For customer experience to be great, every interaction at every customer touchpoint must be exceptional. In other words, the whole organization must work together to deliver a great customer experience. There are eight essential components to building a great customer experience program: Developing and deploying your customer experience intent statement Building touchpoint maps Redesigning. A straightforward, descriptive team name is always a safe bet, and it won’t confuse people internally or externally. But if you create a culture of service where the customer-facing teams are respected, empowered, and supported, then you can safely call your team Customer Whisperers, Email Decipherists, Mind Melders, or whatever else you desire! A customer satisfaction survey is a questionnaire designed to help businesses understand what their customers think about their products or services, their brand, and their customer support. Customer satisfaction surveys allow companies to improve products strategically, optimize user experience, and deliver exactly what the market demands. Hyatt revamped their much-beloved Hyatt Gold Passport loyalty program to the World of Hyatt, to focus more on meaningful benefits and brand values, instead of simply room bookings and points. Despite having a smaller portfolio than larger hotel chains, the revamp had a big effect as Hyatt reported stronger sales growth and customer satisfaction.
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published July 11, 2017 and was updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness on July 27, 2018.
It seems that humans are obsessed with names. When couples find out they’re expecting, they’ll spend months debating baby names. Scientific research tells us that our brains light up when we hear our own name, and when we’re getting close with someone, we say we’re on a first name basis with them.
While I usually don’t buy into the naming hype, rewards programs are a special exception. Your program’s name sets the tone for new and returning customers, and has the power to encourage their participation or turn them away completely. We’ve written before that the best ways to get your customers excited about your program are to establish a strong emotion through your program name or incorporate your rewards currency. By doing so, you can present a unique, branded vision for your program that can light up a customer’s brain as if they’re hearing their own name.
Although this might sound extremely easy, it doesn’t happen overnight. Building brand awareness and promoting your loyalty program can take time, but the end results are always worth it! Since 7 is the luckiest number, we’ve gathered together the 7 most unique rewards program names to help get your creative juices flowing. Each of the brands on this list have found success with their program through a variety of naming tactics, and we’re sure that by the end of this list you’ll be that much closer to perfecting a name for your own successful rewards program.
Adidas' 3Stripes
Who: Adidas
Program Name: 3 Stripes
Industry: Fashion & Accessories, Health & Fitness
When you think of Adidas, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? For many, it’s their logo - three stripes arranged in ascending order to form an iconic triangle that for many represents athleticism, strength, and status.
As both a fashion and fitness retailer, Adidas has built a brand that customers want to buy and buy into for what it says about them and their lifestyle.Their unmistakable logo also makes Adidas gear impossible to miss. Whether it’s a pair of track pants, a jacket, or even just a soccer ball, the three stripes are there to let you know that their sporting and fashion game are second to none.
By highlighting their most distinguishable feature with their rewards program - that is, their iconic icon - the 3Stripes program is immediately equated with the social status and desirability of the overall brand, making it something Adidas loyal customers want to join. With 3Stripes, customers are embracing Adidas promise that nothing is impossible with the added benefit of amazing rewards. This status creates a valuable switching cost that keeps people coming back, ensuring high program engagement and even higher customer satisfaction.
Takeaway: the most creative rewards program names refer to what makes the brand unique.
Domino Pizza's Piece of the Pie Rewards
Who: Domino's Pizza
Program Name: Piece of the Pie Rewards
Industry: Food & Beverage
For many people, puns and “dad jokes” are a polarizing issue. While they might make you cringe, they’re also hard to forget, making them the perfect tool for coming up with a truly memorable and impact rewards program name.
No matter how you slice it, Domino’s definitely takes the cake (or the pie, I should say) with this naming method for a couple of reasons. For starters, the phrase “piece of the pie” sounds very similar to “pizza pie”, reminding customers of why they love Domino’s in the first place and what they stand to gain by joining the program. Secondly, “piece of the pie” is often used to describe sharing something valuable or worthwhile. By offering customers a piece of the pie, Domino’s is promising to share value with their customers, presenting them as a generous, worthwhile brand to engage with.
These literal and figurative translations of a simple, well known-phrase make Piece of the Pie Rewards a tasty, extra-large opportunity for customers who enjoy good pizza, extra cheesy puns, and valuable rewards.
Takeaway: the most creative rewards program names use humor to humanize the program and brand.
e.l.f. Cosmetics' Beauty Squad
Who: e.l.f. Cosmetics
Program Name: Beauty Squad
Industry: Hair & Beauty
The beauty industry is undoubtedly one of the fastest-evolving markets in the world of commerce. As trends and styles continue to change, brands are forced to adapt their business models and customer experiences to meet new industry standards. If they don’t, they end up falling behind. The thing it, it’s not just beauty and style trends that change over the years - the language we use to describe these things is changing, too.
