Making clients feel truly special and valued is a difficult task today. Therefore, incorporating a surprise and delight element into your loyalty programme can rekindle interest in it, increase sales, and foster consumer loyalty. Customers may want to relive the emotional high that unexpected benefits might produce. This tactic’s strength stems from the fact that it is addictive.
The Advantages of Shock and Delight
Imagine you are out and about near your favourite store when all of a sudden you get a push notification alerting you that a mystery reward is waiting for you because it is your birthday month. Wouldn’t that be an exciting experience? Your consumers would undoubtedly have the same emotions after receiving such a surprise.
You may forge a strong link with your customers, see an increase in purchase frequency, and see a surge in customer engagement by incorporating surprise and delight methods into your retention plan. With this approach, customers will be more likely to continue behaving positively in the hopes of reaping additional benefits, and your company will remain at the forefront of their minds.
It’s crucial to provide the appropriate kind of incentive for each individual in order to enhance the impact of surprise and joy. 83 percent of buyers demand individualised experiences from their favourite brands, according to McKinsey study. So, to get the most out of your loyalty programme, research the reward combinations that your consumers respond to the most positively. Members are more inclined to share their experiences with friends and family or on social media as a result of surprise and delight features. This type of word-of-mouth encourages expectation among other members in that way.
Using Mystery and Secrecy to Surprise and Delight is a Different Approach
Customers are naturally interested and prefer adventures that involve mystery and discovery. Adding mystery tiers or secret prizes to your incentives loyalty programme might be a wonderful improvement. Members can “unwrap” their mystery gift after they achieve higher levels. Even better, occasionally switch the prizes on offer to provide your customers a more “mystery” experience.
Wow, what a surprise! – Unknown Gifts
The idea behind mystery presents is straightforward: by providing a hidden surprise, pique clients’ interest and create a little excitement. Before it comes to their home, customers will not be aware of what they will receive. This strategy increases the likelihood that participants will generate talk about it on social media, assisting you in engaging a broader audience.
By earning points for every dollar spent, following the business on Instagram, and inputting their birthday, users of The Silver Collective’s tiered loyalty programme, The Silver Circle, can advance. The rewards program’s Gold and Silver members are qualified to receive a mystery prize. The top grade, Silver, also grants members access to VIP events, special previews, and hidden sales.
Add a Secret Tier to Your Loyalty Program to Keep It on the Q.T.
Above the tiers that are displayed in your loyalty programme communications for the general public, provide a secret tier to your most valuable clients. The idea is to be able to treat your finest clients in a manner superior to that of your other best clients. You can even design a tier system that is completely hidden from consumers but yet maintains the same rules and reward customizations. From the perspective of managing loyalty programmes, it is simpler to categorise members based on how much money they spend and reward them accordingly.
In addition to their top tier, Global Services, United Airlines introduced Chairman’s Circle. Only a few hundred people are supposed to participate in this programme, and they are either nominated by United’s CEO or Senior Vice President of Sales. Business leaders who spend at least $5 million with the airline annually are eligible for the programme. The Chairman’s Circle offers an airport meet and greet service as well as a dedicated booking team.
The Chosen Ones: Influencer Mystery Tiers
Make an exclusive secret tier just for brand ambassadors and influencers. Managing the loyalty programme and giving ambassadors exclusive incentives and advantages is made simpler as a result. The modern jewellery company Diamanti Per Tutti is one brand that employs this tactic. By providing advocates, influencers, and high spenders with special treatment, they hoped to increase brand awareness and word-of-mouth marketing. They invite a select few people to join a secret VIP tier in their programme called “Ambassador.” Diamanti Per Tutti actively searches out influencers and advocates to be a part of the programme, and the Ambassador tier isn’t made public.
Your top social media influencers might be recognised with the promise of an amazing experience, such as an invitation to a special brand event. Companies can hold a covert raffle to choose the participants who will be invited to these events because experiential incentives like these are expensive. For instance, the plus-size clothing shop Simply Be frequently sponsors community events that are only open to a select group of its highest-spending customers and social influencers. This top-secret element of surprise and joy fosters an elite VIP experience and significantly boosts brand loyalty within this particular consumer base.
Eliminate Customers’ Breath
Your loyalty programme will attract and cultivate consumer relationships if surprise and joy are added. It is essential for maintaining the relevance of your programme. Meeting or exceeding members’ expectations tends to boost loyalty and improve brand perception. Customers will feel more valued and do business with your firm more frequently. Members who are rewarded in this way are more likely to make repeat purchases, shop at larger retailers, and engage with a brand.
Add mystery components, such as a hidden tier or secret gift, to your loyalty programme to spice up the element of surprise and delight. This will make your company more distinctive in the sea of standard old rewards. This marketing tactic can do wonders for your loyalty strategy if used correctly.
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Don’t forget to download Antavo’s Global Customer Loyalty Report 2022, a comprehensive report that provides you with guidance as you traverse the world of next-generation loyalty programmes by showcasing a number of statistics as well as upcoming market trends.