Why they chose the Canterbury Gift Card
Having used a variety of online Gift Cards to incentivise their students in the past, Canterbury Christ Church University chose to use the Canterbury Gift Card, delivered by Canterbury BID, to encourage students to attend registration events because it was a versatile option that met a variety of needs and reflected the diversity of their students, also enabling the university to support their city.
Benefits
Giving out the Canterbury Gift Card helped build the sense of belonging and community between students and their city, enabling students to have a nice experience, and catering to a diverse range of student interests including access to smaller businesses such as bars, restaurants and cinemas. They liked the fact that students could also choose to spend their card with supermarkets on their first food shop.
As a university, we’ve done lots of research into the ‘delight factor’, and its importance for student engagement and satisfaction. There is a certain prestige in using the Canterbury Gift Card for students, because it feels bespoke to the city and different from other Gift Cards and this is something we were able to communicate in our messaging about the cards. Choosing the Gift Card is a way that we can make a tangible impact on our city, encouraging local exploration, and helping create a vibrant local economy for the benefit of all.
Experience of using the card
It was a hugely positive experience for all. The teams registering the students enjoyed giving out the cards and there was a sense of delight from the students in receiving the cards. Initially, the university only planned to use the Canterbury Gift Card for their September new student registration events but it was so well received that they integrated the card into their annual strategy for student engagement, and will use it as a reward for surveys and focus groups. They are also using the cards for prospective students as prizes for games to encourage interaction and engagement; bringing the fun to their events. The university opted for physical versions of the Canterbury Gift Card because they wanted to hand out the cards to students in person but they like the idea of the digital version of the card that can be sent to multiple recipients at once.
Employee feedback
The feedback that Canterbury Christ Church University had from students was really positive. One student said they would use their card to take their nan for afternoon tea. Another said they’d use it to get their hair done. They had one mature student who said they’d give the card to their wife as a thank you for their support during their time at university. As new classmates, many of the students said they would use their cards together to have lunch and drinks, which the university loved. They found there were so many positives of using the Canterbury Gift Card, with choice and support for local key benefits.
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