The word “squad” is blowing up and is now at an all-time high. e.l.f. recognized this need to stay current, and jumped on the evolving idea of “girl squads” with their Beauty Squad rewards program. For many women, the term “squad” is synonymous with a group of girlfriends who respect, support, and love each other. This definition helps to position e.l.f.’s rewards program as a community that shares similar values, goals, and aspirations. In other words, a Beauty Squad.
This association presents the Beauty Squad as a group seeking to build real relationships with customers. This ties in well with the company’s commitment to social media marketing, emulating bonds of friendship that make customers feel supported, included, and important. People often say that there’s power in numbers, and being included in something that feels bigger than yourself can be an extremely powerful motivator that takes customers from a one-time purchaser to a repeat shopper.
Takeaway: the most creative rewards program names make customer relationships personal.
PenGem's Signature Rewards
Who: PenGems
Program Name: Signature Rewards
Industry: Stationery Fashion & Accessories
PenGem’s program is built around the unique products they sell. While the Signature Rewards might sound a bit generic at first, it’s actually a clever play on words that refers to what they sell — pens! When you make that connection, the relationship between their products and program is extremely clear, and powerful to boot. It’s a subtle play on words that matches the overall aesthetic of the PenGems brand.
By rewarding customers with Gems and offering an easy to understand explainer page with stylish gem shaped icons, the whole program is a fun call-out to their crystal-adorned stationery.
Signature Rewards also emphasizes the key reason customers should join the program: rewards. Customers are motivated to join rewards programs because they are looking for value over and above the products they buy. By blatantly addressing this motivator in their program name, PenGems is able to communicate the value that customers can get from their rewards program and set up realistic expectations. This puts both the customer and the value they stand to earn front and center, keeping the focus on the positive outcomes of joining Signature Rewards.
Takeaway: the most creative rewards program names make customer value a clear priority.
inkbox's inkfam
Who: inkbox
Program Name: inkfam
Industry: Fashion & Accessories
Rewards program aside, inkbox is a brand unlike any other. Offering temporary tattoos that last for only two weeks, the Toronto-based accessories brand has quickly grown to become an online sensation.
The concept for inkbox’s temporary tattoos was inspired by the indigenous tribes in Panama. These close-knit communities have been tattooing their skin for thousands of years, forging deep connections between each other and their environment through the social and artistic bonds of tattoos.
This intense community is what inspired inkbox’s founders to name their rewards program inkfam. For many, the word “fam”, which is short for family, conjures ideas of togetherness, trust, and support, and these images present the inkbox community as one that customers can feel safe joining. As part of the inkfam, customers can rest assured that they’ll be treated as a valued member of the community - one that supports its members and is open to everyone.
This heightened accessibility and focus on inclusion reconnects inkbox’s desire to be a brand that caters to everyone’s needs, connecting the core of their brand to their customer experience in a tangible, personal way.
Takeaway: the most creative rewards program names inspire a strong sense of community.
One Love Organics' The Love Club
Who: One Love Organics
Program Name: the love club
Industry: Hair & Beauty
As a brand that promises to deliver “beauty from the heart”, One Love Organics is built on ideas of love, beauty, and acceptance and their rewards program is no different! With beautiful pastel colors and floral photography, the love club’s explainer page is consistently branded and acts as a cohesive part of the overall brand experience. As customers navigate from product pages to their rewards account, it’s clear that they were made, work, and belong together, delivering consistent brand message that keeps customers firmly engaged in the shopping experience.
In addition, One Love Organics’ rewards program is easy to remember. With a short, sweet, and simple name, the love club is able to stay top of mind, prompting customers to engage as they interact with other aspects of the brand.
While these naming conventions might seem trivial, they make a huge impact on the overall effectiveness of a brand’s retention strategy, taking them from a mediocre to an exceptional customer rewards experience.
Takeaway: the most creative rewards program names are natural extensions of the whole brand.
BaubleBar's the Vault
Who: BaubleBar
Program Name: The Vault
Industry: Fashion & Accessories
Customer Feedback Template
When I was younger, my mom had this small jewelry box with a lock and key where she kept her favorite pieces. Every morning when she was getting ready for work, it was a magical experience to watch her open the box and extract each beautiful piece. This ritual made it clear to me that her jewelry was something to be protected and something she treasured dearly.
