Learn from the best gamification loyalty program examples.
Have you heard of Super Mario? Of course, you have. Why do you think we spent so much time saving Princess Peach?
Was it because their virtual world was more desirable than our reality? Well, it can be one of the reasons. But the main reason is far more complex than escapism.
We returned to those games to fulfill our natural needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness. The deadly combination of reward systems and good storytelling made the games appealing.
And marketers have identified how using gaming-related elements in business can help create brand awareness and boost customer engagement and loyalty.
Did you know that an average customer belongs to almost 15 loyalty programs but is only active in 7? It means only half of the global loyalty programs have active customers.
The same reports suggest that 53% of customers are more likely to engage with brands that offer gamified loyalty programs. It’s the secret ingredient for a successful loyalty program recipe.
Traditional loyalty programs are boring. Every business is copy-pasting the same program to lure customers. And the reason why gamification loyalty programs work so well is that they allow you to rise above this monotony.
We have already covered gamification in loyalty programs in-depth:
- How To Create A Gamified Loyalty Program For Your Shopify Store
- Ways To Gamify Customer Loyalty Programs For Higher Engagement And Retention Rates
And in this blog, we’re going to share some eCommerce gamification examples and what you can learn from them.
Without further ado, let’s jump right in!
7 Gamified Loyalty Program Examples and What You Can Learn From Them
Gamification in loyalty programs is suited for every eCommerce business, irrespective of what they sell. Here are some eCommerce gamification examples you can take inspiration from:
The Man Company
The Man Company is an India-based men’s grooming and wellness brand, a one-stop shop for men looking for affordable yet premium grooming products. With their out-of-the-box marketing strategies, they have placed themselves in a different league altogether.
Their gamification loyalty program, known as “The Man Wallet,” categorized their customers into tiers based on how much they interact with the brand. This tier reward system pushes customers to buy more to get into higher tiers.
The Man Company has leveraged the Flits app to set up this tiered reward program, which helped increase their repeat purchases and gamified the shopping experience. This is what their gold tier page looks like:
What You Can Learn
- The tiered reward system allows The Man Company to foster a long-term relationship with their customers because they’ll keep coming to stay in the top tier.
- The customers in the top tier get more rewards/benefits, which gamifies the shopping experience for them.
- The tiered loyalty program allows The Man Company to segment its customer base in a more natural way. The higher the rank, the more valuable they are to your company.
Simply Be
Simply Be, a women’s clothing brand, has been a staple in the plus-size community for years. Their aim has always been to highlight body positivity. And they started a gamified loyalty program to reward their customers for interacting with the brand and showing who they are.
Their gamification loyalty program encourages the customers to upload pictures of themselves wearing their favorite clothes by the brand or opening their monthly gift box. This strategy helps them create brand awareness. And because the customers get reward points, the number of repeat purchases also jumps up.
What You Can Learn
- The gamified loyalty program of Simply Be enables the brand to leverage the power of word-of-mouth. Customers turn into brand advocates, sharing their experiences in lieu of freebies and discounts.
- They have incorporated surprise elements for gamification of the loyalty program, which increases the purchase frequency.
Victoria’s Secret PINK
PINK, a lingerie and apparel line by Victoria’s Secret, is a subsidiary targeting younger women than their main line. The target audience of this line consists of youth aged between 13 to 22.
For their loyalty program, Victoria’s Secret created a separate app for the PINK line, where the customers got points when they signed up for the “Fashion Show Sweeps” contest. Some of the contestants win a trip to the company’s fashion show.
The app comes with engaging content and built-in games, which increase the engagement of users with the brand. It also has member-only offers and access to exclusive events, which makes the app worth installing for regular customers.
What You Can Learn
- The gamification loyalty program members earn additional points when they play in-app games and participate in social media contests which boost brand awareness and purchase frequency.
- The Victoria’s Secret app comes with in-app quizzes and surveys, which allows the brand to gather a truckload of customer data and increase website visits.
- With this collected data, the brand knows the preferences of every customer, which makes it easier to target them with personalized ads.
Sephora
Sephora, a French multinational retailer of beauty and personal care products, has always understood how emotions can drive sales. And it’s one of the reasons why they have leveraged gamification in loyalty programs. They use it to build an exclusive community.
