Rawlings’ New Loyalty Program Targets Loyal Customers as Advisers

Rawlings loyalty When officials at Rawlings Sporting Goods Company first discussed plans to launch its new Rawlings Rewards loyalty program, they focused their efforts on identifying and rewarding the company’s best and most loyal customers.

Rawlings recently partnered with Clutch, a leading consumer management firm that specializes in consumer insights, strategic loyalty, and advanced technology, to create Rawlings Rewards−the company’s first-ever customer loyalty program.

With its user-friendly interface and minimal entry requirements, Rawlings Rewards encourages repeat purchases, subsequently building a database of brand ambassadors for future marketing ventures. Rawlings Rewards will be accessible via the ecommerce portion of the brand’s website at RawlingsGear.com.

Rawlings Rewards is free to join and operates on a point system where every dollar spent yields the consumer one point at the entry, or “red” level.  Once 250 points have been accrued, the consumer is awarded a $10 coupon to redeem on a future purchase on RawlingsGear.com. The consumer can reach the “gold” level after accumulating 500 points, thereby earning a complimentary Rawlings sack pack and a bonus accrual of 1.25 points for every dollar spent. Other program highlights include points that do not expire, double points during birthday months, exclusive offers and discounts, and bonus points on select products.

Loyalty360 caught up with Lindsey Naber, Senior Marketing Manager, Key Accounts, Rawlings to discuss the exciting new loyalty program.

What factors prompted Rawlings to launch its first-ever loyalty program and was customer feedback one of those factors?

When we first started discussing the plan to create Rawlings Rewards, we sought to identify and reward our most loyal consumers. We felt that by maintaining a conversation with these loyalists, we could encourage them to act as brand ambassadors for Rawlings thereby expanding our reach and strengthening our position in the marketplace. We also wanted to attract consumers who may not have interacted with or purchased from us in the past by giving them an incentive to try us out.  

How do you think the program will impact customer engagement and customer loyalty?

We certainly hope to see increased purchase frequency and totals as a result of implementing Rawlings Rewards, but more importantly, we’re striving to create a close-knit community that can serve as advisers to our brand. We’ll solicit their opinions and feedback on new marketing programs, products, and more. By going to them first, we hope to make this segment feel special and valued in exchange for their input, support and loyalty. It’s a win-win situation for our brand and our consumers.

How does Rawlings define Customer Loyalty and has that definition evolved in recent years?

For Rawlings, loyalty simply means supporting our brand for an extended period of time. This support comes in many forms and expands beyond making a purchase from our website. Many brands get caught in the trap of focusing solely on the offers, discounts and rewards. With our program, Rawlings Rewards, we’re more concerned with building a lasting relationship with our loyalists as they evolve in their respective careers as an athlete, parent, coach, or fan.

How do you stay on top of rapidly changing technologies?

More than anything, we simply observe and listen in order to learn about rapidly changing technologies in the field. One of our primary demographics is the 12-17-year-old performance athlete and one can glean quite a bit of information by watching how they interact with one another via social media, at events, etc. This technique has proven to be effective for us especially in the digital realm. We also have a newly formed, in-house tech team that works with our marketing specialists to ensure we’re in the know as far as relevant technologies and advances in our business.

Would you rather acquire new customers or retain your best and most loyal customers?

Rawlings loyalty

While we’d like to both acquire new customers AND retain our best/most loyal customers via our loyalty program, the latter is of most importance. Our loyal consumers have established a trust with our brand that enables them to continually come back to us, so it’s our top priority to reward that behavior via programs tailored to their interests and shopping patterns. Ideally, new consumers will also be drawn to Rawlings Rewards, but they’re not our primary audience for the program. We have separate marketing efforts designed for first-time buyers.

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