Athleisure Loyalty: 5 Ways Sportswear Brands Can Drive Customer Loyalty and Engagement

Posted on August 26, 2024 by Bharat Menon

One of the upsides of the pandemic is people learned to adapt to the new world and make do with what they had. It had people vying for alternatives to keep themselves occupied in the safety of their homes. With people spending most of their time at home, it became their new workspace; finishing their projects, restaurant; replicating their favorite dishes, or grabbing popcorn and watching their favorite movies. It did not come as a surprise that mental and physical wellness was a high priority in the minds of the people at the time.

Fast forward to 2024 and the desire to lead a proactive life has continued to see an upward trend. Athleisure brands are competing to offer activewear that is practical, and fashionable while not compromising on ease of use.

With the athleisure market hitting close to $320 billion in 2022 and expected to hit $450 billion by 2028, retailers are needing to revamp their customer engagement strategies to capture the market while keeping their existing customers coming back for more.

Let us explore 5 ways how your athleisure brand can benefit from customer engagement strategies.

5 Ways to Boost Customer Engagement as an Athleisure Brand

Seamless Signup Process For Your Casual Customers

Your sale was a hit and you’ve got a 6% boost in your loyalty program enrollment. You are well on your way to getting customers to sign up for your top-tier loyalty program. Great job but they’ll have to go through 10 steps and wait for 24 hours before they can log in to their account and start accruing points and availing benefits. Inefficiencies in user onboarding can make you lose out on building customer relationships even before it takes flight. It is crucial to offer a frictionless enrollment process as it is one of the initial touchpoints for a customer. By optimizing onboarding processes like

Getting minimal data entries for sign-up
Not having to click many buttons
Reducing form page load time
Minimal steps to completion

seamless enrollment for the users is facilitated.

Athleisure brand Metro shoes have removed the monotony of sign-up processes urging customers to enroll. Potential customers are sent discount offers that can be unlocked through quick fun games like Spin the Wheel making the whole process fun and engaging. Play a game and win discounts, how cool is that?

By analyzing the above and combining them with a feedback mechanism, an enterprise can step up its onboarding game for its existing and future customers.

Instant Gratification Through Quick Redemptions

Today’s loyalty scenario is far from mere points redemptions or discounts. Most of today’s athleisure consumers comprise of GenZ and Millennials who are looking for experiences that are accessible and engaging.

One feature that athleisure enterprises can leverage for their most loyal customers is quick redemption which capitalizes on the psychological principle of instant gratification. Here points can be redeemed instantly unlike the usual earn-and-burn schemes where members have to accrue a specific threshold of points before being able to redeem them. This could take the form of cashback at the counter or receiving freebies along with online orders. Quick redemptions fuel emotional loyalty offering customers instant gratification further solidifying their loyalty and trust.

Fableletics VIP Membership offers quick redemption through special promotions and members-only discounts urging existing members to acquire more points and urging lower-tier members to spend more to grow up the tier ladder.

Instant gratification fuels emotional loyalty giving customers instant power to redeem gifts or vouchers. Instant redemptions also facilitate enterprises to capture real-time data which can be leveraged to analyze customer preferences and further fine-tune your loyalty program.

Putting A Face To Your Brand: Building Relationships With Influencers

There’s no other industry like sportswear that would benefit from influencers to stay relevant in this competitive landscape. Top athleisure players understand that messaging is key; the right influencer’s delivery would make a difference between night and day. Influencers humanize a brand, bridging the gap between customers and the brand.

Now coming to athleisure evangelists, comprising mostly of Millennials and GenZs; they are not blown away by discount sales or fancy coupons but are leaning towards differentiated products and most importantly, brand values. Through the power of storytelling and narration enterprises can build authenticity and relatability.

Influencers are not just contractually obligated but can also play a key role in other areas like product feedback, the type of messaging, and inputs on the various channels on which it can be delivered.

Lululemon possesses a good mix of macro and micro-influencers to capture newer audiences through fitness workshops, local events, and wellness retreats fostering mindfulness, good health, and a well-knit community. Lululemon is able to build authenticity with its customers through influencers driving engagement and brand trust in the long run.