This loyalty program also used the tier-based reward system to hook customers. They can join the program for free as an “Insider,” but to move up the ladder, they have to make purchases. The VIB tier requires customers to spend at least $350/year, and if they spend over $1000/year, they reach the Rogue tier.
And obviously, as customers move up the tier, they get access to more discounts, reward points, early access to deals, and much more.
What You Can Learn
- Sephora’s gamified loyalty programs build a competitive atmosphere where customers in the lower tier purchase more to reach the higher level.
- The exclusivity of offers and early access to deals increases the purchase frequency of customers.
Canningvale
Canningvale is an Australian homeware shop that follows a different strategy to increase enrollment in its loyalty program.
They’ve worked on creating an exceptional explainer page for their loyalty program. This page acts just like a gaming manual that guides its players about what they need to do to get started.
On their explainer page, they have clearly outlined the program’s benefits and used separate color codes for different tiers.
When customers see the benefits of subsequent tiers, they instantly know what they are missing by not being a part of the higher level. The explainer page gives customers a clear idea of how much they need to spend to move to the next level.
What You Can Learn
- The explainer page can boost the scarcity effect of your loyalty program by clearly indicating to customers what they’re missing out on.
- The scarcity effect will lead to more participation which will increase your sales because the customer will purchase more to reach the higher tier.
Sweet Lounge
Sweet Lounge is a multi-award-winning confectionery brand based in The Midlands. They provide delicious and high-quality candies without the inclusion of animals and plants in the manufacturing and packaging process.
Their customers get reward points every time they share posts of the brand, engage with them, or shop from them. Sharing reviews about their products on social media gives additional points to customers, which can be redeemed easily.
What You Can Learn
- Customers earn points for being brand advocates. This boosts the brand awareness of Sweet Lounge.
- When social media users read good reviews about Sweet Lounge, they even visit the store to try the products.
Lazada
Lazada, a Singaporean eCommerce company, is well known for its shoppertainment strategies. They have not just gamified their campaigns but the whole shopping experience too.
This company has incorporated tons of gamified features in its app, including collectible vouchers, referral rewards, daily discounts, a countdown timer, and much more. They are using gamification loyalty programs to the best of their potential.
There’s a feature in which customers get virtual banana seeds that users plant and wait for them to bear fruits. The seed grows a little every time customers purchase something. And when the fruit is harvested, a surprise gift is delivered to the customer’s doorstep.
What You Can Learn
- Lazada’s banana tree harvest program encourages customers to keep purchasing from time to time to keep the tree alive and growing. It boosts customer loyalty.
- The other gamification loyalty program features give customers store points which increase repeat purchases.
Some More Examples of eCommerce Store Using Gamification in Loyalty Programs
Woot
Woot, an Amazon company, is an eCommerce store that offers one product every day at an unbelievable price. The new product is offered at 12:00 AM Central Time each day. Every midnight people wait with excitement for Woot to reveal the product.
This is a good example of gamification that eCommerce brands can implement. Make your people wait for the sale product. Most of your customers will be hooked to your store at the given time to get the product at an amazing price.
Sand Cloud
Sand Cloud, a California-based bathing and lifestyle company, runs a successful loyalty program. They have gamified their loyalty program with the “spin-to-win” feature.
In their spinning wheel gamification strategy, customers have to spin the wheel, and if they’re lucky, they get discounts, reward points, and even freebies.
Other than the spinning wheel, they also run a regular loyalty program where customers can collect points by joining the loyalty program, making purchases, and engaging with them on social media channels. These reward points can then be exchanged for exclusive discounts.
St.Botanica
St. Botanica is clear about its loyalty programs. They want to be known as a brand with a purpose. When you join their loyalty programs, you get your first product through an expert’s recommendation.
They use a questionnaire to learn about your skin and hair type. And based on what you share, they suggest the product. And not just product recommendation, you also get the first product for free.
It’s a good gamified loyalty program to acquire new customers. And also keeps them hooked to reward points for all the purchases they make in the future.
Create a Gamified Loyalty Program to Boost Your Sales
Customers are now bored of the usual give-and-take loyalty programs. They now feel that it’s more beneficial for the brand than for them to be a part of them. So, even after joining such programs, they stay inactive.
With gamification, loyalty programs become interesting and more customers want to be a part of them. The gamified loyalty programs bring more repeat purchases and spread the good word about the brand.
Using Flits, you can easily set up a gamification loyalty program in your store.
