Wholesaler Giant’s Contractor Loyalty Program Increases E-Commerce Orders by 319%
77%
of contractors participated
665%
Increase in more monthly revenue from program participants
319%
Increase in total average order quantity
The Company
Known as one of the largest U.S. distributors of plumbing supplies, this wholesaler aimed to remain at the top of the plumbing field while gaining market share in the HVAC equipment as well as the industrial products and services arena. They aimed to do this by establishing an eCommerce platform to streamline orders and lower the current “cost to serve” for their professional trade contractors.
The unexpected challenge arose when fewer contractors than expected actually utilized the online platform. Already interested in rewarding loyal customers for their repeat purchases that contributed to their current success, this company sought out Incentive Solutions with two goals in mind:
Cultivating relationships with both new and existing customers through engaging communications and millioins of enticing reward options.
Encouraging contractors to place orders online, easing the transition into a new way of purchasing.
The Challenge
The loyalty program included highly personalized and unique offerings to entice participation and drive online orders. From discounts on services from participating businesses, such as Office Depot, and Enterprise, to reward points for redemption in an online shopping catalog, contractors had access to millions of brand-name items, event tickets, and travel options. To keep brand recognition high, the reward program utilized a daily trivia gamification technique, encouraging customers to log into the reward program daily to test their knowledge and compete with other program participants.”
Building a program from the ground up, this wholesaler decided to incentivize a variety of program activities to make the loyalty program transition seamless. As a strategic priority, the program included a fully integrated marketing campaign to build awareness around the program.
The Benefits
Through a combination enticing rewards, gamification techniques, and a full integrated marketing campaign, this distributor was able to increase loyalty and online order totals. Their results showed 77% of eligible contractors participated, with the average online order quantity increasing by 319%. Even more, customers in the contractor loyalty program provided 665% more monthly revenue compared to contractors not participating in the loyalty program.
Point Earning Activities
- Enrolling in the program
- Purchasing products on the eCommerce platform
- Providing valuable feedback through customer surveys
- Offering referrals as part of a recruitment campaign
- Maintaining a loyal relationship as part of an anniversary campaign
The Intricately Designed Marketing Campaign
- A Celebrity Spokesperson
- Print advertising
- Counter POP (point-of-purchase)
- Online advertising
- National radio commercials
- Email marketing