Why do you need a loyalty app?
Loyalty schemes are great for encouraging repeat custom, but recently apps have meant that loyalty apps are they can be used for much more than just securing repeat custom. Many loyalty apps now allow businesses to track consumers buying habits and target them with relevant ads and offers. Apps also allow businesses to create personalised experience for their customers, increasing the chances of repeat custom.
The new Nandos app is not only one of the best loyalty apps around due to the free chicken available at the end, but also because features like ‘Wing Roulette’ mean that it is the most engaging too. Its designed to work alongside the new Nandos card meaning the whole process of earning, tracking and redeeming points is as quick and easy as it was on the old style paper and stamp card(you can use the paper card up to the 30th of June) but the app brings lots of new exciting features which engages the user with the brand.
Wing Roulette is a well-known feature of Nandos; you order the Wing Roulette dish and you are presented with 10 wings of varying spice. Bringing it into the app has provided a nice way to engage with the customers through gamification. Once you have ordered it’s as simple as setting up players on the app and then taking on the challenge.
Using the app improves the customer’s in-store experience by providing useful features such as the order notepad which prepopulates the form as you type with possible items from the Nandos menu, meaning if you have large table you won’t have any issues remembering the orders! The menu easily allows you to filter, which is perfect for anyone with dietary requirements.
Starbucks are well known for their loyalty schemes so it is no surprise that their app is extremely popular. The app is well designed and functional, making it clear from the home screen how many points you have and allowing you to easily find the nearest place to spend them. Before you start using the app you must sign up, which is the only downside I have found due to the amount of information required and unnecessary details such as home address.
However from here the app just keeps getting better and better. My favourite feature is the integration with Passbook which uses the phones location services to open up Passbook as soon as you enter any of your favourite stores, allowing you to pay without even having to unlock your phone. The rewards on offer include free syrups and different discounts depending on how many points you have and the app makes it extremely easy to work out what you need to do to get different rewards.
Debenhams Beauty Club (iOS)
The Debenhams Beauty Club makes shopping for cosmetics as easy as possible by adding loads of little features to ensure you find the perfect products, while easily tracking your spend and reward points. One of the nice features included in the app is the Fragrance Finder. All the user has to do is select the different scents they like and the app selects a suitable perfume. This is also very similar to the nail polish finder; you simply select your skin tone and find a nail polish to match.
One of the best ways that the app engages with users is with its useful ‘how to’ videos, which include style and makeup tips. Debenhams also use push notification to promote the latest offers and promotions, which regularly include free gifts for members when certain purchases are made.
The Giraffe apps main function is to allow customers to collect stamps in the same way as an old style card based loyalty system. With Giraffe you collect a stamp when you spend £20 or more on food. Once you have 5 stamps you receive 50% off on the next visit. There is also a card available if you are a fan of Giraffe’s coffee - simply collect 7 stamps and the 8th coffee is free. This system is the easy to use as you simply scan a QR code at the till and your stamp is automatically added to your account, and with the stamp based system being familiar to many people the whole user experience extremely friendly.
What makes the Giraffe system unique is the ability to gift stamps to other users, therefore encouraging people to share the app with their friends. However I have sent and been sent stamps, and none have arrived so this may be an issue with the app.
Off the shelf apps
Although fully bespoke apps are becoming more and more popular for a lot of companies, off the shelf loyalty apps such as Stamp Me and Belly are becoming increasingly used by both small sole traders and multinationals. They are proving popular due to their relatively low price and ease of use. Many of the apps available use the simple card and stamp based method, all the retailer has to do is either enter a code or use a small wirelessly connected device that acts like a stamp.
With Stamp Me the user can store multiple cards from different brands on one device, making it easy to track their rewards, and gain stamps. It is also easy for the retailer to use, Stamp Mme is supplied to the retailer with a simple electronic key (Stamp Mate.). This connects to the customerscustomer’s smartphone using low energy technology to automatically add stamps onto a customer’s account. What makes apps like Stamp Me better than an old style paper and stamp system is it allows retailers to track users’ habits as well as share deals and offers with them through the app, SMS and email. It also allows customers to discover new businesses that offer rewards through the app, potentially turning them into new customers.
With the rise of loyalty apps and technologies like iBeacon and NFC becoming more common in store, the future of loyalty apps looks to become more personalised, and more direct. From a consumer’s point of view this will allow them to be rewarded only for what they are interested in, while for brands I means they can easily target consumers with relevant content.