This desire to keep valuables safe is the inspiration for BaubleBar’s rewards program. Cleverly named “The Vault”, BaubleBar’s program prompts customers to view both their products and their program as valuable, luxurious, and worth of protection. As a member, customers are able to “unlock” the benefits of the rewards program, getting more value out of every transaction and with every piece of jewelry they purchase.
This simple but effective correlation of ideas prompts customers to draw conclusions about the quality of BaubleBar’s products and program, painting a picture of high quality, high class, and high value. After all, good things always seem to come out of vaults, don’t they?
Takeaway: the best rewards program names relate the products to the program.
Designing the best rewards program names
Each of these examples make it clear that at the end of the day, the best rewards program names deliver something unexpected. Whether it’s by connecting abstract ideas, using humor to create interest, or building on pre-existing brand experiences, the best rewards program names all move beyond the words used to promise something that shoppers can’t wait to experience for themselves.
But don’t just take our word for it - what do you think is the best rewards program name? Tweet us at @smilerewards and tell us which program name inspires you and join the conversation!
Looking for a list of the best brand loyalty programs?
We’ve trawled the Internet, hunting down a wide array of customer loyalty programs, brand rewards memberships and punch card programs across different industries. Here they are:
Click on the following links to jump to your relevant topic:
- The Best Loyalty Programs In the World – Starbucks, Amazon Prime, and Sephora; the best examples of loyalty programs in the world
- Restaurant Loyalty Programs – Loyalty program examples from cafes, fast casual/fast food QSR loyalty including Dunkin, Panera and Chipotle
- Travel Loyalty Programs – Examples of loyalty programs that reward you for travel & hospitality spending, like Expedia, Amtrak and National. Also including the following subcategories:
- Hotel Loyalty Programs – Featuring hotel chains big and small like Hyatt, Starwoods, and even Hotels.com
- Airline Loyalty Programs – First-class service and rewards from Delta, Alaska Airlines and Virgin Atlantic
- Products Loyalty Programs – A huge category of loyalty programs with rewards for purchasing products. Rather than split by industry, we’ve decided to split them by:
- eCommerce Loyalty Programs – Any loyalty program that focuses on online sales, or features a heavy online component
- Retailer Loyalty Programs – Loyalty program examples focusing on offline or brick-and-mortar retail experiences
Who has the best loyalty rewards program?
Starbucks, Amazon Prime and Sephora have the best customer loyalty programs, tapping into their global reach, strong brand loyalty and regularly returning customers. More than just sales and discounts, their loyalty programs play a big part in delivering excellent customer experiences, for example mobile payments and priority experiences – and generate record revenue, too!
Customer Feedback Program Names Generator
Starbucks loyalty program
Starbucks Rewards is one of the most used loyalty programs in the world! Spending money at Starbucks gets you “Star points”, which you can then redeem for rewards. Plus, you can also pay by mobile through the app, and get notifications of special offers and seasonal drinks.
The loyalty program is so successful Starbucks Rewards was mentioned eight times in its Q4 2018 Earnings Call. Not a surprise, considering that Starbucks Rewards members loaded over a billion dollars of cash onto their cards in 2016, and grew to 15.3 million members by November 2018.
Read More: An Analysis of Starbucks Rewards’ Billion-Dollar Loyalty Program
Amazon Prime loyalty program
Amazon’s Prime loyalty program has been subject to a lot of analysis, but it’s hard to argue that it offers rewards for loyalty to Amazon shoppers, as well as encouraging members to keep going back to Amazon to enjoy the benefits.
And what benefits! Users get faster shipping benefits, exclusive access to movies and TV shows, Kindle books, and generally a superior Amazon experience all-around. No wonder there have been 100 million Prime subscribers globally in April 2018 – with the number expected to spike after Amazon Prime Day and Black Friday/Cyber Monday.
See Also: 5 Top-Notch Loyalty Programs That Reimagined The Way We Think About Rewards – #2 is Amazon Prime!Sephora’s loyalty program: Sephora
Beauty Pass / Beauty Insider
The Sephora Beauty Insider Program has three tiers – White, Black and Gold. Benefits include…
- Private sales and exclusive events
- Offers on your favorite brands
- A surprise on your birthday
- A brand gift of your choice every 200 points
With attractive benefits like this, it’s no wonder some Sephora Super-Shoppers can easily rack up 50,000 Beauty Insider Points – the equivalent of spending $50,000!
Best Loyalty Program Examples: Back to top
What are the best restaurant rewards program?
Good food and great ambience brings customers in – but great a loyalty/rewards program keeps customers coming back regularly.
