Start with behaviour, not rewards
Before anyone opens a spreadsheet of possible rewards, write down the single behaviour you most want to change. More visits per month? A second product? Staying past the first renewal? Everything else follows from that.
If you cannot name one behaviour, the programme will try to do everything and end up doing very little.
Mix frequent and aspirational
Members need something they can use soon and something to look forward to. Everyday rewards like coffee or dining keep the programme in their week. Bigger rewards like travel give them a reason to keep going.
A catalogue made only of big rewards feels out of reach. One made only of small rewards feels cheap. You need both.
Ask, then watch
Surveys are useful, but what people say and what they redeem are different things. Launch with a sensible mix, then watch what actually gets used for a few months before adding more.
Remove rewards nobody touches. A shorter catalogue is easier to understand and cheaper to run.
Use partners for variety
Very few businesses can source travel, dining, wellness and digital rewards on their own. Partner merchants and brands give you variety without building every relationship yourself.
The best partner rewards are ones your members already like but would not buy for themselves.
Key takeaways
- Name the one behaviour you want to change
- Combine everyday and aspirational rewards
- Judge rewards by redemptions, not opinions
- Use partners to add variety you cannot build alone