AARP officials hope that their new “Rewards for Good” loyalty program, which launched this week and rewards users of AARP.org for engaging with exclusive online tools and information that deliver meaningful impact to their lives, increases online customer engagement.
In support of its social mission of improving the lives of people aged 50 and older, AARP launched an innovative program designed to reward online users with points based on their level of online engagement with select self-improvement tools and content−a distinct contrast from the traditional loyalty programs that solely reward consumers based on monetary transactions.
Points can be earned by participating in hundreds of activities designed to help users enrich their lives through smart saving, healthy eating, dating, retirement tips and so much more.
Nakati Edwards, VP, Online Marketing for AARP, told Loyalty360 that AARP sought to find a way to increase the engagement of its online audience that would be productive and have a positive impact on their lives.
“With Rewards for Good, we do just that!” Edwards explained. “Our goal is to demonstrate the enormous value and service provided by AARP.org as well as offer our members fun ways to save on their favorite products and services.”
Currently in the U.S., Edwards said there are 102 million people over the age of 50, and 72 million of them are online.
“Now the time they spend online can be increasingly productive as they engage with AARP.org’s informative tools and earn points towards great savings—all with the goal of empowering and helping them to live more enriched and informed lives,” she said.
Customer feedback played a crucial role in developing the program, Edwards said.
“We value our members’ feedback and are always listening to our members and finding new ways to offer experiences that are meaningful for themselves and their families,” she said. “We Beta-tested the site for a few weeks before launch for this exact reason.”
AARP’s Rewards for Good program is unique because, unlike other loyalty programs, there is no purchase necessary to earn points toward savings for various products and services, Edwards said.
“Users just need to register on AARP.org to get started,” she said. “In many ways, we’re ahead of the curve as far as loyalty programs go. Points can be earned simply by engaging with online tools, such as webinars or quizzes which will benefit them by delivering meaningful information that will positively impact their lives.”
As this is the first-of-its-kind loyalty program, Edwards said AARP did not benchmark this program against current marketplace offerings.
“However, there is a rigorous test and learn effort behind the program and we are continuously evaluating and optimizing to ensure we are delivering the best experience to our users,” Edwards said. “Our main focus is providing value every day to our nearly 38 million members and helping them turn their goals and dreams into real possibilities. The trick is to keep coming up with creative and innovative ways to do so that shows how AARP is relevant to them–Rewards for Good is a great example of a new program we think does this effectively.”
Edwards said AARP views customer loyalty as the result of delivering a relevant and positive experience to its members and the broader 50+ audience.
“It hasn’t changed in recent years and remains our commitment to them,” she said.
AARP’s Rewards for Good program provides immediate value to users who can redeem points earned for more than 200,000 rewards, including exclusive savings from select brands and local merchants. Points can be used toward live auctions that offer everything from iPads to gift cards, and sweepstakes entries that are used for the chance to win brand name prizes. Rewards for Good offers a genuine savings off of the lowest prices on everything from electronics to apparel. Participants can also use a combination of rewards currency plus a credit card payment toward the cost of the retail price of products and merchandise from more than 200 participating brands including Lacoste, Macy’s, Steve Madden, Kohl’s, Fossil, and Dooney & Burke.
Anyone aged 18 and over can participate in the Rewards for Good program by simply creating a free account at AARP.org.and AARP members earn 50% more points for participating in activities. Rewards for Good is structured to ensure that there is active engagement tied to point accumulation and reinforces the promise that this program is committed to the “good” and well-being of each participant.