2024 Q3 Open Loyalty product update

October 18, 2024
Contributors
Carlos Oliveira
Product Marketing Manager

In the third quarter of 2024, our team introduced major updates and enhancements to Open Loyalty, designed to help our clients boost business outcomes through their loyalty programs.

Below is a breakdown of the latest improvements, organized by category:

Segmentation and Targeting

  • Segment users based on their membership tiers.
  • Segment users based on custom events they performed previously.

Campaigns

  • Implement time-based campaigns such as weekly, monthly, and anniversary-based ones for more tailored experiences.
  • Set units pending configuration for specific campaigns.
  • Expire units annually on a chosen date, giving you more control over campaign timelines.

Usability

  • A complete UI revamp of the admin panel, improving ease of use and navigation for admins.

Units

  • Manage negative point balances for users.

Achievements

  • Enjoy achievement templates to streamline creation.
  • Create follow-up achievements, enabling continuous engagement and progression for users.

Tiers

  • Combine simultaneous membership tiers to align with your specific loyalty program goals.

We’re excited to bring you these updates and look forward to helping you maximize the potential of your loyalty programs!

Time-based campaigns: weekly, monthly, and anniversary of joining the program

Loyalty mechanics

Loyalty campaigns mix different mechanics to achieve business goals. 

What's new

You can now trigger campaigns automatically using two additional triggers:

  1. Trigger campaign every anniversary of a user’s membership
  2. Trigger campaign on selected days of the week or month. 

Previously existing triggers include daily and member's birthdays. It’s possible to mix and match campaigns.

Why it matters

Automatic campaigns help the business scale operations while keeping the personalized touch.

Documentation

Learn how to use: Time-Based Campaign | Open Loyalty.

‍Real-life use case

Let’s imagine some uses to increase user engagement with low effort.

In Open Loyalty, you can do this automatically:

  • Every Friday, give points to members depending on their tier
  • Every 1st day of the month, give a discount coupon to members who spent at least $50 in the last 30 days
  • Every year since a member joined the program, send them a discount coupon

Usability - Admin panel UI revamp

This quarter, we fine-tuned many elements of the admin panel, from buttons to panels, to ensure the best navigation experience while crafting the perfect loyalty program.

Segment based on tiers

Loyalty mechanics

Loyalty tiers allow you to differentiate members based on chosen criteria. You can then promote different actions, promotions, and messaging to each tier.

Tier-based segmentation helps businesses target specific groups of loyalty members to enhance engagement and increase customer lifetime value (CLV).

What's new

You can now dynamically segment users based on their loyalty tier, with the option to automatically update the segments. This eliminates the need for ongoing manual updates, simplifying campaign management.

Why it matters

Using tier segmentation allows businesses to craft hyper-personalized campaigns, boosting customer satisfaction and loyalty by addressing their specific needs and preferences.

Note that tier is one of many segment conditions (such as age, location, and achievement status) that can be mixed and matched.

Documentation

Learn how to use: Segment Conditions | Open Loyalty.

Real-life use case

Let’s imagine a few ways to boost engagement and CLV by using tier segments:

  • Create a segment of VIP-tier members and send them a personalized event invitation every month.
  • Narrow down Gold-tier members who spend less than $1,000 on average and incentivize them with a discount code to increase spending.
  • Group low-tier members who haven't logged in within the last 7 days and send them a motivational voucher to encourage re-engagement.

Segment based on custom events in last x days

Loyalty mechanics

Custom events help you connect the loyalty program to specific member behaviors. Custom events are set as required – examples include "videos watched", "login performed", "products reviewed," and "steps walked." Events can be accessed through Open Loyalty's API.

Event-based segmentation enables businesses to track specific user actions and create tailored campaigns based on recent member activity.

What's new

You can now segment users more precisely by tracking custom events. These segments are automatically updated based on the user's event history within a set time frame.

Why it matters

This level of detailed targeting allows you to engage members based on their most recent interactions, helping to drive repeat behavior and align their actions with your business goals.

Documentation

Learn how to use: Segment Conditions | Open Loyalty.

Real-life use case

Let’s imagine a few ways to boost engagement by using custom event segments:

  • Segment members who logged in at least once in the last seven days and reward them with a badge to recognize their activity.
  • Create a group of members who wrote at least one product review in the last 30 days and send them an exclusive reward to encourage further contributions.

Campaigns with unique units pending and expiration configuration

Loyalty mechanics

Open Loyalty allows you to create digital wallets with units, also called points, and reward members with that currency for performing specific actions.

Pending and expiring units create a sense of urgency and anticipation, encouraging members to engage with your loyalty program and make timely purchases.

What's new

You can now configure when units will expire or unlock during each campaign, allowing for greater flexibility in designing campaigns that drive specific behaviors, such as frequent purchases or referrals.