In the end, athleisure brands must strive towards fostering relationships with influencers aligned with their values to build a compelling and meaningful voice that resonates with their customers.

Omnichannel Expansion: Find Your Customers On The Right Channel

Offering a seamless experience to customers across any channel at any point in time is a staple for any athleisure brand. By taking a customer-first approach, enterprises are able to offer unified experiences irrespective of the channel.

With customers being more aware and with a wide range of alternatives, omnichannel customers are looking for differentiators of a brand like what sets it apart from other brands or benefits from making transactions with them. Omnichannel fosters strong brand-customer relationships converting casual shoppers into brand loyalists.

Omnichannel offers a wealth of information in the form of insights like

Top engaging channels
Sustainability of offerings
Customer engagement across channels
Average customer order values

Personalization forms a key component of omnichannel. It is not a buzzword anymore but a necessity for any athleisure enterprise aspiring to stand out in this expansive market, it is what differentiates one from its competitors. Brands must take the plunge into experimental omnichannel strategies to offer more unique offerings through personalizations catering to a wider range of customers. This creates a well-integrated and cohesive experience across all channels.

Asics, a Japanese athleisure giant with the aid of a robust loyalty solutions platform was able to acquire a centralized view of customers across markets. This facilitated repeat purchases through personalized product recommendations offering the right product at the right time on the right channel driving brand loyalty and customer engagement.

By analyzing insights through platforms like Capillary’s Engage+ and setting up multiple touch points across various channels, any brand can build robust omnichannel strategies to deliver the right message at the right time driving overall customer engagement.

Encourage Referrals: Get Your Customers Coming Back For More

Referrals are usually sidelined and not spoken about much but are one of the unsung heroes in driving customer engagement in the athleisure space. One of the best aspects of a referral is its ability to convert the referrer into a brand advocate while simultaneously acquiring a new customer. It boosts customer relationships and eases customer acquisition processes encouraging brand evangelism.

For instance, a sportswear brand can capitalize on New Year’s resolutions by offering referral bonuses to their existing customers to get fit along with their friends or family members building a “feel good” ecosystem sparking excitement amongst newbie fitness enthusiasts.

Gymshark offers an enticing affiliate program for its frequent customers who are also fitness influencers/athletes through the Gymshark Athlete Affiliate Program. Once they become Gymshark ambassadors, they receive referral codes which they can share through social media channels, emails, and messages. The benefit?

You can collaborate with the top athleisure names, start building your brand in the fitness community, and earn a commission (up to 4% of eligible purchases) from the sales through your affiliate links.

Leveraging loyalty platforms like Capillary’s Loyalty+, brands can create easy referral programs on the go, without having to invest huge on in-house teams or vendors.

Conclusion

With the pandemic being a catalyst to the recent athleisure boom and the ever-growing health-conscious customers, customer engagement strategies have never been more important for athleisure brands than now.

Try Capillary’s product suite like Loyalty+ to boost your customer engagement, Insights+ for real-time customer insights, and Engage+ to find the right channels to engage your customers at the right time.

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Capillary Technologies Partners with Loyalty TV as the Global Loyalty Technology Leader Driving Growth for Innovative Fortune 500 Brands

Posted on August 22, 2024 by Capillary Marcom

Capillary Technologies, a global leader in loyalty management and customer engagement solutions, is thrilled to announce its partnership with Loyalty TV, the premier audio and video platform for loyalty professionals worldwide. This collaboration marks a significant step forward in providing cutting-edge insights and technology to enhance customer loyalty programs.

Loyalty TV, spearheaded by renowned loyalty expert Paula Thomas, is dedicated to delivering world-class loyalty marketing insights through interviews with brands and loyalty industry thought leaders. This exclusive content catalogue provides valuable information and strategies that loyalty professionals can learn from to optimize their own loyalty programs and drive customer engagement.

“We are excited to partner with Loyalty TV and support their mission to educate and inspire loyalty professionals globally,” said Aneesh Reddy, Founder & CEO at Capillary Technologies.

“At Capillary, we also believe in the power of informed decision-making and continuous learning. Through this partnership, we aim to provide the latest insights and technological advancements in loyalty management to help brands build stronger, more meaningful relationships with their customers.”

