Loyalty programs are capable of far more than just increasing customer lifetime value. Even though they excel in this area, rewards programs are also great tools to foster a like-minded community and encourage people to become more invested in the brand on an emotional level. And this was exactly the main drive for omnichannel women’s fashion brand Love, Bonito when the company launched its own loyalty program.
Powered by Antavo, LBCommunity+ was fitted with numerous unique loyalty solutions to bring the brand and the engagement between customers to a new level. And it was a success: the program quickly gained virality and drove customer interest both in store and online.
Building an Engaging Omnichannel Loyalty Program With an Emphasis on Virality
Hailing from Singapore, Love, Bonito is characterized by a strong sense of community. The company’s main target audience is the modern Asian woman, who values special treatment just as much as a good deal. Furthermore, the brand has a significant offline presence. Their pop-up stores are known for featuring augmented reality technology and modular fitting rooms.
The fashion brand had three main areas of focus for its loyalty program:
- Increase overall customer spend – The reward system needed to increase purchase frequency, average order value, customer retention and customer satisfaction, as well as Love, Bonito’s Net Promoter Score.
- Understand the customer’s omnichannel journey – Because the brand sells both on and offline, the company wanted an omnichannel loyalty solution that would create a unified customer view, giving their marketers insight customers’ online and in-store activities.
- Create a vehicle to test and push specific initiatives – Love, Bonito wanted to test new incentives that strengthen brand love. This meant that the reward system had to be modular, to allow for the addition of new features.
5 Ways Love, Bonito Shaped the Community Through Unique Loyalty Experiences
1. Clear and engaging ways to earn points
To reach its quantitative goals, Love, Bonito opted for a hybrid loyalty program. It merges earn & burn elements, which increase purchase frequency and average order value; with a tiered system, which promotes high customer retention rates and member satisfaction.
LBCommunity+ was first launched in Singapore, but following its regional success, the system was rolled out to an international audience. The initial program elements for Singapore included:
- 1 point for every S$1 spent online or in stores
- 50 points for registering and completing the customer profile
- 300 points for referring a friend
- New members receive a S$5 gift card to use toward their first order
- Members automatically receive a 300-point bonus for their second order
- Points can be redeemed for discounts at Love, Bonito, or for partner offers
2. Surprise benefits & early access
Another key aspect of LBCommunity+ is its tier system. There are three tiers, each based on annual spend. To make the concept stand out and deepen engagement, Love, Bonito incorporated exclusivity and early access into the tiers.
- Special Birthday Perks: Members earn double points during their birthday month and are entitled to tier-specific discounts.
- Early Access to Sales & New Launches: Being able to buy products before they are available to the wider public is one of the most desirable — and cost-effective — benefits.
- Surprise Experiences: Adding a little mystique to the journey, this benefit surprises & delights customers with rewards such as invitations to community events.
3. Book a stylist
One of the most alluring perks of being an LBCommunity+ Gold member is the option to book a complimentary private session with one of the brand’s Style Ambassadors, who give customers thoughtful and confidence-boosting fashion advice. This also makes for an unforgettable shopping experience.
Regular and Silver members can still enjoy the Book-A-Stylist sessions after making a fully redeemable deposit of S$30.
By making the “Book a Stylist” feature a members-only benefit, Love, Bonito has been able to drive multiple important business KPIs:
- Offer a truly personalized service
- Draw online shoppers into the stores
- Create an omnichannel experience
- Boost virality on social media
- Foster brand love among the community
4. Mobile Wallet
LBCommunity+ utilizes Antavo’s Mobile Wallet system on smartphones. Digital loyalty cards are designed to help customers identify themselves while in-store. Staff members can scan the pass at the POS, which is easier and more convenient than traditional plastic loyalty cards because customers always have their phones on hand.
The loyalty cards are updated when members reach a new membership level, so the image on iOS and the level label on Android always showcase up-to-date information. This ensures that customers never miss out on a reward or benefit while shopping.
5. Magento-generated gift cards
In order to support an omnichannel strategy and exercise more control over reward redemption, Love, Bonito uses Antavo’s Magento-generated gift cards.
In short, each time a loyalty program member claims a reward, Antavo sends a gift card request to Magento, Love, Bonito’s eCommerce platform. Magento internally generates a gift card and sends it back to Antavo. Antavo then instructs Love, Bonito’s email automation provider, Emarsys, to deliver the message to the member.
This integration between Antavo, Magento and Emarsys provides a better overview of which reward belongs to which customer. Furthermore, the system prevents any unauthorized use of gift cards, as only the rightful owner who claimed the reward is eligible to redeem it.
Enhancing Customer Retention With Loyalty
Love, Bonito’s loyalty program demonstrates that strong brand love can be built upon exclusivity, convenience and loyalty. Whether customers enter a physical store or visit the online shop, they’ll be part of something unique.
For a more detailed analysis of the Love, Bonito loyalty program, download our case study.
