Loyalty cards’ new rewards
Health and well-being are the areas at the forefront. A few years ago, WEIGHT WATCHERS in the US offered to refund the first 2 months’ subscription to new members who lost 4.5kg in that period. Also in the US, FITBIT, the connected wristbands and watches brand, challenged its community to burn 1 billion calories in a month, in exchange for which it would pay $1.5 million to a homeless charity. The challenge was met.
Dare you? The brands set the challenge!
The idea of challenge and excelling oneself is at always the heart of this new relationship. As a final example, GO SPORT (with a presence in 18 countries, with 122 stores in France) launched their new loyalty scheme with a loyalty card called MERCURE. The principle is not to reward the frequency and recurrence of purchases any more, but to reward sporting achievement. Each member is invited to pair their sports tracking app (such as RUNKEEPER, GARMIN, STRAVA, etc.) to the program site page. What’s at stake? The possibility of accumulating up to €50 a year just by achieving goals, including running, walking, and cycling. The program that has already challenged more than 3,000 athletes is not planning on stopping there.
Objective: Data!
Behind the fun and relational aspect of the process, brands have found another advantage: Data. With connected apps or devices linked to these programmes, brands are collecting increasingly qualified data on their consumers’ profile. Data that then helps them to understand consumer behaviour better. Even more so for insurance companies or health care providers who can use these programmes to “evaluate” their users… and adapt their products. It’s a way to influence our habits and participate in our well-being and maybe even improve our health through healthier practices.
The Main Think
Brands help us stick to our resolutions. In any case, that’s the promise made through loyalty programs and cards that reward not only our purchases, but also our actions and, often, our sporting best practices. What if we were to see the advent of the “life coach brands”?