The challenge - how do we keep delivering relevant, timely communications in a market that’s highly price sensitive and competitive, while meeting the changing demands of customers?

While myCountdown was an established and successful programme, the customer and loyalty landscape in New Zealand was changing. Onecard’s partnership with AA Smartfuel was set to trigger an influx of new customers that would need to be actively engaged, offered the perfect opportunity to rebuild the communications platform.

Since it began, significant behavioural shifts had changed how people engaged with marketing communications. Customers were more mobile, consuming the same messages across channel and across device. New technologies in email, web and mobile had arrived allowing for more production flexibility.

Jaded customers were opting out of traditional email programmes due to email fatigue and a ho-hum attitude toward newsletter communications. The new focus is “bite-sized single-minded messages”.

A complete redesign, reflecting changing customer behaviours, attitudes and preferences was undertaken. Guided by customer feedback, the focus was on:

• Giving customers the power to customise their own email
• Mobile first approach matched with customer behaviour
• Providing more content flexibility
• More special offers and savings

A cross-shopper module was introduced to target underspending customers, identify low-spend in key categories; while rebuilding myCountdown’s targeting capability.

While this was a logistically challenging project, it delivered impressive results of increased sales and improved ROI. The campaign also delivered a 4% lift in engagement.

The campaign clearly demonstrated that adding real value to the customer experience in a highly competitive retail sector reaps rewards, even when price remains the most important driver for customers in grocery retailing.