives (pre- vs. promised incentive), amounts of incentive ($2, $10, $40, or $60), and types of incentive (cash, check, gift card, electronic). Strategies were compared in terms of response rate and cost effectiveness. Our study yielded several findings that should advance the literature: The use of FedEx clearly outperforms USPS, and the use of a moderate preincentive ($10) outperforms much larger promised incentives (up to $60) with respect to both responsiveness and cost-effectiveness. In addition, cash and check seem preferable to gift cards. Finally, we assess the potential for nonresponse bias by comparing enrollees to nonresponders across a variety of demographic characteristics for each strategy.

The use of biobanks may accelerate scientists’ chances of developing cures and treatments that are tailored to individuals’ biological makeup-a function of the precision medicine movement. However, given the underrepresentation of certain populations in biobanks, the benefits of these resources may not be equitable for all groups, including older, multi-ethnic populations. The objective of this study was to better understand older, multi-ethnic populations’ 1) perceptions of the value of cancer biobanking research, 2) study design preferences and 3) guidance on ways to promote and increase participation. This study was designed using a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach and involved eight FGDs with 67 older (65–74 years old) black and white residents from Baltimore City and Prince George’s County, Maryland. FGDs lasted between 90 and 120 minutes, and participants received a $25 Target gift card for their participation. Analysis involved an inductive approach in which we went through a series of open and axial coding techniques to generate themes and subthemes. Multiple themes emerged from the FGDs for the development of future cancer-related biobanking research including: 1) expectations/anticipated benefits, 2) biobanking design preferences and 3) ways to optimize participation. Overall, most participants were willing to provide biospecimens and favored cancer-related biobank. To increase participation of older, diverse participants in biobanking protocols, researchers need to engage older, diverse persons as consultants in order to better understand the value of biobanking research to individuals from the various populations. Scientists should also incorporate suggestions from the community on garnering trust and increasing comfort with study design.

Surprise is a neutral amplifier of emotions and used by marketers to elevate customer affect from satisfaction to delight. The dark side of surprise, however, is that it can turn something mildly unpleasant into something very unpleasant. In this paper, we argue that cash rewards may undermine intrinsic motivation, since cash is an item of trade, and adding a surprise element to the reward may amplify the inherently negative affect. We show that, compared to an expected cash reward, a surprise cash reward degrades evaluations of the focal brand among the more intrinsically engaged consumers. However, the negative effect of surprise reduces (1) if consumers feel that rewards signal communality (friendship) rather than a transaction and (2) if we change the reward’s format from cash to a gift card.

Purpose Although managers agree that showing appreciation to their employees is important, many do not know how to do so effectively. Languages of Appreciation have been identified that uniquely convey that the recipient is valued when appreciation is expressed in the “language” they prefer. Moreover, a wide range of specific actions can be effective within a given appreciation language. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to identify the top ten action items within each language of appreciation to discover the actions preferred most frequently by employees. Design/methodology/approach Of the over 200,000 individuals who have completed the Motivating by Appreciation Inventory, approximately 1% of respondents were randomly selected to represent each primary language (Words of Affirmation N = 1,000, Acts of Service N = 500, Quality Time N = 500 and Tangible Gifts N = 300). Respondents’ action item preferences were then tallied. Findings Numerous themes were identified, along with the most desired acts of appreciation within each language: Words of Affirmation: acknowledge when I have handled a difficult situation well; Acts of Service: offer to do some menial tasks that will allow me to focus on higher priorities for me; Quality Time: go to lunch together and not talk about business issues; and Tangible Gifts: gift cards (visa gift card or to favorite store/restaurant). Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to report on the specific actions most desired by employees within their preferred appreciation languages. The results can help inform actions that are most likely to be successful in showing appreciation to colleagues in the workplace.

