Kellogg’s Rewards Program Review: It’s Grrreat!

We dive deep into the world of loyalty programs and analyze the strengths and weaknesses of Kellogg’s rewards program, the Kellogg’s Family Rewards

Multinational food manufacturer Kellogg’s doesn’t require much of an introduction. We’ve all probably snacked on some of their treats or at least seen one of their recognizable mascots on store shelves. But did you know that the company also runs a loyalty program called Kellogg’s Family Rewards? The rewards program was revamped in 2022 and we were curious whether it lives up to the cereal giant’s name and we decided to put the Kellogg’s rewards program under the looking glass. And the results? Well, you’ll see.

Membership Page

Kellogg’s rewards program has a fun, new look and feel. While many other companies use the home page of their loyalty program to share the general benefits of the system, Kellogg’s cuts right to the case, showcasing activities that members can complete in order to start earning points.

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Focusing on rewards and activities instead of membership benefits only works if you’re running a purely earn & burn program. In the case of a tiered program, which is more sophisticated and where not all rewards are instantly available to new members, it’s more important to display the tier chart so customers get a solid understanding of their progression

With headers “Activities”, “Rewards”, and “More”, it’s easy for members to navigate and see what they can do and what they can earn — which is the basis of the program. Moreover, visitors don’t need to be logged in to see the program’s main selling points: great prizes, easy activities, and sweeps.

A list of activities members can do in the loyalty program at Kellogg’s.
Kellogg’s makes it easy for potential members and logged-in members to see what activities they can do and why they should do them.

Enrollment

Kellogg’s deserves another bonus point for a stylish registration page that reinforces the value propositions of the loyalty program. The company collects the most basic information (including name, gender, birth date, location), and then requires you to verify your account by entering a code sent via email.

The overall process is fairly standard and quick, which makes it likely that new members will make it all the way to the “Register” button. However,  this first key step could be sped up even more by asking only for login credentials, then asking customers to complete their full profile later for bonus points — similar to how Kellogg’s already asks about demographic and preference information via quizzes.

Part of the welcome email for new members of Kellogg’s Family Rewards Loyalty Program.
In the welcome email, the company emphasizes fun, explains what tokens are, and highlights the great rewards new members can earn in the program.

Point Accrual

Since Kellogg’s sells its products through retailers, the most reasonable solution is to reward customers for uploading their receipts — which the company does. There are two challenges with receipt uploading, however. First of all, you have to teach customers a new technical process of uploading or submitting their receipts. Secondly, you have to make it worthwhile for members to follow through and remember to upload receipts.

Knowing that receipt uploads are the core pillar of its loyalty program, Kellogg’s has done three key things:

  1. The receipt upload page goes out of its way to explain the different ways to submit receipts.
  2. Approved receipts are worth one token and one entry for a chance to win a monthly sweep.
  3. Kellogg’s Family Rewards gives new members the chance to win one token and sweep entry as a welcome gift. It is part of the activities page, giving customers the chance to get familiar with the rewards program website.
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Why it works:

  • Receipt uploading can be complicated for customers who aren’t tech-savvy or simply have never seen it before. That’s why educating customers with visuals and video content, like Kellogg’s, is a smart move.
  • Kellogg’s uses a special bonus to encourage customers to upload their first receipt.
Receipt upload activity in the Kellog’s loyalty program
Kellogg’s takes this information a step further with an optional video about receipt uploads and some helpful tips, just one click away from the initial receipt upload page.

Transactional & Non-transactional Activities

As mentioned above, the main way to earn points is to buy a Kellogg’s product and upload the receipt

Ask customers for more information about what they like and use that data to personalize the experience. When customers know how you’ll use their data (and they get rewarded for submitting it), they’ll be more likely to share.

In terms of non-transactional activities, Kellogg’s loyalty program incentivizes quiz completion, first-time receipt upload, demographic surveys, and so on.

A gamified survey in the Kellog’s Loyalty Program.
Gamified surveys are a great way for customers to earn points easily, without spending money, while helping brands learn about their customers’ preferences and habits. It’s a great way to gather zero-party data through your loyalty program.

Rewards

Kellogg’s rewards program is an earn & burn style program, meaning that the main activity is collecting tokens in various ways. These tokens can then be spent in the rewards catalog in exchange for a multitude of monthly benefits.

Among the rewards on offer in the Kellogg’s Family Rewards Program:

  • Gift cards
  • Branded merch (backpacks, playing cards, socks, tumblers, etc.)
  • Limited-edition snacks
  • Donations to charities
  • Magazine subscriptions
  • Sweeps entries

By including partner rewards, Kellogg’s is able to deliver a small variety each month. Their rewards offering features physical and digital rewards, unique experiences, free gifts, as well as coupons and gift cards. And the selection changes monthly to keep things interesting. Thumbs up!

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Why it works:

  • Kellogg’s renews their rewards offering on a monthly basis, which is a great way to keep customers coming back to the website to see what’s new. 
  • Every reward update is another reason for the company to reach out to customers via email and tell them about what’s new.
A listing of the rewards available in Kellogg’s Family Rewards in July 2022.
Kellogg’s occasionally gives customers the option to choose the prize that suits them best.

Loyalty App 

If there’s one area where Kellogg’s Family Rewards is lacking, that’s in mobile support. They have an optimized mobile experience, but without a dedicated loyalty app, the company is missing out on valuable customer touchpoints.

For starters, uploading receipts would be far easier using a loyalty application, thanks to the built-in functionalities it could provide. Also, apps are now able to support easy one-tap enrollment, further streamlining the registration process.

Lastly, a dedicated app can be a great, go-to way to stay in touch with customers. For instance, using push notifications to inform them about the latest offers, deals and rewards.

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If you do have a mobile app, consider using bonus points or instant rewards for new members who download the app or use certain functions for the first time. Once customers learn how to use it the first time, they’ll be more likely to use the functions again.

The Kellogg’s rewards program could also make good use of additional gamification features. Download our ebook on gamification to learn about the possibilities.

Download Antavo’s ebook on “Best Practices for Gamification in Loyalty Programs”

Final Judgement

Summarizing the pros and cons of Kellogg’s rewards program, we can say that they are on the right track, and the revamp has made the experience much more colorful and fun, but we’d love to see them move more into the mobile space with a receipt scanning app.

Kellogg's loyalty program pros and cons.

If you wish to learn more about next-gen, enterprise loyalty programs, our blog section offers educational articles and guides, including one about food & beverage loyalty programs.

Already have a loyalty concept? Our experts are more than happy to discuss how Antavo’s technology can make it into a reality, so feel free to include us in your RFP or contact us directly

And if you’re looking to create an engaging rewards offering like Kellogg’s, use our Rewards Planning Worksheet as a place to start your planning process.

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Headshot of Tamas Oszi Senior Loyalty Program Specialist at Antavo

Tamas Oszi

Tamas is the Head of Content at Antavo and a Certified Loyalty Marketing Professional - CLMP. Tamas is known for having a keen eye for loyalty and customer retention strategies and trends. Tamas is also a true gamer at heart and has an impressive collection of cyberpunk books.

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