Benchmark of innovative Loyalty Programs in Sports

Our latest benchmark, the fruit of many hours of in-depth work, has revealed the major trends in terms of customer engagement in the sports industry. After analyzing and synthesizing the strategies of major brands, it emerged that the community aspect is a value highly appreciated by consumers in this industry, leading to reciprocal benefits between brands and customers. The spirit of competition, well known among sportsmen and women, is also evoked in our benchmark, and fosters great interest in gamifying customer journeys.

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Community for customer engagement in the sports industry

Our analysis shows that in the sports industry, brands are constantly seeking to strengthen customer engagement through the creation of communities.

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This finding is supported by the Strava Annual Trend Report, "More than 50% of Strava users are said to be motivated by social connection and encouraged by friends and family who also exercise. ”

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What are the concrete benefits of a community?

→ Active participation: Thanks to a positive group effect, customers are more inclined to actively participate in the events and interactions offered by the brand, thereby strengthening their commitment.

→ Sense of Belonging: Feeling included in a community generates a strong sense of belonging, making customers more loyal and willing to spend more. Find out which levers to put in place to develop this sense of belonging with our complete guide to Maslow's Pyramid of customer engagement.

→ Using Data: By leveraging social interactions, brands identify and transform casual members into dedicated, engaged members through personalized campaigns.

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Gamification: Engaging fans through the spirit of competition

Gamification is a powerful tool for stimulating user interaction and engagement. By integrating game elements such as challenges, badges, rewards and rankings, sports brands can transform the customer experience into a real challenge.

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"For example, the Fan-Controlled Football League (FCF) managed to amass nearly 10 million live views and 125,000 app downloads in one season, thanks to an interactive format where fans make real-time decisions during matches. ”

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However, despite the success of programs like NikeRunningClub (studied in our benchmark), many brands are struggling to implement gamified programs due to a lack of the necessary data and the right mechanisms. Our analysis shows that accurate data collection (first-party and zero-party data) in particular is an essential cog in the wheel when it comes to offering personalized and, above all, relevant gamification experiences. Without these elements, gamification initiatives risk not reaching their full potential and failing to engage users in any meaningful way.

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Fortunately, there are solutions! Cohort’s Smart Loyalty platform helps you capture this first-party and zero-party data efficiently. Our extensive catalog of 50+ integrations (Strava, Google Fit...) enables you to rapidly deploy campaigns and collect valuable user information through logged sessions. This data can then be used to quickly implement personalized gamification strategies on your proprietary channels, again via our platform and numerous mechanisms that can be deployed in just a few clicks.

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What to expect from our Benchmark ?

Strategic program selection and clear evaluation criteria: Each program is analyzed on the basis of its originality and real impact on customer engagement.

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Key factors analyzed:

• Rewards system: Use of promotions, gifts and personalized experiences to reinforce loyalty.
• Program progression: Higher levels activated by purchases or challenges to stimulate ongoing loyalty.
• Access conditions: Analysis of program accessibility, whether open to all or exclusive.
• Customer segmentation: Assessment of segmentation, whether fixed or adaptive, based on dynamic customer knowledge.

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Our benchmark includes detailed case studies, illustrating how leading sports brands have successfully implemented these strategies. You'll discover practical examples and valuable insights to enhance your own customer engagement initiatives. For example, discover how Nike is reinventing the classic points system based on the number of kilometers covered by its members!

For an in-depth understanding and detailed recommendations on how to maximize customer engagement, download our full study ⬇️