Social engineers attempt to manipulate users into undertaking actions such as downloading malware by clicking links or providing access to money or sensitive information. Natural language processing, computational sociolinguistics, and media-specific structural clues provide a means for detecting both the ask (e.g., buy gift card) and the risk/reward implied by the ask, which we call framing (e.g., lose your job, get a raise). We apply linguistic resources such as Lexical Conceptual Structure to tackle ask detection and also leverage structural clues such as links and their proximity to identified asks to improve confidence in our results. Our experiments indicate that the performance of ask detection, framing detection, and identification of the top ask is improved by linguistically motivated classes coupled with structural clues such as links. Our approach is implemented in a system that informs users about social engineering risk situations.

In the aftermath of a disaster, acquiring and fulfilling blood demand is essential to prevent further loss of lives. Consequently, in recent years, the concept of blood supply chain design for disaster relief has gained immense importance. This article addresses this issue by developing a novel bi-objective scenario-based mathematical model to minimize the system’s costs while enhancing the blood supply rate. The proposed framework encompasses three echelons of blood centers, hospitals, and backup blood centers. The model is developed using a set of techniques, including backup coverage, lateral transshipment, gift card, buffer storage, and blood transfusion. This specific combination aims to reduce blood shortages in the system by improving the coordination among different echelons of the network and encouraging more eligible individuals to donate blood. Next, the model is evaluated by applying it to a case study concerning a probable dangerous earthquake in Tehran capital of Iran. Furthermore, a Lagrangian relaxation method is implemented on the model to improve its capability in dealing with larger-scale problems with higher efficiency. Finally, the results and analysis demonstrate our approach’s validity and advantages in satisfying the blood demand in a disaster time.

Individuals regularly face stress, and the manner in which they cope with that stress is a crucial component in predicting stress recovery. While many engage in self-rewarding behaviors to feel better, these behaviors can come with a cost. The current study tested the effect of engaging in a different behavior after experiencing stress-prosocial behavior. Given the health benefits associated with giving to others, it is plausible that engaging in prosocial behavior is more successful in reducing the psychological and physiological responses to stress. To test this, participants underwent the Trier Social Stress Test and then either sent a gift card to a person of their choosing, received a gift card for themselves, or selected the more aesthetically pleasing gift card. Measures of self-reported mood, heart rate, blood pressure, salivary alpha-amylase, and cortisol were collected throughout the session. While the manipulation did not elicit differences in psychological or hormonal measures, the giving group showed a significantly greater downregulation of their heart rate, diastolic blood pressure, and mean arterial pressure while recovering from the stressor. Additionally, those in the giving group who evidenced greater prosocial sentiment showed a larger reduction in diastolic blood pressure and mean arterial pressure. A follow-up study suggested that these behaviors may be engaging different reward components, as those who gave a gift card reported greater "liking" while those who received a gift card reported greater "wanting". Overall, the findings show that engaging in prosocial behavior following a stressor can help to downregulate physiological stress responses.

Restaurant delivery services have gained in popularity among college students, however, students participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) are not allowed to redeem their benefits via restaurant delivery services. This mixed-methods head-to-head crossover trial assessed whether college students experiencing marginal food security prefer benefits via a grocery store gift card (as a proxy for traditional SNAP benefits) or via a restaurant delivery service gift card of equivalent value, and which type of benefit is more effective at improving food security status. Thirty college students experiencing marginal food security were recruited to receive $80 in cash equivalent benefits to spend over a two-month period in the form of grocery store gift cards and restaurant delivery service gift cards. Participants completed surveys and interviews to measure their food security status and share their experiences with each benefit type. After four months of benefits, 48.3% of participants improved their food security status. However, neither type of benefit was statistically better at improving food security status. Most participants preferred grocery store benefits (89.7%) over restaurant delivery service benefits (10.3%). However, more research is needed to explore whether allowing SNAP recipients to redeem their benefits with restaurant delivery services is a viable mechanism to address food challenges among college students experiencing marginal food security.

