Athletic products and loyalty programs are a great match because, together, they have the potential to help customers develop a more active lifestyle. For instance, rewarding members for their use of a physical activity tracker may provide the motivation for some people to actually get out and work out regularly. In this article, we’ll analyze a reward system that follows this strategy: the Bergzeit loyalty program.
A Quest for a Loyalty Program That Caters to an Athletic-Minded Community
Bergzeit is a multichannel retailer in Germany selling mountaineering products. Strong in both online and in-store retail, with a variety of content in its online magazine, and over 130 guided tours in its outdoor academy, the company is a starting point for any alpine adventure.
Bergzeit was interested in launching a loyalty program that catered to its audience—those with an active lifestyle and love for the outdoors. So the company partnered with Antavo to put this idea into action, which led to a loyalty program that rewards customers for their active lifestyle as much as it rewards them for making repeat purchases.
We’ve been internally discussing customer retention and loyalty programs for a while now, and come up with many great ideas we wanted to turn into reality. We’ve chosen Antavo as our loyalty technology provider for two reasons: first, because they offer best-in-class consultancy, and their team behind the project is very helpful. Secondly, Antavo offers a robust system that opens up the door for engaging new loyalty concepts.
Outstanding Results
Based on the results, Bergzeit Club has proven to be of great value to the brand. Overall, the loyalty program has helped increase purchase frequency and average order value.
Comparing Bergzeit Club members vs non-members:
- 95% increase in the average frequency of orders per member
- 25% increase in average order value
- 5X more newsletter subscribers
Top Priorities: Differentiate & Increase Customer Lifetime Value
Dealing with hiking and sports equipment means that Bergzeit saw a relatively low purchase frequency. Often buyers would place one order and then disappear for a long time. In addition, the company sought to differentiate itself from its biggest competitors without relying too much on discounts. Lastly, Bergzeit wanted a customer retention solution that fit with its existing CRM and marketing providers.
As a result, these three main challenges were brought to Antavo:
- Get customers to the 2nd and 3rd purchases
- Differentiate the brand with a meaningful reward journey
- Integrate seamlessly with a variety of providers
Bergzeit Club: An Approachable, Customer-Friendly Reward Program
Bergzeit’s loyalty system — aptly named Bergzeit Club — is built upon the foundation of two distinct loyalty mechanisms: earn & burn and tiers. The resulting hybrid program is capable of delivering short-term reward experiences, as well as maintaining engagement in the long run, simultaneously catering to both new and old customers.
There are three tiers in total. Level 1 members are eligible for some benefits from the get-go (such as members-only sales, which incentivize new purchases), but the best rewards are kept for top-tier members.
Points can be earned reliably through transactions, but customers are offered other ways to gain loyalty currency:
- Members can earn points for writing reviews on products they’ve verifiably purchased
- Customers can earn a €10 coupon for inviting a friend who spends at least €100 in the shop
- Still, the most noteworthy non-transactional activity that gives members points are the activity tracking app integrations
How the Bergzeit Loyalty Program Created a New Norm for Athletic Loyalty Programs
A fundamental feature of the Bergzeit Club are the activity tracking app integrations. As the company’s primary target audience consists of hiking enthusiasts and fans of the active alpine lifestyle, the company wanted a loyalty program that would reward them not just for shopping, but also for living an athletic lifestyle.
Antavo responded to this challenge by integrating activity tracker app solutions. This way members who use the app can earn points and then spend them on rewards. It works like this:
- Bergzeit has a dedicated section on the membership page, which customers can visit in order to connect their account
- After clicking on the button, members are asked to log into their activity trcaker app’s account
- Once customers have successfully identified themselves, Bergzeit Club unlocks a series of activities and rewards
The connection between the activity tracking apps and Antavo happens in real-time. Whenever a member completes a loyalty challenge, the apps call out to Antavo’s back-end to save the event.
Technology Under the Hood
The Bergzeit Club loyalty program levels are based on customers’ earned points, which can be redeemed for rewards. Members can earn coupons with different values: 10 EUR coupon for 1500 points, 20 EUR coupon for 3000 points and 40 EUR coupon for 6000 points.
When a member redeems their points for a coupon, then by providing the Reward Pass ID via the integration with Emarsys’ marketing communication platform, Antavo communicates which reward pass has been redeemed, and all necessary data for the member to download the corresponding Reward Pass.
Also, when loyalty program members connect their activity tracking app account to Bergzeit Club, for which they receive 100 points, members need to provide their loyalty program ID. Antavo’s platform receives this member ID and from then on Antavo’s platform is able to identify the customer through the webhook message received from the activity tracking app.
Get Your Climbing Gear Ready!
Naturally, mountaineering product retailers aren’t the only ones benefiting from having a loyalty program with a sports tracker integration. The footwear and fashion industries, in general, are also a great fit for next-gen loyalty solutions. Remember: satisfying customers both inside and outside the buying cycle is the key to long-term engagement!
For a more detailed look into Bergzeit’s loyalty program, download our case study. And, as always, we’re more than happy to start a conversation on how Antavo can help drive your KPIs.
