Aristocrat is a global leader in gaming content and technology and a top-tier publisher of free-to-play mobile games. Operating in the Americas, Europe, Middle East and Africa, and Asia Pacific, the brand delivers end-to-end solutions for customers in more than 300 jurisdictions across the globe.
A finalist for the 2023 Loyalty360 Awards at this year’s Loyalty Expo in Orlando, FL, in the B2B Customer Loyalty category, Aristocrat received the silver award.
Mark Johnson, CEO of Loyalty360, spoke with Vanessa Lisnard, the Program Manager of Commercial Strategy at Aristocrat Technologies, Inc., about the brand’s award-winning presentation, bringing a B2B loyalty program to the gaming industry, and the next exciting step for Aristocrat.
Can you give us a brief overview of what you presented for your awards presentation at the 2023 Loyalty Expo?
Lisnard: This is our second year presenting at the Loyalty Expo. I like to say that in our first year of presenting, we introduced the Reel Returns program to the loyalty world in its infancy stage. What we brought to the table in 2023 is how successful the program has become. Even within the last six months, we grew about 113% for engaged and enrolled users in the program. That was the central theme of our presentation. This year we wanted to show that there is a need for customer loyalty within our industry and that there is an opportunity for us to continue to grow.
What are one or two things you’re most proud of when it comes to your brand’s customer loyalty program and program efforts?
Lisnard: One of the things that we’ve come across is internal buy-in. Because gaming is such a unique industry and it’s very rooted in its culture, it’s a hard industry to change. Because Reel Returns is brand new — or the concept of a loyalty program for a B2B customer base is brand new — it’s been a challenge to present something of its kind to our customers and then also to introduce our program internally. Choosing the right way to add it strategically to demonstrate the value of it has made it more of a success.
What’s one piece of advice you would share with a similar brand or someone who looks to expand or enhance their customer loyalty strategy?
Lisnard: It’s not a one-size-fits-all strategy, especially if you’re doing it from a gaming perspective. You want to take the time to understand your customer base — really understand what needs are not met in the industry and then take the time to find solutions while not making your program more difficult than it needs to be.
Briefly, what is the next exciting step Aristocrat plans to make in strengthening customer loyalty?
Lisnard: The one thing we’ve been focused on is making our Reel Returns loyalty program a one-stop-shop for all customer data. For example, if a customer wants to see their order status or if they want to see their spend — their overall total value within our company — Reel Returns would be able to provide that. It’s something that has been lacking within the business and in the industry in general. I’m happy to say that Reel Returns might be the first ones to combat that, so we’re very excited.
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