Gift cards are valid for a limited period of time and consumers cannot get refunds for any unused and expired monetary credit balance. Despite the recent federal and NSW gift card reforms, the reforms do not mandate gift cards to be refundable. By comparison, section 24 of the Australian Consumer Law may render the non-refundable term unfair and the gift card contracts would continue to apply without this unfair term. The result is that all Australian consumers should be able to redeem gift cards before expiry and get refunds for the remaining credit in the gift cards after expiry. This positive result would balance the rights of consumers and the legitimate interests of gift card providers to boost gift card business.

Background Questionnaires are valuable data collection instruments in public health research, and can serve to pre-screen respondents for suitability in future studies. Survey non-response leads to reduced effective sample sizes and can decrease representativeness of the study population, so high response rates are needed to minimize the risk of bias. Here we present results on the success of different postal questionnaire strategies at effecting response, and the effectiveness of these strategies at recruiting participants for a field study on the effects of aircraft noise on sleep. Methods In total, we mailed 17 rounds of 240 questionnaires (total n = 4080) to randomly selected households around Atlanta International Airport. Different mailing rounds were varied in the length of the questionnaire (11, 26 or 55 questions), survey incentive (gift card or $2 cash), number of follow-up waves (0, 2 or 3), incentive for participating in a 5-night in-home sleep study ($100, $150 or $200), and address personalization. Results We received completed questionnaires from 407 respondents (response rate 11.4%). Personalizing the address, enclosing a $2 cash incentive with the initial questionnaire mailing and repeated follow-up mailings were effective at increasing response rate. Despite the increased expense of these approaches in terms of each household mailed, the higher response rates meant that they were more cost-effective overall for obtaining an equivalent number of responses. Interest in participating in the field study decreased with age, but was unaffected by the mailing strategies or cash incentives for field study participation. The likelihood that a respondent would participate in the field study was unaffected by survey incentive, survey length, number of follow-up waves, field study incentive, age or sex. Conclusions Pre-issued cash incentives and sending follow-up waves could maximize the representativeness and numbers of people from which to recruit, and may be an effective strategy for improving recruitment into field studies.

The article is devoted to examination and analysis of arbitration cases connected with the process of appealing acts of the Office of Rospotrebnadzor in the city of Moscow due to the administrative responsibility of one of the well-known retail organizations for including conditions infringing the rights and legitimate interests of consumers in the consumer agreement when distributing gift certificates (cards). The article contains excerpts from judicial acts issued during the consideration of cases, carries out detailed examination of issues related to the legal qualification of the gift certificate sold by entrepreneurs to consumers, and provides the author’s comment on possible ways of regulation when considering actually developing relations between retailers and consumers when they are making a contract, where the object is a gift certificate (card).

Women, particularly undocumented women, are at an increased risk for gender-based violence including intimate partner violence (IPV). Women’s lack of legal immigration status is often used as a tool of dominance and control of undocumented women. The Victim of Trafficking and Violence Prevention Act 2000 created the U-Visa that provides undocumented IPV victims with lawful immigration status if they are willing to assist authorities in investigating crimes. The objective of this study is to better understand the benefits of obtaining the U-Visa from the perspectives of Latina U-Visa recipients who are survivors of IPV. In this community-based qualitative research study involving IPV survivors, community leaders, service providers and academics, we collected qualitative data through interviews with 20 participants including 15 survivors of IPV who were U-Visa recipients. Interviews were digitally-recorded, transcribed and translated, and analyzed using a qualitative software to develop key themes. Women received a $20 gift card as a token of appreciation for their participation in this study. Findings highlight key benefits such as improved mental health, renewed confidence and self-esteem, self-confidence, less perceived exploitation, access to better jobs and housing, freedom to travel, and improved economic and social well-being for visa recipients and their families. Obtaining the U-Visa was a transformative and life-changing experience for Latina survivors of IPV. Social policies such as TVPA help support vulnerable women who are victims of IPV.