With Starbucks leading the charge, we are seeing more programs transition towards mobile apps and digital loyalty programs, including the likes of Dunkin’ Donuts, Chick-fil-A and Panera Bread.
Chick-fil-A Loyalty Program
With 13 million active members and more sales per average than KFC or McDonald’s, Chik-fil-A must be doing something right with its Chik-Fil-A One loyalty program.
In fact, they recently gave a loyal patron free Chick-fil-A meals for the rest of his life. Granted, he’s a 100 years old — but it’s a nice touch to reward loyalty.
Read More: How Chick-Fil-A overtakes the competition with its loyalty program
DD Perks Rewards: The Dunkin’ Donuts Loyalty Program
In less than three years, DD Perks Rewards has signed up seven million members on its way to becoming a massive mobile success.
They combined regular rewards and offers for new members, mobile payment and ordering (only for loyalty members!) and cross-promotions with local sports teams.
Read More: Perk Me Up: How Dunkin’ Donuts loyalty program brews fresh customer rewards with DD Perks Rewards
MyPanera: Panera Bread’s Loyalty Program
Panera’s digital loyalty program, MyPanera, has more than 28 million members, representing more than half its customer base.
MyPanera surprises and delights customers and generated US$1 billion in 2017 from digital, mobile, web and kiosk sales. And the number is set to double by 2019!
Read More: Rise Up: How Panera’s digital loyalty program MyPanera is delivering a billion dollars in sales
Red Robin Royalty Loyalty Program
Serving up a whopping US$315 million of burgers in the second quarter of 2018 alone, Red Robin must be doing something right in the competitive American fast food/burger market. Part of their success can be attributed to the Red Robin Royalty loyalty program.
Generous rewards are offered ranging from free entrees to birthday burgers and limited time deals. Red Robin gamifies the experience of earning these rewards, ingraining the habit of patronising their stores.
Read More: 4 Reasons Why Everyone Loves The Red Robin Loyalty Rewards Program
Chipotle loyalty program – Chiptopia
Chiptopia was an experiment in loyalty, run by Chipotle. The program lasted for just three months and is no longer active. Even though more than 3 million customers participated, a variety of factors including an timely health scare and an over-complicated redemption program made it untenable.
Chipotle are coming back with their rewards program, though. In the meantime, you can learn about how Chiptopia failed and how to avoid making the same mistakes.
Read Also: Chipotle’s Chiptopia Loyalty Program – What went wrong? Lessons and learnings.
Costa Coffee loyalty program
Costa Coffee loyalty program is called the Costa Coffee Club, and has an app too. They offer points earned, special events and free wifi — eerily similar to another famous cafe loyalty program.
Graeters loyalty program
Graeter’s Sweet Rewards Program exists as a loyalty card, but they’re also rolling out a pilot mobile app in new cities. Digital loyalty programs, especially for mobile phones, are becoming the norm.
Subway loyalty program: Subcard
The Subcard App has some interesting twists, including earning points with friends (‘Subsquad’) and loads more.
Read Also: How Subway Stays Fresh – By Boosting Its Marketing Efforts
Best Loyalty Program Examples: Back to top
The best travel rewards/loyalty program
The travel industry was the first to popularise memberships, rewards and loyalty programs. To this day, most hotels and airlines have points and memberships. Some of the best include Expedia, World of Hyatt and Delta Airlines.
This also includes the subsections for Hotel and Airline Loyalty Program examples.
Expedia loyalty program
Expedia+ Rewards combines tiered membership with rewards points.
Learn more: Expedia+ Rewards
National’s loyalty program
National Car Rental is also making use of a mobile app to target loyalty club members.
Learn more: National’s loyalty program
Amtrak loyalty program
Amtrak’s loyalty program is called Amtrak Guest Rewards, and is framed very much like a hotel’s, interestingly!
Best Loyalty Program Examples: Back to top
Customer Feedback Survey
The best hotel loyalty programs
The best hotel loyalty programs go beyond offering free night stays, room upgrades or complimentary ‘continental’ breakfasts. Hyatt, Starwoods and Hotels.com feature exclusive experiences and special rewards.
See also examples for Travel and Airlines.
The World of Hyatt loyalty program
Hyatt revamped their much-beloved Hyatt Gold Passport loyalty program to the World of Hyatt, to focus more on meaningful benefits and brand values, instead of simply room bookings and points.
Despite having a smaller portfolio than larger hotel chains, the revamp had a big effect as Hyatt reported stronger sales growth and customer satisfaction.
