RANCHOS PALOS VERDES, Calif. — Casey’s monthly active users of its loyalty program Casey’s Rewards sits at more than 50% out of more than 4 million loyalty members, but how did a program launched in early 2020 gain so much traction so quickly?
- Casey’s is No. 4 on CSP’s 2021 Top 202 ranking of c-stores by store count.
Art Sebastian, vice president of digital experiences for Casey’s General Stores Inc., Ankeny, Iowa, shared some lesser-known details and plans for the future of the chain's relatively new loyalty program at Winsight Media's Outlook Leadership Conference in Ranchos Palos Verdes, Calif. Sebastian was joined by Sastry Penumarthy, co-founder and vice president of strategy for Punchh, Casey’s loyalty provider, for a conversation about some of the keys to success for Casey’s Rewards.
In the “now-term,” Casey’s is leaning into mass personalization, said Sebastian. For instance, some emails to members of the program include personalized “offer blocks,” which are sections of the email with relevant offers for that customer based on their past purchase behavior. Casey’s also employs artificial intelligence (AI) to speak with customers in the manner they prefer. If customers don’t respond to a text, Casey’s AI knows to stop contacting customers in that manner. Additionally, Casey’s crafts free offers to spike traffic. The brand partners with consumer packaged good (CPG) firms to pick the right products and uses Casey’s Rewards to spread the word.
A few guiding principles Sebastian shared for a successful loyalty program included ease of use and value. “Value has got to be more than just price,” he said. Casey’s Rewards gives users the ability to donate points earned to local schools, which Sebastian treats as another form of value.
“Data and analytics will become so much more important,” said Sebastian, as he spoke about future updates to Casey’s Rewards. The company is gradually shifting to one-to-one personalization so that each customer receives different deals and communications. Casey’s is also looking into improving the digital experiences of its employees so they can better engage with guests on similar digital platforms.
When asked to offer advice to other brands building a rewards program, Sebastian said it’s a team effort. “Digital isn’t my job, it’s everybody’s job. It is my job to champion it to the organization,” he said.