BACKGROUND We implemented a previously described barcode-based drug safety system in all of our anesthetizing locations. Providers were instructed to scan the barcode on syringes using our Anesthesia Information Management System before drug administration, but the rate of provider adherence was low. We studied an implementation intervention intended to increase the rate of scanning. METHODS Using our Anesthesia Information Management System and Smart Anesthesia Manager software, we quantified syringe drug administrations by anesthesia providers with and without barcode scanning. We use an anesthesia team model in which an attending anesthesiologist is paired with a certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA) or a resident. Our system identified the pair of providers associated with a particular drug administration, but did not distinguish which providers actually administered the drug. Therefore, the rate of barcode scanning for a particular case was assigned to both providers equally. A baseline rate of scanning was established over a period of 17 months. An audit and feedback intervention was then performed that consisted of monthly performance reports sent by email to individual providers along with coffee gift card awards for top performers. The coffee gift cards were awarded in only the first 2 months of the intervention, while the email performance reports continued on a monthly basis. The coffee card awards were made public. The monthly emails reported the individual provider's rank order of performance relative to other providers, but was otherwise anonymous. The baseline rate of scanning was compared to the rate of scanning after the intervention for a period of 7 months. RESULTS From November 2014 to March 2017, we accumulated 60,197 cases performed by 88 attending anesthesiologists, 65 CRNAs, and 148 residents. The total number of syringe drug administrations was 653,355. Average scanning performance improved from 8.7% of syringe barcodes scanned during the baseline period from November 2014 to February 2016 to 64.4% scanned during the period September 2016 to March 2017 (P < .001). Variation in performance among individuals was marked, ranging from 0% to 100% of syringes scanned. The performance of some individuals showed marked oscillation over time. There was greater variation in performance attributable to residents than in performance attributable to CRNAs. CONCLUSIONS Feedback of individual provider performance data from the anesthesia information system to providers can be used in conjunction with other measures to improve performance. Despite improved average performance, there was marked variation in performance between individuals, and some individuals had marked oscillation of their performance over time.

We identify and document a novel construct-pettiness, or intentional attentiveness to trivial details-and examine its (negative) implications in interpersonal relationships and social exchange. Seven studies show that pettiness manifests across different types of resources (both money and time), across cultures with differing tolerance for ambiguity in relationships (the United States, Switzerland, Germany, and Austria), and is distinct from related constructs such as generosity, conscientiousness, fastidious, and counternormativity. Indeed, people dislike petty exchanges even when the (petty) amount given is more generous (e.g., a gift card for $5.15 rather than $5), suggesting that pettiness may in some instances serve as a stronger relationship signal than are actual benefits exchanged. Attentiveness to trivial details of resource exchanges harms communal-sharing relationships by making (even objectively generous) exchanges feel transactional. When exchanging resources, people should be wary of both how much they exchange and the manner in which they exchange it. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

B2C platforms are increasingly implementing trade-in programs to boost sales. Most of these platforms have adopted dual-format retailing model including both self-run stores and third-party stores. Under trade-in program framework, B2C platforms will determine the optimal trade-in rebate, and whether to offer the rebate to consumers with gift card (GC) or cash coupon (CC). GC can only be used in self-run stores, while CC can be used in both stores. To entice more consumers to trade-in products, platforms may launch trade-in efforts in the market. To address such decision-making challenges, we consider a B2C platform who owns a self-run store and hosts a third-party store, and examine the optimal trade-in strategy for the platform by developing four theoretical models. We first present two models without considering trade-in efforts, i.e., one model regarding GC payment, and one model regarding CC payment, and then extend them by taking trade-in efforts into consideration. Some interesting findings and insights are achieved. In particular, we find that both GC and CC do not always benefit the platform. Interestingly, offering high quality and low selling price for products in both the self-run store and the third-party store are also not always beneficial to the platform. So is the competition between both stores. Launching trade-in efforts may lead to a lower trade-in rebate but a higher profit for the platform. A counterintuitive finding is obtained that a higher gift card redemption rate is not beneficial to the platform, and vice versa.

