Gift cards and prepaid incentives can give broadband customers a reason to consider switching beyond similar promises about speed and reliability. An analysis dated July 1, 2021 on Runa's site examined the positioning of 47 internet service providers and compared their acquisition offers.

The article notes that most broadband marketing looks identical, with providers focusing on speed, reliability, and customer support, which are not differentiating points. To stand out, providers need to find new ways to differentiate their offering and product positioning. Runa recommends considering two target audiences: active switchers and passive switchers, and developing marketing strategies that cater to both.

Among the historical examples, the article describes Verizon combining a home-internet offer with rewards such as Amazon Prime, an Echo Dot and a $150 gift card. It also records an Xfinity offer pairing a $150 prepaid incentive with a 24-month agreement. These are offers discussed in the 2021 analysis.

Another example was WOW!, whose offer combined a discounted headline price with a $200 Visa card, alongside a $25 referral reward. The analysis distinguishes active switchers dissatisfied with their current service from people who might move for an attractive new offer.

To get started with incentive marketing, Runa recommends using digital incentives and rewards that are valuable, relevant, and memorable, and that can be easily claimed and tracked. The company also offers a comprehensive guide to incentive marketing and a platform that enables providers to access a catalog of digital rewards and streamline their ordering and fulfillment processes.

The source says its work with Vodafone improved conversions, acquisition costs and Net Promoter Score, without quantifying those results in this post. Its practical recommendation is to make the incentive relevant, easy to claim and trackable across the acquisition campaign.