Gamified Memberships

From Mobile Beer Payments to Augmented Reality Ice Cream Discounts

May 12, 2015

These gamified loyalty programs range from mobile beer payment apps to creative ice cream platforms that use virtual reality to entice subscribers. Thanks to our generation's growing tech obsession, interactive mobile platforms are becoming more synonymous with consumer loyalty programs and are connecting subscribers to exclusive rewards, discounts and limited edition products.

Standouts include 'Push for Beer,' -- an app that lets users play point-based games in order to earn free drink credits in participating bar locations -- along with Swarowski's 'Just Because' app that gives subscribers access to free products rewards and exclusive discount offers.

Other favorites from this list of gamified loyalty programs include Doritos' 'Ketchup Chips Challenge' an app that lets winners compete for a year's snack supply and Osheaga Festival's mobile game platform that lets music fans unlock secret performances and music clips with every completed level.

Dippin' Dots Loyalty Program Designs Ice Cream for the Future

American ice cream brand Dippin' Dots created an interactive augmented reality reward service for its innovative bead-like ice cream. The company's newest futuristic-themed loyalty program perfectly couples the brand's cutting edge ice cream design.

Dippin' Dots is known for creating an ice cream served in tiny dots rather than in a conventional ice cream slab form. In keeping with the brand's modern product, Dippin' Dots has created the Dot Crazy! loyalty app for consumers to download. The app uses an augmented reality system to scan purchase barcodes whenever consumers buy Dippin' Dots -- no matter the location. Users can have fun experimenting with augmented reality games and experiences like the 'Bubble Gum Blaster' built in directly into the app. Consumers are encouraged to collect points based off of their purchases to win free ice cream and other product merchandise.

The LevelUp App Lets You Pay and Gain Store Credits with Experience Points

The idea of paying with cash these days with all the payment apps has become more passe than doing the Charleston and black and white movies.

The clever idea behind the LevelUp payment app is letting users gain points and experience when they use the app to pay for purchases. The catch is that as users level up, they'll gain tangible benefits by paying with the app. For example, if a user uses the LevelUp app at the same business repeatedly, they'll gain store credits and discounts the more they use it.

The only caveat that could stand in the way between LevelUp and being the king of the payment apps is that the system requires specialized payment kiosks for customers to scan their smartphones. To help with that, there's a website to help users figure out what businesses nearby support the LevelUp app. The app is available for iOS and Android for free.

7-Eleven's New Loyalty Platform Trades Free Drinks for Insightful Data

Stationed on nearly every corner around the world, customers will only continue to frequent 7-Eleven stores with the introduction of a new loyalty platform. Launched in Canada, the new loyalty program provides big rewards for those who use its mobile app when making drink purchases served in 7-Eleven cups. After buying six hot or cold drinks, fittingly, the seventh one is free. Quite simply, when the seventh free drink is redeemed, the incentive starts again.

While this is a deceptively simple system, the real value for 7-Eleven happens behind the scenes. Data collected by the app includes information about demographics, geolocation, shareability and targetability. These insights will only help this $85 billion chain succeed in the digital age, especially since smartphones and mobile apps trump traditional web access and advertising.

Adidas' Social Media Campaign Turns Instagram into a Game

For its #PredatorInstinct social media campaign, the Polish Adidas account has been transformed into a unique interactive experience. Although Instagram is a great platform because it is a great place to share visual content, there are only a few things that you can do, including liking and sharing the photos of others.

@Adidas_PL turned its Instagram account into a game, where users are required to hunt for secret codes in the photo tags, and put together a password. Once discovered, users are challenged to like the photos that correspond with the password in the right order. Daily winners receive a pair of Predator Instinct shoes, valued at $200. The ten runners up get new passwords in order to continue the hunt and win an Adidas soccer ball.

Volkswagen's Fun Test Drive Challenges People in a City-Wide Game

Getting to drive around a new car always makes for a fun test drive, but #PoloTag from Volkswagen makes the activity even more interactive and fun.

In order to promote the new Volkswagen Polo, the car was sent out across South Africa and people were challenged to spot it and tag it for a chance to drive it. The new car was awarded to the person who managed to drive the car the longest before getting tagged by another person wanting to take a test drive. On social media, hints as to where the car would be popping up next were shared, so that it would be easy for people to tag. The campaign is a great one to rally car lovers online and offline, plus, get people testing out the new and improved Volkswagen Polo.

Kiip Helps Brands Reward Fans with Specialized Perks

In order to give brands and marketers a boost when it comes to monitoring and rewarding engagement, Kiip launched a loyalty platform that makes it easy to offer specialized rewards. The loyalty platform puts a focus on rewarding specific actions or "moments," such as purchasing a product from a mobile store, playing a game, suggesting an app to a friend or ordering a specific drink at a restaurant. Unlike a lot of other loyalty rewards programs, Kiip distinguishes itself by opting not to offer fans points—instead, fans have the chance to redeem tangible short-term rewards that are more gratifying.

To make implementation as simple as possible, Kiip's platform can be licensed by a brand to work with an existing app.

The Pact App Pays People to Lead Healthier Lifestyles

The Pact app takes the gamified craze to the next level by actually dishing out money to users. It has a solid reward platform that earns people cold hard cash the more they work out and eat healthy. Essentially making a pact to lead healthier lifestyles, the Pact app works both ways. As soon as a person activates the app, they're asked to choose the amount they would want deducted from their own account if they don't stick to their plan.

In order to earn money, the Pact app pays as little as 30 cents to as much as $5 per week. TechCrunch reports, "That payout comes out of the pool of money from people who didn’t make their pact."

The Starbucks Gold Benefits System Gives Users Complimentary Products

The Starbucks Gold Benefits system gives subscribers of the coffee brand's My Starbucks app a chance at free products that vary according to their monthly spending patterns. The program lets users collect 30 stars within a 12 month period in order to achieve a certified Gold level that opens doors to countless offers and discounts.

In addition to a personalized gold card, Starbucks Gold Benefits members will also be given a free drink, juice or food item per every 12 stars they receive. This service keeps My Starbucks account owners subscribed and saves the coffee brand's loyal consumers money in the long run.

Spanning one year, Gold memberships must be maintained with 30 stars per year and are changed to a green status if not met. Despite of this, gold status is easily re-achieved once enough purchases have been made, making it easy to customize for those visiting their local Starbucks location.

This Doritos' Ketchup Chips Challenge Tests a Phone User's Patience

Last year, Doritos' Ketchup Chips were reintroduced in limited numbers after being absent from the shelves of stores for 10 years—then they sold out in a matter of five weeks. Now, to celebrate the return of the flavored potato chips, the brand is challenging its most devoted fans to a special showdown.

The interactive mobile app takes the form of a game called 'The Hold Out,' asking fans to press down on a button for as long as they possibly can. The winner will receive the last bag of Doritos' Ketchup Chips preserved in a glass case, in addition to a year's supply of chips. The unusual challenge will run throughout the month of March, giving millennials plenty of time on their spring breaks to spend time competing for chips.