Background: The cost of care is often reported as a primary reason why patients fail to seek dental treatment; however, this may not the only component.Aims/Objectives: To examine an underserved population’s perspective on the importance of dental care and barriers they face to seek treatment. The effectiveness of compliance incentives, such as gift cards, were also examined.Methods: We conducted a survey study to gain insight of an underserved population’s perspective of barriers to care and correlated the reported barriers with the true reasons of missed appointments in our study cohort. Appointment compliance was also examined before and after implementation of gift card incentives. Results: Most patients felt dental care was important/very important to them. However, no correlations were found between survey responses and true reasons for missing appointments. Eighty-seven percent of patients report having some form of financial difficulty and compliance statistically improved after implementation of financial compensation in this population (69% completed appointments before gift card implementation versus 75% after gift card implementation, p=0.01), but not after the implementation of additional appointment reminders and contact staff.Discussion: Although the majority of patients reported dental care was important to them, there was an average of 31% missed appointments for patients who completed the survey and no correlations were found between the information patients reported and true reasons for non-compliance. Interestingly, even though care was free of charge, most patients reported to be in some form of financial difficulty and compliance was slightly improved through the implementation of financial compensation. Conclusion: A survey is a resource to identify reasons why patients abstain from seeking care but maybe not the best one as reasons reported do not correlate with true reasons of appointment failure. Financial compensation was shown to improve compliance with appointments. Further information gathering is necessary to gain insight into true barriers to dental care within an underserved population.Trial registration number: NCT01330719. Support. NIH/NIDCR. R01DE019456

Research has shown that utilizing active learning techniques in the classroom increases student engagement and performance. With the increased attention focused on active learning, professors are striving to find better ways to engage students in the classroom. Indeed, numerous studies have focused on investigating many different approaches to this topic. COVID 19 has mandated a rapid transition to remote learning and with this forced change has come what some students describe as ?Zoom Fatigue? [1]. Many students have reported feeling exhausted, overwhelmed, and disengaged by the dramatic increase in mandated distance education required by the COVID pandemic. Video conferencing has become the ?go to? panacea for education during this time and students are spending unprecedented amounts of time in front of a screen where normally they would be in a classroom. This heretofore singular and unique approach to education coupled with decreased peer-to-peer interaction has caused a problem with student engagement [2,3]. Problem Students engagement and performance have decreased during COVID 19 due to forced online learning and lack of peer interaction. Hypothesis We hypothesize that creating a non-graded, fun, and relaxing physiology-focused trivia night will increase student engagement and performance on summative assessments. Proposal Using a master's level class progressing through the respiratory physiology module utilizing remote, synchronous lectures to deliver content, we will introduce a voluntary ?pub trivia night? review session with teams randomly assigned to increase interaction amongst peers and review respiratory physiology material. Questions will be provided in rounds and at the end a ?winning team? will be awarded a $100 gift card. Expected Results We expect students who attend and participate in the ?pub trivia night? will perform better than their peers on summative exams as well as report increased engagement with their classmates over the course of the unit. Analysis of test scores of those who competed and those who did not will be compared. All students in class will be surveyed concerning peer engagement and results compared. Literature Cited Reinach Wolf C. Virtual Platforms are helpful but can add to our stress. https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/the-desk-the-mental-health-lawyer/202005/virtual-platforms-are-helpful-tools-can-add-our-stress Active Learning: Cooperation in the College Classroom. Edina, MN: Interaction Book, 1998. Goodman BE, Barker MK, Cooke JE. Best practices in active and student-centered learning in physiology classes. Adv Physiol Educ. 2018 Sep 1;42(3):417-423. doi: 10.1152/advan.00064.2018. PMID: 29972063.

