How do we build deep loyalty in a highly competitive market? I think how we really encourage loyalty is by creating programs and participant experiences that are personal and meaningful.
For our client side, our solutions are not one-size-fits-all. We want to get their goals, and we want to create programs that are helping them to achieve those goals. But on the flip side, the loyalty for the participants themselves within the program is about something different. We want them to do the behavior and get the points, but the way that we help our clients to drive that loyalty is through a very meaningful, personal redemption.
Here is how we approach the participant experience to create a connection that goes beyond a simple transaction.
The “Trophy Value”: Supplementing Cash Bonuses
Why do tangible rewards often have more staying power than cash? I think the best way to answer this is: when you get your paycheck every week, a lot of times that goes into the bank account. You don’t really think about it, and you are spending it on your day-to-day expenses.
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💡 KEY TAKEAWAY Tangible rewards create long-standing recognition moments for your employees and customers that cash simply cannot match. People forget bonus amounts, but they remember meaningful experiences. |
I say all the time, I can’t really remember the exact dollar amount of every bonus, but I can tell you every single reward that I redeemed within our platform. My very first one being a small, portable vacuum cleaner, and my latest being an experience for my family when we went to Disney World.
Tangible rewards can help you create deeper connections with your employees and your customers and recognize them in a way that’s really special and memorable.
Moving Beyond the “Pick a Toaster” Mentality
While our catalog has all sorts of items in it (and if you want the toaster, great), a lot of times what we can help people do is find something really special. That means it is more than just merchandise over cash; it is something that is specific to the person.
What makes our approach different:
- Surprise large TVs for families during the holidays
- Custom mountain bikes with specific requirements tailored to the individual
- High-touch service from onboarding through delivery
That is what really drives loyalty. You know you are not just being a number or an order that is getting shipped and sent to you, but that your company or the sponsoring organization has found a partner that treats you – their employee or their customer – in the way that you want to be treated for giving them your business, or giving them your time and your dedication.
The Amazon Effect: Meeting Modern Delivery Expectations
How do we meet modern expectations for fast delivery? You know, I joke because I live somewhere where delivery is not fast, but what I think really makes for a positive participant experience is strong communication.
Our commitment to participants:
- ✅ Clear delivery expectations set upfront
- ✅ Proactive notifications when orders ship
- ✅ Live customer service reps you can call or email – no chatbot runaround
- ✅ 95-98% of items ship within 5 days
If you have a question about your order, you are not asking a chatbot ten questions to get a tracking number. You can pick up the phone, call one of our customer service reps, or send us an email, and someone will personally respond to you.
The bottom line: Additionally, a lot of our rewards are aspirational in nature – large electronics, high-value items. So, we are looking for not only fast delivery, but quality delivery, whether that’s white-glove installation of a new TV or having somebody take some time for you to look at your grill before you sign off on it.
The Shift from Group Trips to Curated Getaways
Travel for us and our platform has taken a bit of a pivot in recent years. You can’t just throw something that is “one-size-fits-all” to groups for reward travel.Expectations for participants are a more personalized experience – somewhere that they really want to go, somewhere that fits with their family timing.
| ❌ OLD APPROACH | ✅ OUR APPROACH |
|---|---|
| One-size-fits-all group trips to specific resorts | Curated travel experiences tailored to individual participants |
| Taking orders and sending to predetermined locations | Pulling together full proposals with different options based on family timing and preferences |
We have found that, similar to how we really help with merchandise redemptions, when we are helping with travel rewards, it is becoming more and more personal. We find that those types of curated travel experiences, as opposed to sort of the one-size-fits-all group trip, have a really high return on our clients’ investment.
Trust Is the Foundation: Total Transparency
Transparency is something that I talk about a lot when I am onboarding our clients. It is maybe not something that they are thinking about when they are making a decision, but it becomes very important to running a successful program.
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⚠️ WHY TRANSPARENCY MATTERS It is important that we have a way to communicate what the program is going to recognize the participant for. Expectations have been set. You know if you do these behaviors, you can earn these points. |
How we ensure full transparency:
- Real-time point tracking – Participants can see their accounting grow on our platform
- Detailed indicators – Every single point is tied to a description (e.g., “Safety meeting: 500 points on 12/1”)
- Full accounting history – Whether earned or not earned, participants always know the status
- No uncertainty – It is never a mystery how many points are out there
Users always have full information. Maybe they didn’t achieve a level, maybe they did. But there are full accounting details. It is never a mystery on how many points are available.
