Replatforming a customer loyalty program to drive engagement and loyalty

How streamlining program data offered customers a convenient, personalized experience while earning and redeeming program points.

petroleum customer filling up at the pump with loyalty app

The world’s largest independent petroleum refiner and international distributor of transportation fuels wanted to see increased engagement with its customer loyalty program.

The program (operated at 800+ brand locations in the United Kingdom and Ireland) offered reward points in exchange for a fuel purchase, which could be redeemed for gift vouchers from a range of popular retailers.  

Understanding customer motivations and program challenges  

Our client recognized two main obstacles in its pursuit of earning UK market share. 

For many customers, fuel is deemed as a necessary commodity—a buying-decision that’s driven by convenience and affordability, with less regard to which brand they’re purchasing from. Given these buying motives, it was a challenge, and opportunity, for our client to rethink how to inspire motorists to choose one brand over another, especially when competitors were actively working to earn brand loyalty in the same market. 

Our client knew that to increase customer awareness and engagement with the program, its customer proposition needed to be more relevant and compelling. Their team also needed to consider how to continually grow the program, personalize the customer experience and stand out among the competition.  

The ideal solution would improve the brand’s data analytics to enable a personalized, real-time customer experience throughout the redemption process.

opening screen of petroleum customer loyalty app

Fueling loyalty through mobile engagement

Streamlining the customer redemption experience with a necessary replatforming was at the heart of the strategy. 

The program had been based on earning points for gallons of fuel purchased—offering the best value in the market—but points could only be redeemed through paper vouchers. It was an inconvenient process for both customers and staff, resulting in relatively low engagement. 

We helped our client develop a contactless, mobile-first strategy that allowed customers to avoid swiping a physical card. Instead, customers could download and add a digital card to their device wallet, allowing them to ‘tap’ and pay at the point-of-sale terminal. Customers instantly earned points and were able to redeem their digital fuel vouchers on the spot. 

examples of customer loyalty app design

Our team worked with our client’s chosen mobile app developer to enable personalized in-app content and push notifications, which set the foundation for a seamless, real-time customer experience. This transitioned all data management and insights to our customer service platform, Horizon. 

Once the platform transition was in place, we leveraged data to maximize customer engagement and increase sales. Our team used a combination of geospatial location data, behavioral analytics and RFM modeling to create a comprehensive customer relationship management plan that encouraged app downloads and drove personalized offers. 

[We’ve] seen loyalty increase to the point where we can see customers will now buy a small quantity of petrol at a competitor just to keep them going until they can get to [our brand] to fill up. Some people in our database, such as small businesses, are going out of their way to come back to our [locations] to redeem their loyalty points.

Brand Marketing Manager, Petroleum Refiner & Fuel Distributor

The program continues to evolve

Future program developments include empowering service station owners and operators to deliver their own local offers with the help of Horizon platform tools.

Results

Supported a roadmap of innovation, including the introduction of a fully digital, contactless loyalty program strategy.

Migrated all previous program data (including 800,000+ members’ information) to the Horizon platform, ensuring a seamless transition.

Delivered the capability for real-time points distribution and redemption, integrated with the payment terminals at about 800 locations.