Customer Loyalty Programs

As one of two marketers at the launch of LevelUp, the nation’s largest mobile payment and customer loyalty platform, Alex Shuck built the company’s digital marketing strategy from the ground up. Alex has done everything from growing LevelUp’s social channels to developing and implementing digital advertising for the company and its 14,000+ partner merchants to starting a street marketing program to drive brand awareness, new customer sign-ups and increased usage of the platform. You may already have used their technology and not even been aware as they work with companies like Steak N Shake, Sweet Green, UBurger, Chop’t, BGR the Burger Joint. He joins the show today to teach us how companies like LevelUp can keep your customers coming back time and time again.

ABOUT THE SHOW

Like Bite & Share is a podcast about marketing in the food business. Each episode includes an insightful interview with food marketing professionals.

SHOW NOTES

Key Takeaways:

  • LevelUp uses consumer engagement points like discount incentives, birthday gifts, allowing customers to order ahead of time, and campaigns designed around bringing back customers who haven’t been to the store/restaurant in a while
  • LevelUp partners can have their loyalty program accessible through the general LevelUp app, or they can develop a dedicated, branded app with LevelUp
    • The most successful businesses using their own app have five or more locations. Businesses with fewer locations will likely be more effective integrating through LevelUp’s app and using the money elsewhere that would have been spent on the dedicated app
  • Time shifting campaigns: find customers that aren’t coming in at a specific time and target them to get them in at the time that you want them there
  • Going by LevelUp’s data, customers that are targeted for an ongoing campaign are more likely to increase frequency during the campaign and to return after the campaign has ended.
  • Limited time offers are very effective customer loyalty campaigns
  • Consumers who pass businesses on their commute often use the “order ahead,” function on LevelUp
  • When giving out discounts, it’s important to create moments around the promotion so as to not devalue your product in the eyes of the consumer
    • Tying promotions to holidays or food holidays give a reason for a discount. That way consumers don’t see discounts and think of desperation
    • Capping the amount of discounts a consumer can take advantage of per year keeps you from cannibalizing sales
  • There tend to be jumps in sales when customers near there reward threshold, and an even bigger jump when the customer unlocks an incentive
  • Referral programs are great for customer acquisition
  • QR codes can and do still work, but you as a business have to think about what the purpose of the code is before you implement it

Links Mentioned in this Episode:

Learn more about Alex Shuck & LevelUp: