As customers alter their expectations of loyalty programs and how they engage with them, more and more of these offerings have spotted an opportunity to streamline the point earning and redemption process in an effort to keep up with these shifts.
The latest to do so, Petro-Canada, is looking to revamp its Petro-Points program, hoping to increase engagement through a new design that is easier to understand, as well as being more generous in terms of the value that it will add for consumers.
Crucially, the program was redesigned according to customer suggestions, as gathered through various VoC tools.
“We’ve been conducting research and online panels to help determine how we can add value to our loyalty program for our members,” said Deborah Gullaher, vice president of sales and marketing at Petro-Canada. “We heard loud and clear that our customers want a program that’s easy to understand, simple and intuitive-and most of all a program that gives great value for their Petro-Points. The changes to our program have been made based on what we’ve heard from loyal customers.”
As part of the streamlining of Petro-Canada, Petro-Points will now simply be based on spend, with 10 points being earned for every purchase within the attached convenience store. Points earned from gas are also going up, with 10 being earned for every liter pumped, double the current rate of five per liter.
Redemption levels are also going down in the revamped program, making rewards easier to earn and, consequently, encouraging customers to engage with the program to redeem points and increasing brand loyalty through the added value provided by the program rewards.
In addition to the obvious fuel rewards, a redemption option that has already proven to be especially effective, the brand is also offering value at a large number of partnered retailers.
Partnered retailer gift cards, which include brands like Sears, Sony, iTunes, and Best Buy are also getting a small tweak for the better in the program redesign. Whereas point value varied based on the chosen retailer under the old system, all $10 cards are now 10,000 points. Through an increased focus on clarity and increased value, Petro-Canada is looking to make an impact in a fuel industry that has come to view an effective loyalty program as a crucial building block of any brand.