Blackhawk Network Announces Hawk Awards

“The Hawk Awards recognize the leaders that are keeping the industry strong and who continue to shape the consumer gift card market,” said Donald Kingsborough, president and chief executive officer of Blackhawk Network. “These are the companies that inspire us all from card design to industry impact.”

The Hawk Awards were distributed to industry leaders in key areas; Card Design, Product Innovation and Industry Achievement and a special award was given to a pioneer in the industry. The award winners were selected by a distinct panel of judges comprised of both prepaid and retail industry experts.

Best Card Design - iTunes

The Best Card Design award honors unique cards that have done a tremendous job communicating the company’s brand to consumers. The iTunes gift card is striking in design and creativity, and has a terrific tie-in to their advertising program.

Most Innovative Product or Service - Target

The Most Innovative Product or Service Award honors the prepaid product or service that has changed the traditional way in which gift cards are used. Target has consistently brought innovation to the prepaid card market, and its body of work has set the bar high for others to follow.

Industry Achievement – Tom Boucher of Best Buy

The Industry Achievement Award honors the individual or organization that has made the greatest contributions to the advancement of the gift card industry over the last year. Tom Boucher has played an integral role in growing the prepaid industry and has contributed to the overall success of the third party gift card program.

Industry Pioneer Award – Nordstrom

The Pioneer Award is for a special honoree within the prepaid industry for this year and was given to a company who has tirelessly worked to develop and grow this industry over the years. Blackhawk Network is extremely proud to give Nordstrom this award. Nordstrom was one of the first major retailers to adopt a third-party gift card program and their vision helped to establish the Gift Card Mall.

Blackhawk Network is a prepaid and payments network company, a market leader in card-based financial solutions and the largest provider of third-party prepaid cards. Blackhawk Network develops unique products in easy-to-use formats and delivers them to consumers through an exclusive retail network of leading grocery, mass, convenience, drug and specialty retailers. The network includes more than 80,000 storefronts and reaches more than 165 million consumers each week. Headquartered in Pleasanton, California, Blackhawk Network has offices in the United States, Australia, Canada, Mexico, and the United Kingdom. For more information about Blackhawk Network visit http://www.blackhawknetwork.com.