Pet care is an emotional category for consumers. Pet owners tend to put considerable effort into selecting products that ensure the wellbeing of their furry friends. This emotional element presents pet care brands with a unique opportunity to show consumers that they care. One brand has decided to take advantage of this opportunity.
1-800-PetMeds has launched its first-ever loyalty program, the PetMeds Rewards Program. The brand states, “In an effort to battle the ever-rising cost of pet healthcare and reward the many loyal customers of 1-800-PetMeds, we’ve decided to start giving back.”
Toward this end, the PetMeds Rewards Program is designed to reward with every purchase while also maintaining simplicity. All customers are automatically enrolled in the PetMeds Rewards Program and can start earning points on their next purchases. For every dollar spent, customers will earn 1 PetMeds Paw Point. Once customers reach 250 Paw Points, they will be rewarded with a $5 account credit to be used towards their next purchase.
In addition, the PetMeds Rewards Program also offers its members free shipping on orders over $49, advance notice of sales, special offers, events, Ask the Vet access, a free treat with every order, special pet education articles, and more.
“We are so lucky to have such loyal customers,” says Larissa Schenck, Director of Marketing at 1-800-PetMeds. “We wouldn’t be the company we are today without [them]. To show our appreciation for the countless years of trust placed with 1-800-PetMeds, we want to give back with another way to save money on pet medications: the PetMeds Rewards Program!”
The inclusion of additional perks, such as the free treat and the Ask the Vet offering, should help establish an emotional connection with consumers, which is appropriate to such an emotional category. Typically, emotional connections are difficult to quantify and approach strategically, so the core, transactional function is a wise inclusion, given that it greets consumers with a clear value proposition.
Overall, the PetMeds Rewards Program seems like an exciting entry into the pet-care space. It will be interesting to see how consumers respond to the perks and the extent to which the program cultivates long-term customer loyalty.