The challenge: Qantas is one of the most well-known and respected flying companies in the world, and their popular Qantas Frequent Flyer (QFF) programme is substantial. It’s a vital revenue stream for the company, bringing in profits of almost $400 million annually, and crucially, that’s more than the company makes in their flights. The marketing challenge: it’s a complex programme, with many layers of earning and spending options. Most members are unaware of the scale and variety of the rewards; there are over 300 retail partners including fashion, wine, insurance, banking, electronics…you name it. There are also 8,000 products available in the Qantas Rewards Store. Our mission: to drive new consumer acquisition for the QFF, and to encourage consistent engagement through educating users on the full extent of the reward options available.

The idea: To achieve all the awareness, education and engagement goals, the Because team created a ‘clicks to bricks’ strategy, a global-first airline solution. The new Qantas Frequent Flyer Rewards Room at Melbourne’s Terminal 1 brought a physical edge to the typically, digital-centric marketing programme. This customised experiential retail showroom showcased the variety and power of the Qantas Rewards, and educated consumers on how they could travel, shop and enjoy doing things they wouldn’t usually be able to do without cash. Impressively, this store was delivered within six weeks from concept to launch.

The solution: Australians love loyalty programmes, and the stats here are impressive. Most programmes are highly profitable, and over 60 percent of consumers say it may influence their shopping behaviour. However, it’s a challenge educating customers when the average click-through rate for the travel industry (according to MailChimp) is a paltry 2 percent. This QFF Rewards Room changed all that. It incentivised flyers to visit by offering 100 points for entering the store daily. Then the expert brand ambassadors, affectionately known as ‘Point Pilots’, would spend quality time with each visitor sharing with them how they could best use the programme specifically to their requirement.

Stock in the store was on hand to bring tangible benefits immediately to life, and was carefully chosen to cover all the traveller profiles. Tablets were also stationed around the room so consumers could order items for home delivery. Naturally to draw footfall into the stand and increase dwell time, there were also ‘experience zones’ where we partnered with retail brands like Dyson to offer a free blow-dry bar while demonstrating new products. This also leveraged positive reciprocity, a technique we often bring into play with our experiences.

Making it extraordinary: The QFF Rewards Room helped Qantas recruit new customers, build brand loyalty and increase product sales and engagement among their existing network and third-party partners. The judges said, “This was a competitive category… In an evolving marketplace, Qantas looked at ways to get ahead of the curve and create a new concept store to bring awareness to a traditionally Digital Loyalty programme. Bringing an engaging and experiential approach to Melbourne Airport they transitioned from click to bricks, to a new approach with great success.”

The brand activation showed that the Rewards are a powerful digital currency, and that Qantas as a brand, is about more than just flying – it’s an innovative retail partner that offers its passengers more. “In our digital age, it’s a privilege to have had the opportunity to create a ‘click to brick’ campaign. The team at Qantas Loyalty were so agile and collaborative in their ways of working. They trusted us and the process, which allowed us to bring to life an innovative piece of work that delivered results for members and partners” said Steph Babin, Senior Account Director at Because.

If you’re looking to better understand techniques to drive footfall and increase dwell time for your brand activations, why not sign-up for one of our regular, global masterclasses. We’ll show you that the sky’s the limit when partnering with us.

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