Campaign: Points for Purpose

Client: FlyBuys

Agency: Reactive

Background

FlyBuys is the leading shopping rewards program in Australia and the fifth largest coalition loyalty program in the world. With over 10 million Australian cardholders, FlyBuys was looking to use social media and digital marketing to connect with its members and reinvigorate the program.

Enter Reactive, a global digital agency that carved a name for itself by building effective online strategy and creative marketing solutions. Reactive was appointed by FlyBuys to develop a social media strategy, consulting with the team at FlyBuys to identify the best opportunities to extend the brand’s online presence. Key to the social strategy was a focus on community building and positive engagement with members to increase the reach and relevance of the program.

As well as helping to launch FlyBuys’ social media presence, Reactive proposed a social giving campaign to clearly demonstrate the value of FlyBuys points, and help members use their spare points for a positive purpose. The initiative supported Cancer Council Australia to fund research, prevention and support services for the one in two Australians who are diagnosed with cancer by the age of 85.

Objective

FlyBuys not only aspired to build a robust social media presence, it wanted a positive one that would inspire sharing and user-generated word of mouth. Reactive proposed aligning the program with a charitable cause to build a positive groundswell of support for a worthy cause.

Reactive was presented with several key objectives that fell under three umbrella categories:

• establish a strong, positive social media presence for FlyBuys
• foster online engagement with FlyBuys’ 10 million Australian cardholders, and
• encourage members to donate spare points to Cancer Council Australia and raise the equivalent of $200,000 to fund research, prevention and support.

While FlyBuys members have always been allowed to donate to a range of charitable causes, this was the first time a major campaign promoting the option had been conducted. FlyBuys chose to extend its existing partnership with Cancer Council Australia to help raise valuable funds to continue its research and support for Australia cancer patients, families and friends.

“This was the perfect opportunity for our members to donate their points to support a vital cause,” says FlyBuys general manager, Phil Hawkins. “Australians are huge adopters of social media, so it made perfect sense for FlyBuys to communicate with its members in these channels.”

Following research conducted by FlyBuys on the social media habits of its members, Reactive chose to create a digital platform on Facebook that allowed members to sign in to their account, donate to the cause and share their positive experiences online, as well as stay up-to-date with FlyBuys news, learn of special offers from participating brands and locate stores offering FlyBuys points.

Strategy

In response to the brief, Reactive masterminded FlyBuys’ largest charity campaign ever, the ‘Points for Purpose’ initiative. The campaign called on FlyBuys members to donate loyalty points to help raise an ambitious target of 25 million points, the equivalent of $200,000, for Cancer Council Australia. FlyBuys kick-started the campaign with a significant donation and continued to contribute as consumers reached collective targets.

By encouraging FlyBuys members to donate their spare points, Reactive tapped the ‘feel good factor’ that comes from supporting a worthy cause. By allowing consumers to donate to charity without having to put their hands in their pockets, the strategy was a win-win situation.

Reactive designed a customised application within the FlyBuys Facebook page that allowed FlyBuys members to donate points directly from their online account. To spread word of their generosity and promote the initiative via digital word of mouth, members could ‘Like’ or ‘Tell Friends’ about the campaign. Reactive also allowed non-members to click on ‘Join’ and sign up to the loyalty program.

Implement

Launched on 14 February 2011, ‘Points for Purpose’ was timed to coincide with FlyBuys’ quarterly statement mailing. All communication was conducted via FlyBuys’ existing channels, including the statement pack mailers, eDM, the FlyBuys website and its call centre, thereby avoiding costly advertising and media.

To jump start the social giving campaign, FlyBuys contributed one million points and pledged to donate a subsequent million for every five million points raised until it attained its goal of 25 million points. Members could contribute as few as 625 FlyBuys points ($5 value), letting new members or those with low points balances take part.

Throughout ‘Points for Purpose’, the FlyBuys marketing team encouraged participation, posted comments on Facebook, replied to queries and rigorously monitored responses from the online community.

Result

Reactive’s ‘Points for Purpose’ campaign not only achieved its three main objectives, but did so in a short time-frame, with staggering efficiency and avoiding extra media spend. In just 30 days, the target of 25 million FlyBuys points was reached, leading to over $200,000 in cash raised for Cancer Council Australia. The campaign continues and, to date, ‘Points for Purpose’ has raised more than 28,000,000 (over $224,000) points for research, prevention and support services.

By tapping into Facebook, Reactive connected FlyBuys with a younger audience and online community, which actively engaged with the brand by generating positive word of mouth. ‘Points for Purpose’ achieved nearly 7000 ‘Likes’ on Facebook and received over 230,000 post views, while more than 17,500 FlyBuys members donated. Feedback from members has been overwhelmingly positive, with hundreds of posts from supporters on the Facebook wall, all acting as authentic advocates for FlyBuys and the ‘Points for Purpose’ campaign.

For a company wanting to establish a strong, benevolent social media presence and foster online member engagement, Reactive’s strategy has been an outstanding success for FlyBuys and has become a pillar of the ongoing social media engagement with members.