As part of this sponsorship, Capillary Technologies and its clients will be featured in exclusive interviews and discussions on Loyalty TV, sharing their expertise on innovative loyalty strategies and solutions and the future of customer engagement. The channel will explore every aspect of compelling loyalty programs, from emerging trends and best practices to real-world success stories, offering a comprehensive view of the industry.

Speaking from the Loyalty TV studio in Dubai, Founder and CEO Paula Thomas said:
“Loyalty programmes are incredibly rewarding for brands and their members, yet they can also be challenging to run efficiently and effectively. Loyalty marketing professionals who run loyalty programs are hungry to learn from other senior industry leaders and Loyalty TV delivers exactly that.

Capillary Technologies’ dedication to innovation and excellence in the loyalty space makes them an ideal partner for Loyalty TV. Together, we are creating loyalty marketing content that not only informs but also inspires loyalty professionals to elevate their strategies and achieve greater success.”

This partnership comes at a time when brands are increasingly recognizing the importance of robust loyalty programs in driving customer retention and growth, as the loyalty market continues to grow in scale and stature.

It reflects the increasing demand for educational and inspirational content to guide loyalty marketers in planning for success.

By combining Capillary’s advanced loyalty technology with Loyalty TV’s insightful content, this collaboration ensures a powerful partnership for brands to achieve loyalty program excellence.

About Capillary Technologies

Capillary Technologies is a managed SaaS loyalty solution for enterprise brands across the globe. Powering 100+ enterprise scale loyalty programs like Tata, Optum, Shell, Domino’s & Dell; Capillary is also a leader on the Forrester Wave for Loyalty Solutions along with other key recognitions from Gartner and Everest Group.

Capillary’s AI-powered suite of products- Loyalty+, Engage+, Rewards+, Insights+ and a robust CDP form the crux of its offerings along with Brierley’s consultancy services (Capillary acquired Brierley in 2023). Touching more than 1bn loyalty members through its customers, Capillary is loyalty management solution of choice for enterprise brands across verticals.

Learn more at www.capillarytech.com.

About Loyalty TV / Let’s Talk Loyalty

Let’s Talk Loyalty FZ LLC is the parent company that launched the “Let’s Talk Loyalty” podcast in 2019 as the world’s first podcast for loyalty marketing professionals.

The podcast focuses on creating exclusive audio content for loyalty marketing industry professionals around the world, who design, run, and optimize marketing programmes in order to drive customer loyalty. Let’s Talk Loyalty has now published almost six hundred episodes and the show is now ranked in the top 2.5% of all global podcasts.

Based on audience demand, the company launched Loyalty TV in 2023 to record and share selected loyalty marketing expert interviews in a professional studio environment.

The Loyalty TV video format has become an even more powerful way for the global loyalty community to be inspired and continually learn from each other.

Loyalty TV features interviews with world-class brands and loyalty industry personalities, including McDonald’s, Pizza Hut, Singapore Airlines, and Starbucks to date.

5 Challenges Brands Need to Navigate to Build Customer Loyalty in Philippines

Posted on August 8, 2024 by Anjali Pillai

The Philippines, with its vibrant economic growth and a consumer sector flourishing at a robust 5.6% annual growth rate, is a goldmine for businesses. As one of Southeast Asia’s fastest-growing economies, it offers a promising landscape for various industries. However, despite its appealing opportunities, the challenge of building and maintaining customer loyalty remains complex and multifaceted.

Josiah Go, Chairman and Chief Innovation Strategist of Mansmith and Fielders, Inc., noted that “Filipinos buy based on emotion and justify with logic.” This dual approach to purchasing highlights the intricacies of the Filipino market. With over 7,000 islands, each rich with its own cultural nuances, brands face the formidable task of earning the trust and loyalty of Filipino consumers.

In this evolving economic and culturally diverse landscape, businesses must navigate these five key challenges to build enduring customer loyalty.

