Yeo Valley Organic is the UK’s largest organic brand, offering a wide range of products—from dairy to soups—across national retailers. The brand is deeply rooted in community values and sustainability, operating with over 100 organic dairy farmers across the UK. Their loyalty program, called “Yeokens”, plays a significant role in engaging customers and bringing the brand to life beyond supermarket shelves. With the help of Antavo AI Loyalty Cloud, Yeokens have been revamped, unlocking even more possibilities for community building. In this article, we’ll go over the full story.
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The Story Behind Yeokens
Yeo Valley’s loyalty program emphasizes fun, inclusivity, and community. Whether you’re an 18-year-old student or a 60-year-old customer, the platform provides engaging opportunities tailored to different life stages.
The brand wanted the following pillars for its program:
- Access to exclusive rewards
- Opportunities to support charities
- Invitations to events or experiences on the brand’s organic farm
- Ability to play games and complete challenges
One of the most unique elements that sets Yeo Valley Organic apart is the “Farm to Fridge” experience, which connects customers directly with the source of their food. This sentiment is carried over to the loyalty program as well, as members can visit Yeo Valley’s real working farm as a reward, tour their organic garden, learn about the brand’s sustainable farming processes and even stay overnight in a renovated farm building.
The Yeokens Loyalty Program in a Nutshell
Participation in Yeo Valley Organic’s loyalty program starts at the store. Consumers collect Yeokens by purchasing Yeo Valley products. Each product includes a QR code or a 14-digit code, which can be scanned or typed in via the loyalty program’s digital portal. Upon entry, users “bank” Yeokens, which can then be redeemed for various rewards.
Gamification is a core value for the loyalty program because it’s an engaging way to reward behavior and strengthen brand connection. In addition to its staple Dairy-Go-Round, where members can spin to win rewards, Yeokens now also offers challenges. For instance, participants can earn a free coffee at a partnering company after banking three products in six months.
We do loyalty because we think it’s right. We’re really encouraged by everybody that makes that choice for an organic product – so why not recognize and reward that good choice they’ve made?” Also, fun is a key value for us. Whether you want to play a game, whether you want to do a challenge, we like to have that game element. It’s something unique that we can offer people that other brands can’t – and we’re just so proud of that.
Last but not least, Antavo helped Yeo Valley Organic fully integrate its loyalty program into a digital platform where users can:
- Monitor their balance
- Play the “Dairy-Go-Round” game
- Enter monthly raffles
- Redeem for merchandise or experiences
Outstanding Results
The recent results of Yeokens highlight that revamping was a worthwhile endeavor:
- Purchase activity doubled: Active loyalty members buy almost twice as much as regular customers
- High ROI: Loyalty program generates over 3x the ROI of advertising
- However, the team emphasized that the real reason for investing in loyalty is to do what’s right—to recognize and reward consumers for choosing Yeo Valley Organic
What we love about Antavo is that they do not stand still. They are always evolving and looking at new, innovative things – sometimes things we haven’t even thought of yet. This year alone, we’ve launched challenges, we’ve launched the friend referral scheme, and Antavo has always been there and ready for discussion with us. It’s just a really great relationship.
Technology Behind the Yeokens Loyalty Program
The collaboration between Yeo Valley Organic and Antavo has brought numerous benefits:
- All features (rewards, challenges, games) are available on one platform
- The brand now enjoys more autonomy—they can manage the loyalty program with ease and less outside help
- Ongoing innovation and responsiveness from Antavo also contributed to packing more creativity and innovative features into Yeokens
- Joint work between the two companies also laid the foundation for future ideas, like leaderboards and enhanced challenges
Conclusion
The Yeo Valley Organic loyalty program, Yeokens, has proven to be a highly successful initiative, driven by a commitment to community, fun, and recognizing customer loyalty. With the support of Antavo AI Loyalty Cloud, Yeokens has evolved into a comprehensive platform offering exclusive rewards, charity support, farm experiences, and engaging games.
Are you interested in revamping your loyalty program, too? Get in touch with our experts by booking a demo to see our platform’s capabilities or sending us an RFP.
And don’t forget to download our ebook about gamification!