Background: The beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic presented many sudden challenges regarding food, including grocery shopping changes (eg, reduced store hours, capacity restrictions, and empty store shelves due to food hoarding), restaurant closures, the need to cook more at home, and closures of food access programs. Eat Well Saskatchewan (EWS) implemented a 16-week social media campaign, #eatwellcovid19, led by a dietitian and nutrition student that focused on sharing stories submitted by the Saskatchewan public about how they were eating healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Objective: The goal of this study was to describe the implementation of the #eatwellcovid19 social media campaign and the results from the evaluation of the campaign, which included campaign performance using social media metrics and experiences and perspectives of campaign followers. Methods: Residents of Saskatchewan, Canada, were invited to submit personal stories and experiences to EWS about how they were eating healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic from April to August 2020. Each week, one to three stories were featured on EWS social media platforms—Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter—along with evidence-based nutrition information to help residents become more resilient to challenges related to food and nutrition experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Individuals who submitted stories were entered into a weekly draw for a Can $100 grocery gift card. Social media metrics and semistructured qualitative interviews of campaign followers were used to evaluate the #eatwellcovid19 campaign. Results: In total, 75 stories were submitted by 74 individuals on a variety of topics (eg, grocery shopping, traditional skills, and gardening), and 42 stories were featured on social media. EWS shared 194 #eatwellcovid19 posts across social media platforms (Facebook: n=100; Instagram: n=55; and Twitter: n=39). On Facebook, #eatawellcovid19 reached 100,571 followers and left 128,818 impressions, resulting in 9575 engagements. On Instagram, the campaign reached 11,310 followers, made 14,145 impressions, and received 823 likes and 15 comments. On Twitter, #eatwellcovid19 made 15,199 impressions and received 424 engagements. Featured story submission posts had the best engagement on Facebook and the most likes and comments on Instagram. The EWS social media pages reported increases in their following during the campaign (Instagram: +30%; Facebook: +14%; and Twitter: +12%). Results from the interviews revealed that there were two types of campaign followers: those who appreciated hearing the stories submitted by followers, as it helped them to feel connected to the community during social isolation, and those who appreciated the evidence-based information. Conclusions: Numerous stories were submitted to the #eatwellcovid19 social media campaign on various topics. On Instagram and Facebook, posts that featured these stories had the highest engagement. During this campaign, EWS’s social media following increased by more than 10% on each platform. The approach used for the #eatwellcovid19 campaign could be considered by others looking to develop health promotion campaigns.

Upcycling transforms the historically dominant, but increasingly exhausted, linear producer–consumer–waste model of the fashion ecosystem into something more circular. The recent rise in fashion upcycling transcends stereotypical perceptions of Do-It-Yourself (DIY) needlecraft or thrift. Mainstream fashion retailers offer incentives to customers for returning their unwanted clothes to store in return for a gift card, with some garments returning to the production cycle, for reinstatement in-store, and re-marketisation as exclusive upcycled fashion. Although this contributes to the upcycling movement, it misses the core ethos that the upcycling of fashion should not only contribute ‘to sustainable shopping as a whole, but also serve as art pieces, cultural commentary and a sense of connection’. This chapter introduces how to disrupt the fast-fashion system by reducing mindless fashion consumption, not from the point of design and production, but from that of the consumer; not as the end-point of the supply chain, but as the driver of the chain, whereby demand dictates supply—through the practice of soul-shopping.

This case on Qwikcilver and Woohoo analyzes the development of the Qwikcilver gift card processing business, its various challenges in evolving the primary B2B business model and how the firm has introduced the Woohoo platform to help with direct customer connect. It begins with the efforts of the founders in identifying a green field opportunity, how they go about bringing in the initial customer base, and then the case delves into the different developments that have shaped the firm’s evolution. The case helps develop an understanding of the gifting market in India, the challenges of building a sustainable business in this sector, and how the firm compares with the rest of the competition worldwide. It highlights how a software as a service (SaaS) business model could increase resilience to competition by bringing in a new side in the form of direct connect with customers who buy or redeem gift cards, thus transforming from a pipeline business to a two-sided platform business model. The case highlights how combined (platforms plus SaaS) business models can bring in additional competitive differentiation as compared to independent business models by increasing switching and multi-homing costs for the customers.