1. Encouraging signups for loyalty programs

One key challenge brands face is getting Filipino consumers to take the first step, ie, to sign up for their loyalty programs. There are several reasons why consumers might be hesitant to sign up:

They might be hard to understand
There might be ambiguity on the value they offer
Concerns related to data transparency are also a factor that prevents consumers from taking that first step
Ease of access is another concern when it comes to signing up for loyalty programs. If the signup is limited only through a single platform, for example, if the consumer has to visit the brick-and-mortar store to sign up, it can limit how many people sign up for the program.

To overcome these challenges, brands need to focus on simplicity and transparency in their loyalty offerings. Programs should be easy to understand, with straightforward benefits that are clearly communicated. Additionally, brands should leverage mobile technology, given the high smartphone penetration in the Philippines, to create accessible and user-friendly loyalty apps. Brands need to come out of the card-based loyalty programs and embrace this new approach to ensure higher signups.

2. Establishing an Omnichannel Presence

The digital landscape in the Philippines is evolving rapidly, with internet penetration increasing significantly. According to Kepios’s analysis, internet users in the country grew by 1.8 million (+2.1%) between January 2023 and January 2024. This rise in online activity underscores the critical need for a robust omnichannel presence.

Both online and in-store shopping are on the rise in the Philippines, yet many brands struggle to integrate these experiences, resulting in fragmented customer interactions. To effectively address this, businesses must develop a cohesive omnichannel strategy that ensures a seamless experience across all touchpoints. This involves integrating online platforms with physical stores and maintaining consistent branding, messaging, and above all, convenience.

For example, a customer might discover a product online, check its availability in-store, and then make a purchase through a mobile app. Ensuring that each of these touchpoints offers a consistent and high-quality experience is essential for maintaining customer satisfaction and loyalty. In a market where 85% of consumers expect seamless interactions across different channels, brands that fail to provide a unified experience risk losing customer trust and loyalty.

3. Encouraging Higher Spending

As Filipino consumers experience increasing disposable incomes, they remain highly value-conscious. So how do you make them spend more on your brand?

To encourage higher spending, loyalty programs need to offer strategic incentives that are relevant to Filipino consumers. This might include exclusive promotions that align with their interests or targeted offers based on their purchasing history.

For example, brands can offer special deals on popular local products or create limited-time offers that coincide with significant national festivals. Festivals like Sinulog, Pahiyas, and Ati-Atihan are prime opportunities for brands to engage with consumers.

Filipinos love to celebrate family relations with shared gifts and experiences. Their tightly woven familial bonds play a significant role in purchase decisions. Brands can leverage this cultural nuance by designing loyalty programs that cater to these family-centered celebrations. For instance, offering family package deals, group discounts, or rewards that can be shared among family members can resonate well with Filipino consumers. Promotions that encourage spending on family outings, dining experiences, and holiday gifts can also drive higher spending.

4. Brand Loyalty vs Value Shopping

Economic sensitivity shapes consumer behavior in the Philippines, resulting in a constant tussle between brand loyalty and value shopping. Filipino consumers often prioritize value, making it challenging for brands to foster long-term loyalty. However, the key to transforming a casual buyer into a “suki” (Filipino for a loyal customer or patron) lies in balancing value with emotional connection.

To make Filipino consumers loyal, brands must first ensure their products and offers cater to the economic needs of their audience. Competitive pricing, quality, and tangible benefits are crucial in establishing this initial value. However, true loyalty extends beyond transactional interactions and requires building a deeper, emotional bond with consumers.

By integrating personalization and tapping into the rich cultural tapestry of the Philippines in marketing campaigns and services, brands can become a part of their consumer’s life, creating lasting brand loyalty.

5. Gap in technology

In the Philippines, many brands are still using outdated systems, making it hard to keep up with ever-changing consumer expectations and make informed decisions through the right data. Staying competitive means embracing modern, agile technologies.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a game-changer here. AI-driven solutions, like chatbots and personalized recommendations, can automate customer engagement, ensuring timely and relevant interactions that keep customers coming back. Picture a chatbot that not only answers questions but also suggests products based on a customer’s past purchases or a recommendation engine that tailors offers to individual preferences—these are the experiences that modern consumers love.

Understanding local consumer preferences through data analytics allows businesses to create culturally relevant and appealing offers. By analyzing trends and behaviors, brands can design loyalty programs that genuinely resonate with Filipino consumers, blending value with emotional connection.

