Loyalty program gamification ideas and examples

Loyalty programs are a great way to keep customers coming back to your business. However, if they’re not engaging enough, customers soon lose interest. That’s where gamification comes in!

When applied to loyalty programs, gamification makes them more fun and engaging for customers, meaning more repeat business for you.

10 loyalty program gamification ideas and examples

Here we’re sharing 10 of the most effective loyalty program gamification strategies that stimulate customer engagement and improve retention.

1. Spin-to-win games

Add an element of chance to your loyalty program with a spin-to-win game. This can be highly effective when done digitally on your website or app. You could offer points, discounts, free items or services as prizes. You could also offer this as a ‘burn’ opportunity so customers can use their points to ‘buy’ a spin of the wheel.

2. Code words

Transform online engagement into offline sales with a code word that members can use in-store to earn an exclusive reward or offer. Share the code word in an email, via push message, on your website or social media. Make sure to reward members who use the code word with a VIP perk!

3. Treasure hunts

Make your program more interactive with a treasure hunt across your channels. You could launch the game in-store, online or both! This is a great way to drive footfall to your locations, increase app downloads and encourage traffic to your online channels. Treasure hunts can turn loyalty gamification into an omni-channel experience.

4. Friend referral challenge

As the saying goes: ‘It costs more to attract a new customer than to keep an existing one.’ But why not do both? Incentivise your members to refer their friends with a friend referral challenge. You’ll keep your current customers engaged and your member base will grow too.

5. Badges and trophies

Why not make program participation more engaging by awarding badges for desired actions like completing a profile, leaving a review or attending an event? You could even challenge customers to collect all badges to earn a big-ticket reward like a free product or service. Check out how Game Mania uses badges and other gamified elements in Game Mania XP, a loyalty program with gamification at its core powered by m–wise Loyalty Cloud.

6. Scratch-to-win game

Struggling to retain active users on your app? Consider adding a daily scratch-to-win game. The key is to reward your customers with something special in each game. We recommend your default prize is points-based to keep customers coming back without cutting into your profits. Bigger prizes, like free products or services, should still be awarded but set a limit! See how Primera uses a scratch-to-win game within its loyalty program.

7. Seasonal games or challenges

To add a sense of excitement to your loyalty program, why not launch games or challenges with seasonal themes and timeframes to play? Each fresh launch will feel like an opportunity your members won’t want to miss, especially if there is something exciting to win! You could even incentivise purchases by adding qualification criteria for gameplay, such as a minimum spend to earn the chance to win.

8. Tier level challenges

Challenge your customers to level up for even more rewards. The engagement-boosting secret is to ensure that you provide diverse ways to accumulate points, such as adding a wish list item, opening an email, visiting a store or referring a friend. Find out more about adding tier levels.

9. Augmented reality games

If you want to increase app downloads and use, an augmented reality game is extremely effective. In fact, AR can keep your customers hooked for hours on end! The secret to success is choosing a concept closely linked to your brand identity. Take the example of the global accessories brand Kipling. Its members can’t get enough of catching the brand’s signature monkeys through AR.

10. Quizzes and polls

Have you thought about creating gamified quizzes and polls? Make it fun by incorporating leaderboards for the highest scores achieved, most correct answers etc. Reward scores with points, discounts or star prizes to make participation worthwhile. You could even add a social share function to create a buzz around your program online and reach new members.

Software that supports loyalty program gamification

To create a gamified loyalty program, you need the right loyalty software. If your current system doesn’t support gamification, check out m—wise Loyalty Cloud.

Our loyalty software was designed to help both B2B and B2C companies create the most engaging loyalty programs imaginable. Sign up for a demo to see for yourself.