Why it matters

By strategically setting expiration and pending dates for loyalty units, businesses can influence member behavior, encouraging more immediate action or longer-term engagement.

Documentation

Learn how to use: Creating Campaigns | Open Loyalty.

Real-life use case

Let’s explore two simple ways to use units to boost engagement.

First case: Award different types of points based on how many products the member shops:

  • Buys one product – receives points pending for seven days
  • Buys three products – receives points pending for three days
  • Buys five products or more – receives active points (ready for immediate use)

Second case: Award different unit types based on how the user is interacting with the shop.

  • Member makes a purchase – receives pending points
  • Member makes a successful referral – receives active points

Expire units annually on the chosen date

What's new

You can now set a precise annual expiration date for units, allowing businesses to align point expiration with key dates like fiscal years or seasonal campaigns. This new flexibility makes it easier to predict and manage point redemption.

Why it matters

Setting predictable expiration dates improves financial planning, while allowing businesses to craft personalized marketing campaigns tied to each member’s point expiration. This also gives companies the ability to optimize the program by adjusting expiration dates based on customer behavior.

Documentation

Learn how to use: Wallet Types and Configuration | Open Loyalty.

Real-life use case

Let’s explore how you can use annual unit expiration to drive engagement:

  • Set points to expire at the end of your fiscal year, encouraging members to redeem them before the deadline and helping improve financial predictability.
  • Target members with personalized marketing campaigns reminding them to use their points before they expire, driving purchases and engagement at key times.

Wallets allowing negative units points balance

What's new

You can now enable wallets to go into a negative balance, providing more flexibility when handling member transactions, returns, and large rewards.

Why it matters

Allowing negative balances in wallets is an advanced use case that can maintain a seamless user experience, even when members return products or redeem significant rewards.

Documentation

Learn how to use: Wallet Types and Configuration | Open Loyalty.

Real-life use case

Let’s explore how a negative balance can keep members engaged:

  • Mary, a loyal customer, earns 1,500 points from her recent blouse purchase. After redeeming a major reward – Event VIP Access – her wallet balance reaches 0.
  • When Mary decides to return the blouse, her wallet balance drops to -1,500 points, but she remains engaged in the program and can continue earning points to clear the negative balance.

Achievement templates

Loyalty mechanics

Achievements are a great way to motivate members by rewarding them for completing specific actions, from purchases to referrals.

What's new

You can now use pre-built achievement templates that cover a wide range of activities. These templates are fully customizable, allowing you to quickly implement achievements tailored to your program while reducing the time needed for setup.

Why it matters

Achievement templates streamline the process of creating engaging milestones for members, whether they are based on transactions, custom events, or referrals. This helps boost member satisfaction and loyalty while aligning achievements with your business goals.

Documentation

Learn how to use: Creating achievements | Open Loyalty.

Real-life use case

Let’s explore how achievement can drive member engagement:

  • Create transaction-based achievements, such as buying products with a specific SKU or spending 1,000 currency units over two months.
  • Set up custom event achievements, like walking 10,000 steps a day or maintaining a 7-day login streak.
  • Use referral-based templates, such as referring five friends or referees completing three transactions, to motivate members to promote your brand.

Follow-up achievements

What's new

You can now create follow-up achievements that are triggered when members complete specific prior achievements.

Why it matters

Follow-up achievements provide a structured way to increase member engagement over time. By rewarding members who achieve specific goals, businesses can create a sense of accomplishment and drive ongoing interaction with the program.

Documentation

Learn how to use: Follow up Achievements | Open Loyalty.

Real-life use case

Let’s explore how follow-up achievements can increase mobile app engagement:

  • First achievement: “7-day login streak,” encouraging members to return to the app regularly.
  • Second achievement: “14-day login streak,” pushing members to continue engaging.
  • Third achievement: “30-day login streak,” rewarding loyal members with an exclusive discount coupon, driving even more interaction and loyalty.

Custom tiers set

What's new

You can now create custom tier sets tailored to different business goals, such as increasing purchase frequency or driving community engagement. 

Crucially, you can enable different tier sets at the same time to mix and match different strategies.

Why it matters

Custom tier sets allow businesses to structure loyalty programs that motivate members to engage more frequently or spend more, based on different types of interactions or behaviors.

Custom tier sets enable businesses to align loyalty rewards with their goals, whether it’s boosting average order value (AOV) or increasing member engagement. By setting specific actions tied to each tier, members are motivated to progress through the levels, encouraging greater commitment to the brand.

Documentation

Learn how to use: Adding Tiers | Open Loyalty.

Real-life use case

One example custom tiers setup that drives engagement and increase spending:

  • Shopping tiers: Each tier requires members to shop more frequently, encouraging them to boost their spending habits to reach the next level.
  • Community tiers: Each tier requires members to contribute by posting reviews or comments about your brand, increasing the overall engagement rate within your community.