Introduction. Those coping with significant mental illness smoke at a high prevalence rate. Increasingly, behavioral health clinicians (BHCs) are being asked to provide tobacco-dependence interventions. In this context, it is important to measure their success at doing so. While the Working Alliance Inventory (WAI) is a well-established measurement of the effectiveness of therapeutic alliance, it is not specific to tobacco-dependence interventions. The Working Alliance Inventory for Tobacco (WAIT-3) has been found valid for tobacco cessation counselors (health providers who address tobacco), but its validity has not been established when BHCs address tobacco cessation as part of addressing all other needs of their patients. The purpose of this study was to examine the validity of the WAIT-3 in the context of behavioral health clinicians. Methods. Wisconsin Community Support Programs and Comprehensive Community Services programs distributed an anonymous, brief (14 items) survey to 1,930 of their clients. Measured variables included smoking status, behavioral intentions regarding quitting, and perception of help received from their clinic. Respondents could enter a chance to win a gift card as a thank you. Results. WAIT-3 scores were correlated with quitting-related variables. Compared to those with lower WAIT-3 scores, those with higher scores reported more attempts to quit, were more motivated to quit, were more likely to have a smoking cessation/reduction goal in their general treatment plan, had more conversations about quitting with their BHC, and wanted more help from their BHC to quit. Conclusions. The WAIT-3 may be a valid way to measure the effectiveness of BHCs to address the tobacco use of their patients. Next steps include establishing its predictive validity.

Background Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel in the out-of-hospital setting continue to be at high risk for violence, in spite of continued research on a national scale. Objective Our aim was to determine the prevalence and type of violence perpetrated against Southeast Michigan EMS personnel, and characteristics of victims in the out-of-hospital setting. Methods EMS personnel from urban and suburban counties in Southeastern Michigan were surveyed online about their experience with violence, including description and outcomes, while working in the out-of-hospital setting within the previous 6 months. Gift card incentive and recruitment scripts were provided and read to participants. This was a pilot study that was limited to 150 respondents and ran for 3 months. Descriptive statistical analysis was done with an odds ratio, p value, and two-sample independent t-test analysis. Results There were 137 surveys respondents. Most respondents, 75 of 128 (58.6%) reported being a victim of violence within the previous 6 months. Perpetrators were primarily patients and occasionally family members. Substance abuse or mental health issues were frequently associated with violence. Although not common, women reported violence perpetrated by a coworker more often than men (odds ratio 5.17; 95% confidence interval 1.67–16.0). Only 55 of 117 respondents (47.0%) felt that the training did an adequate job protecting them from violence. Conclusions More than one-half of responding EMS personnel experienced work-related violence within the previous 6 months in Southeast Michigan. This high rate of violence supports the need for additional research and policies that ensure the safety of EMS providers in this region.

Lack of food preparation knowledge, time to prepare meals and concerns about fruit and vegetable spoilage before consumption are the potential barriers to home cooking. These barriers may be addressed by meal kits (bundles of recipes and ingredients). We described home cooking barriers and evaluated acceptability of meal kits, using semi-structured focus groups with caregivers and adolescent patients of an outpatient paediatric weight management clinic. One meal kit per family, containing non-perishable food, a $20 gift card to a grocery store and recipes designed by clinic dietician for two meals, were given at clinic appointments. Two in-person semi-structured focus groups were conducted within 2 weeks of meal kit receipt. Four adolescent participants (75% female; 12.7 ± 0.9 years) and eight caregivers (88% female) participated in the focus groups. Four barriers to home cooking were identified: (a) healthy food cost, (b) preparation time, (c) food preparation knowledge and (d) picky eaters. Participants felt the meal kits addressed the time and lack of food preparation knowledge barriers to home cooking. A clinical meal kit programme was acceptable to a treatment-seeking adolescent population with obesity and their caregivers.