One of my favourite times to compare loyalty programs is when my birthday comes around. I love when I am recognised for being loyal or when a brand attempts to re-engage me. As a busy working mum of twins, I don’t always have time to engage with some of my favourite brands.
Personally, I found a reduction in emails with offers, discounts, general congrats for my birthday. Are brands removing birthday comms from their programs? Are they reviewing their member lifecycle and only rewarding for engagement? Or did they simply forget an opportunity? I feel it is a combination of all three, but let me show you what I received, how I felt when I engaged this year:
McDonalds
This was a nice surprise. When I opened my MyMacca’s App I had a pop saying Happy Birthday and I would get a free item. I could choose between a large fries, sundae etc ….. I honestly wasn’t expecting this, so it was a delightful surprise. I also like how they did the pop up to recognised but also give me a sweet free treat too!
Room for improvement: No
10 out of 10 birthday candles
MECCA
I know I have spent as much with MECCA as they would like, but all I received was a HAPPY BIRTHDAY in my account menu. When talking to some friends recently, they received a $20 voucher. This made me feel very undervalued – as I only just dropped down in tiers too! Very disappointed as no loyalty for time on program seems to be considered. The menu was a nice touch – but make me feel more special (what about a free item from your suppliers?)
Room for improvement: Yes. What about a supply funded birthday surprise? Or make sure everyone gets something.
1 out of 10 birthday candles
Baker’s Delight
What a come back from last years’ experience. Not only did they check my rewards automatically when I was making a purchase, but they wished me a happy birthday AND asked what I was doing for it. I had completely forgotten about the free scone too! The team member who served me made me feel special. Having the team engaged makes a world of difference.
Room for improvement: No
10 out of 10 birthday candles
7-Eleven
Free doughnut anyone? Yes please! Another surprise and delight. I use this app often and love seeing my progress up the ladder towards my 7th free item. It was a lovely treat to see a birthday recognition too! The team member also wished me Happy Birthday too – a small thing can really make a difference to how your members emotionally engage.
Room for improvement: Again, I would like something a little more personalised to my purchase habits.
9 out of 10 birthday candles
Everyday Rewards
With the sheer amount of money I spend, boosting, deliveries, instore shopping, free items with my subscription etc… and gathering all this data about me, I expected something more from Everyday Rewards. I received nothing – not even a message. What a wasted opportunity when I am extremely engaged!
Room for improvement: Reward people!
0 out of 10 birthday candles
Cheesecake Shop
This is an interesting one… I was offered a measly $5 off a cake. Should I be the target audience for my own birthday cake?
Room for improvement: Is this a business opportunity for them to expand their program to gather key dates and provide targeting offers? $5 off – I think a % would have been better. $5 doesn’t even get you a coffee anymore!
1 out if 10 birthday candles
Hungry Jack’s
I haven’t purchased through the app but it was great to have a surprise Whopper for my birthday. Unfortunately, the timing to redeem was too short for me (1 week).
Room for improvement: Depending on redemption rates – maybe this could be extended for a little longer.
7 out of 10 birthday candles
Ikea
I have needed to spend a little at Ikea this year. Had a lovely email wishing me a happy birthday month – also a nice way to get all your birthday list done in one hit! I see what you are doing Ikea.
My special surprise was a $10 voucher is valid for one month with a min spend of $50.
Room for improvement: Yes. Nice token but I am not sure if this is an efficient reward. Couldn’t they offer a cinnamon scroll or meat balls? Also, with a product range like Ikea, and being a destination store, is one month enough time?
8 out of 10 birthday candles
Boost Juice
Still a favourite this year – my free drink! What I love is their member emails – they send reminder emails to ensure you don’t miss out. This is really a great, seamless experience instore. I love this birthday perk. The team are friendly, the drink is yummy, and I walk away feeling special. I also go back to the office and tell everyone!
Room for improvement: No
10 out of 10 birthday candles
Best & Less
Basic offer for my birthday – 15% off my next shop, valid for one month. I do purchase a bit for the twins – but probably not often enough to go back right this moment. Would be great to have the expiry go for another few weeks.
Room for improvement: Better than last year – when I was asked to buy more before they would give a birthday discount.
8 out of 10 birthday candles
Flight Centre
A nice surprise, $50 voucher! Min $500 and need to book within a month. As expected, a lot of conditions on redemption but it was very unexpected.
Room for improvement: Yes. Would be amazing if this could have a longer expiry but I feel this is very generous too.
7 out of 10 birthday candles
Checklist of questions to consider when offering a birthday reward in your loyalty program:
- Does it make sense for your business to offer birthday rewards? For some businesses it makes more sense to celebrate a member’s anniversary milestones rather than birthday
- Do you have any efficient rewards members would love?
- Is the member value exchange clear when you are asking them to provide their birthdate? E.g., when asking a member for this data point make it clear why you are collecting it – so they can receive a gift on their birthday. This helps with trust and data accuracy.
- What will the reward be? ($ off, % off, GWP, etc)
- How will the reward be redeemed (instore, online, barcode, app etc)?
- What will the subject line be in your email?
- What is the value of the reward to the member – do you tier these?
- Do you have birthday rewards included in your staff training for orientation?
- Do you have a means to continually remind staff monthly of all offers (including a reminder about birthday ones!)
- Do you want to setup feedback from members (surveys, reviews etc) to find out their feelings of their birthday reward?
- Can you provide a way for members to share their birthday redemption in social media?
- How long will the voucher/offer last for? (1 day, 1 week, 1 month)
- What is the cost to the business for redemption?
- In what ways does having a birthday reward attribute to business KPIs?
- Can you clearly track results?
- Do you need to provide a different offer to achieve required results?
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