Read More: How to inspire empathy with customers: The World of Hyatt loyalty program
Hotels.com loyalty program
Learn more: Hotels.com loyalty program
Starwood Preferred Guest Loyalty Program
Starwood’s Preferred Guest loyalty program can be linked with Marriott Rewards and Ritz Carlton rewards.
IHG loyalty program
Learn more: IHG’s loyalty program
Best Loyalty Program Examples: Back to top
The best airline loyalty program
Delta, Alaska Airlines and British Airways offer more than just seat upgrades, priority booking and air miles. Read how the best airline loyalty programs keep customers booking with them again and again.
See also examples for Travel and Hotels.
Delta Airline’s Loyalty Program: SkyMiles
Many airlines and hospitality offer points and miles. Delta’s Skymiles is an example of a loyalty program that’s well structured, easy to earn points, and tailored to make it easy to spend for users – especially VIP-level Medallion Status members.
Read More: Delta Airline’s Loyalty Program: Examples of a well-structured program
Alaska Airline’s loyalty program
Alaska Airline’s loyalty program is called Mileage Plan, but offers a host of rewards beyond just bonus miles.
Virgin Atlantic loyalty program
Virgin Atlantic’s loyalty program is called the Virgin Atlantic Flying Club.
British Airways loyalty program
British Airways’ loyalty program is called the Executive Club, with tiers named after precious stones – Emerald, Sapphire.
Best Loyalty Program Examples: Back to top
The best product loyalty program
Loyalty programs and memberships that offer you rewards for purchasing products from the brand. We’ve divided this section into eCommerce loyalty programs, which feature online sales or a heavy online component and Retailer Loyalty Programs, which focus on brick-and-mortar retailer examples.
The best eCommerce loyalty program
Sephora and Hotel Pink lead the charge, rewarding their regular customers for their loyalty with membership rewards, exclusive experiences and special tiers.
Amazon Customer Feedback
Hotel Pink, Frank Body‘s Rewards & Loyalty Program
In just a couple of years, Frank Body grew from a modest $5,000 to a multimillion dollar skincare brand. They knew their audience and how to reach them with sharp social media branding – but also a successful loyalty program, Hotel Pink.
Hotel Pink ties in aspects of a conventional shopping rewards/loyalty program with points for referrals, allowing customers to earn points any way they choose – making them extremely effective brand ambassadors.
Read More: Why Frank Body’s Hotel Pink Is An Effective Loyalty Program For Customer Retention
3Stripes.co: Adidas loyalty program
Adidas’s loyalty program for customers in Asia is called 3stripes.co.
It gives participants a $10 voucher for every $100 spent, among a host of other benefits.
Barnes&Nobles loyalty program
Barnes&Nobles has a loyalty program in the form of a $25/year membership with over $50 in coupons.
Dr. Brandt loyalty program
Dr Brandt’s loyalty program uses a point system that gives customers points for all sorts of specific actions.
Gilt Insider loyalty program
Gilt Insider loyalty program has four tiers – Insider, Select, Premier and Noir. At the highest level, you get…
- Birthday gifts
- VIP customer service
- Waitlist priority
- Private events
- 1 Hour Preview of Sales
Lancome loyalty program
Learn more: Lancome’s loyalty program
Marvel loyalty program
Learn more: Marvel Insider
Nestlé loyalty program
Learn more: Nestlé’s loyalty program
Ulta loyalty program
Learn more: Ulta’s loyalty program
Yuenglings loyalty program
Yuengling’s loyalty program gives subscribers access to coupons, discounts, contests, a free pint of ice cream and more.
Zappos loyalty program
Zappos’s loyalty program has 4 tiers – Sliver, Gold, Platinum and Elite – and the last is invite-only.
Best Loyalty Program Examples: Back to top
The best retail loyalty program
Brick-and-mortar retail experiences that focus mostly on returning customers for the offline experience, with no online tie-in. See also the best eCommerce loyalty programs.
Best Buy Loyalty Program
Best Buy’s loyalty program is called My Best Buy, and it has three tiers – Regular, Elite, and ElitePlus.
Nordstrom loyalty program
Learn: Nordstrom’s loyalty program
Old Navy loyalty program
Learn more: Old Navy’s loyalty program
Patagonia loyalty program
Learn more: Patagonia’s loyalty program
Samsung loyalty program
The Samsung loyalty program, based in India, is called the Samsung Smart Club.
There’s a Gold tier and a Platinum tier as well!
Interested in setting up a loyalty program of your own?
Check out Candybar.co! You can have it completely set up in under an hour, and it’s incredibly easy for your customers to use.