Coalition Loyalty Programs

Phillips Seafood is aiming to keep customers in the Mid-Atlantic region coming back for more of their signature seafood with the Friends of Phillips loyalty program. Diners in Atlantic City, Baltimore, Ocean City, Philadelphia, and Washington DC can earn rewards and special offers by signing up for the frequent diners card, with the perks becoming more attractive as customers spend more at Phillips.

The Friends of Phillips rewards program lets customers earn 1 point for every dollar that they spend at any participating restaurant, excluding alcohol only purchases. Once customers accrue 100 points, they earn a $10 reward that can be used towards their next meal at Phillips. Customers will also receive special offers for their birthday and anniversary, as well as special email offers, wine specials, and events which offer customers double points for their purchases.

Phillips also offers big spenders an extra incentive to join the Friends of Phillips. Members who earn 400 points will become a VIP member of the Phillips crew, which makes them eligible for additional rewards. VIP members can be treated to “priority seating, complimentary passes to the National Aquarium, Zoo and the Science Center in Baltimore, and discounts on party platters, seafood shipping and souvenirs.”

In order to register for the Friends of Phillips rewards program, customers can visit any participating location to complete an application. There is a $10 registration fee, but customers will receive $10 in rewards for their next visit. For more information, visit the Phillips Seafood website.

WHAT’S HAPPENING NOW AT PHILLIPS

Tweets by @PhillipsSeafood

May 23, 2013May 20, 2016

Lettuce Entertain You Frequent Diner Club

Lettuce Entertain You

Lettuce Entertain You’s Frequent Diner Club offers a sophisticated loyalty program for customers at nearly 70 locations across the country. The basic premise of the program is that after purchasing a Frequent Diner card for a one time 25 dollar enrollment fee, diners can begin racking up points for every dollar they spend at participating restaurants.

What sets LEYE’s rewards program apart are the options the program offers customers in terms of how to save and spend their points. At its most basic level, customers receive 10 dollars in dining rewards for every 140 dollars that they spend at one of the restaurants. For the more goal oriented diner, the Frequent Diner’s Club offers an extensive rewards program beyond dining rewards. Members can save their points for cooking classes, spa getaways, and resort vacations. All of these points can be checked on the customer’s online account or on LEYE’s convenient Lettuce Eats mobile app, which also allows customers to post reviews, view menus, and get directions to nearby LEYE locations.

The Reward’s Club’s perks are not limited to the rewards points that customers accrue from dining out. Members will also receive emails with offers and discounts on a variety of products and services. As with the spa trips and resorts, LEYE looks to retain customers by offering them incentives ranging from White Sox tickets to deals on concert tickets and wine club memberships.

Lettuce Entertain You takes its program further by offering its members the option of becoming a silver or gold member. The LEYE website details the advantages (and requirements) of being a preferred member:

First, you’ll earn more points per dollar spent: 1.25 for Silver, and 1.5 points per dollar spent for Gold. Second, you’ll be that much closer to being able to redeem your points for special rewards (click here to view the rewards). And third, Gold Level Members receive Priority Reservation privileges at Lettuce restaurants.

Once you have reached Silver or Gold status, you will keep that status through the following calendar year. You will need to spend $2,500 in the calendar year to keep your Gold status and $1,000 in the calendar year to keep your Silver status.

The Rewards Club Program also gives customers the option of “banking” their rewards, which, according to the Rewards Club website, allows members greater flexibility in terms of saving and using their points:

You may choose to bank your points until the end of the calendar year (January 1 to December 31) to save for premium rewards. Choose the banking option on your online profile. All points must be redeemed at the end of the year. If you have not reached 1,400 or more points by December 31, your points will automatically be redeemed and credit will be transferred to your Rewards Card. If you have not redeemed your points by December 31, you will receive a letter outlining your options.

LEYE seems to have an ambitious plan to keep customers coming back (and spending large sums of money while dining). The diversity of perks that LEYE offers its customers, from discounted dining to specials on travel and entertainment, speaks to the competition in the market. For more information, visit the website.

WHAT’S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW AT LETTUCE ENTERTAIN YOU

Tweets by @LettuceEats

March 22, 2013May 20, 2016

Starbucks Rewards – Earn Stars for Buying Packaged Coffee in Grocery Stores

Earn Starbucks Rewards Stars for Buying Coffee in Grocery Stores with a Special Code

I read the announcement made recently by Starbucks about some new innovations with Starbucks Rewards. The one that intrigued me the most was this one, from the company’s March 20, 2013 press release:

Starbucks Introduces Innovative Cross-Channel, Multi-Brand Loyalty Program
The announcement by Adam Brotman, chief digital officer, of an expansion of the company’s loyalty and rewards program, and an industry-first innovation that will enable customers to earn rewards for grocery channel purchases that can be redeemed in Starbucks retail stores and is expected to double the number of customers enrolled in the company’s programs in fiscal 2013.