Kickstart Your Loyalty Journey With Capillary

With the right loyalty platform, you can bid these challenges goodbye. Capillary’s advanced AI-powered loyalty platform brings everything you need to run a successful loyalty program under one roof. From hyper-personalized communications and promotions to real-time insights, Capillary makes running a loyalty program a piece of cake for brands. We have several clients across industries and geos who have leveraged our platform to beat the competition and drive business growth. Check out what our clients are saying about us. Book a demo now.

Heartfelt Healthcare – Using Hyper-personalization in Healthcare Marketing

Posted on August 8, 2024 by Olivia Peterson

The Future of Patient Engagement

In a world where consumers are inundated with information and choices, personalization has become a critical differentiator across industries. In healthcare, the stakes are even higher. Personalized marketing isn’t just a strategy; it’s a necessity. With the advent of hyper-personalization, healthcare marketing is on the brink of a revolution. Let’s explore why personalization matters, the techniques to achieve it, and how Engage+ can help create hyper-personalized patient journeys.

Why Personalization Matters in Healthcare

Personalization in healthcare goes beyond addressing patients by their first names in emails. It’s about delivering the right message, through the right channel, at the right time, tailored to the individual needs and preferences of each patient. The importance of this cannot be overstated:

Improved Patient Outcomes: Personalized messages can encourage patients to adhere to treatment plans, attend follow-up appointments, and engage in preventive care activities.

Higher Patient Satisfaction: When patients feel understood and valued, their satisfaction levels rise. This, in turn, leads to better patient retention and loyalty.

Efficiency for Healthcare Providers: Personalization streamlines communication, ensuring that healthcare providers can focus on delivering care rather than managing administrative tasks.

Techniques for Achieving Hyper-personalization

Achieving hyper-personalization requires more than just basic data analytics. Here are some advanced techniques:

Data Integration

Integrating data from multiple sources such as Electronic Health Records (EHRs), patient surveys, and wearable devices provides a comprehensive view of each patient. This holistic understanding is crucial for effective personalization.

Predictive Analytics

Using machine learning algorithms, predictive analytics can forecast patient behaviors and needs. For example, predictive models can identify patients at risk of chronic conditions, allowing for early intervention.

Behavioral Segmentation

Segmenting patients based on their behaviors, preferences, and engagement patterns allows for more targeted and effective communication strategies. This segmentation goes beyond demographic data, focusing on actual patient actions and choices.

Real-time Interactions

Real-time data processing enables healthcare providers to engage with patients at the most opportune moments. For instance, sending reminders or health tips when a patient is most likely to act on them improves the efficacy of the message.

The Role of Engage+ in Creating Personalized Patient Journeys

Capillary Engage+ stands at the forefront of hyper-personalization in healthcare marketing. Here’s how it helps create personalized patient journeys:

Comprehensive Patient Profiles

Engage+ integrates data from various touchpoints to build detailed patient profiles. These profiles capture everything from medical history to communication preferences, enabling highly personalized interactions.

Advanced Analytics

The platform leverages predictive analytics to anticipate patient needs and behaviors. By understanding what patients are likely to require next, healthcare providers can offer timely and relevant recommendations.

Automated Engagement

With Engage+, healthcare providers can automate personalized communication workflows. This includes sending appointment reminders, medication adherence prompts, and wellness tips, all tailored to individual patient profiles.

Multichannel Integration

Engage+ supports communication across multiple channels—email, SMS, mobile apps, and more. This ensures that patients receive messages through their preferred channels, enhancing engagement and satisfaction.

Conclusion

In the rapidly evolving landscape of healthcare marketing, hyper-personalization is not just a trend—it’s a game-changer. By leveraging advanced data analytics and real-time interactions, healthcare providers can create meaningful, personalized patient experiences that drive better outcomes and higher satisfaction.

Engage+ is uniquely positioned to help healthcare organizations achieve this level of personalization. Its comprehensive suite of tools and features ensures that every patient feels valued and understood, fostering a deeper connection between patients and providers.

Ready to transform your patient engagement strategy? Get in touch with our team at Capillary and discover how hyper-personalization can revolutionize your healthcare marketing efforts.