While I saw everyone in the Twitter-sphere jumping up and down about how cool this is, I was thinking about something different. We live in the world of the details behind loyalty programs including data integrity and data collection. Having spent plenty of time working with loyalty programs (including in the grocery store retail industry) I know that the idea of trying to make an SKU linkage in the grocery basket that transfers to a manufacturer’s loyalty program carries significant complications.

How are they going to make this work?

The feature isn’t live yet, but details are beginning to emerge.

The program will include specially-marked packaged coffees — both whole bean and ground — that will feature a code that can be redeemed online at the company’s website. Guests will be able to earn “stars” for their My Starbucks Reward accounts, enabling them to receive free food or beverages at Starbucks stores, along with other special offers.

Aha! Special packages that will include a code that Starbucks Rewards members may redeem online to earn “stars.” For those of you not quite familiar with Starbucks Rewards, “stars” are the promotional currency of the program. Members earn stars for their purchases and the number of stars you’ve earned translates into your status and benefits. So the responsibility is on the shoulders of the member to make sure that they get the code from the package. I suspect it will be inside the package because otherwise I’d be able to simply walk through the grocery store and collect/scan codes from the outside of dozens of Starbucks packages without buying a single one. You’ll need to make sure you get the code and scan it or input it online to get your credit. In some ways, it’s like the 21st century version of collecting boxtops.

Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s a reasonably good move for Starbucks. It will be interesting to see whether it plays a big role in getting current Starbucks Rewards members to earn stars on grocery purchases or a big role in getting grocery customers to join Starbucks Rewards. Or both.

The precedent set is important. It is now credible to put codes on your packaging that may allow certain restaurant brands to tie in their grocery brands with a restaurant loyalty/rewards program. Well, the first in line for that one will be Dunkin’ Donuts who announced recently that they’ll be rolling out loyalty in the near future. There are many other candidates with grocery brands including companies such as California Pizza Kitchen, T.G.I. Friday’s and Taco Bell.

Game on.

February 8, 2013February 16, 2013

Restaurant.com Launches New Rewards Program

In case you’re not familiar with Restaurant.com, here’s a summary of what they do, from their website:

We Help Communities Thrive and Prosper

Restaurant.com enables local restaurants and small businesses to give diners the best deal on every meal. We help diners find and use local restaurants, driving new customers and bringing back old ones, providing great value to the diner, and strengthening local economies. Restaurant.com Gift Certificates match diners with great savings at new restaurants. Your favorite restaurant is in your neighborhood – maybe you just don’t know it yet. Restaurant.com is here to help.

So this new rewards program of theirs may have some interesting appeal. We know from our LoyaltyPulse research study that 73% of consumers would like one rewards program that is honored at multiple restaurant brands. The local aspect may have some legs with certain consumers as well, as the ‘buy local’ trend gets greater traction. The key to this program is whether or not the value proposition is strong enough and certain enough. We also know from our research that 4 out of 5 consumers prefer a clearly-defined rewards program proposition over periodic surprises. Here’s a sentence lifted directly from the Restaurant.com Rewards Program’s terms and conditions:

The primary Rewards are virtual recognitions such as badges and status levels.

Here’s an excerpt from the press release about the new program:

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, IL (February 7, 2013) – Restaurant.com, the nation’s largest dining deals site, announced the launch of a new rewards program which enables participants to earn points, badges, and advance on the Restaurant.com Rewards Leaderboard. Diners earn rewards by shopping, sharing on social channels and participating in promotions. The game-like rewards experience highlights and enhances the thousands of dining opportunities Restaurant.com has to offer.

“Restaurant.com Rewards offers a variety of fun interactive perks for shoppers,” said Christopher Krohn, President and CMO, Restaurant.com. “We are excited to provide our customers yet another way to discover amazing dining discounts and be rewarded for their engagement and loyalty.”

Restaurant.com customers can begin playing immediately by logging into their account. When they complete a reward-worthy action, participants receive a message of congratulations as well as a clue about what to do next to achieve additional points and badges. Customers start at the “Newbie” level and continue to “level-up” as they earn points and complete fun shopping “missions.”

Restaurant.com will also host a range of playful promotions and sweepstakes through its rewards program. As customers progress their way up toward higher levels, they unlock additional badges and may earn special surprises such as free Restaurant.com gift certificates and other rewards. From now through February 15, 2013, Restaurant.com Rewards participants can earn the “Nifty Fifty” badge with the chance to win a year’s supply of $50.00 eCertificates (12 free $50 eCertificates). Restaurant.com will reveal other limited edition special badges to participants throughout the year.

Stay tuned. For more information, check out the Rewards Section at the Restaurant.com website.

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