Gatorade launches loyalty program with direct-to-consumer access

An athletic beverage, supplements and accessories brand is offering rewards for purchases across all channels.

The Gatorade Company, a subsidiary of CPG giant PepsiCo, is introducing a new omnichannel loyalty program. In an email to Chain Store Age, a Gatorade spokesperson said the new free Gatorade iD Loyalty Program, available exclusively through the company’s Gatorade iD membership platform, allows shoppers to earn 10 points for every $1 spent on qualifying products (including Gatorade, Propel, Fast Twitch, Evolve or Muscle Milk), with a monthly cap of 5,000 points.

Shoppers can also receive points for referring friends to Gatorade iD and subscribing to emails. Points can be redeemed for rewards, such as discounts on Gatorade products both in-store and online, including via the direct-to-consumer (DTC) Gatorade.com e-commerce site.  

To redeem points for in-store purchases, consumers can login to their Gatorade iD account and follow the on-screen instructions to upload a photograph of their receipt. Gatorade iD members also get free shipping, product discounts, early access to new products, and access to limited edition drops such as recent collaborations with pop music producer/performer DJ Khaled and WNBA pro basketball star Caitlin Clark.

Gatorade supports its new omnichannel loyalty program with the cloud-based Oracle CrowdTwist loyalty and engagement solution. Leveraging Oracle CloudTwist, Gatorade captures data every time customers engage with its brand to help build a full 360-degree profile that the company can use to personalize interactions and offerings. 

Utilizing Oracle CrowdTwist, Gatorade can recognize purchases of its products via its DTC e-commerce site as well as through retail partners, enabling Gatorade customers to earn loyalty points no matter where they shop.

Survey reveals DTC importance to CPG companies

According to data from Salesforce, DTC channels account for more than 10% of overall revenue for nearly all (99%) of the 91% of 1,500 surveyed CPG companies that have them. Seven-in-10 respondents said their companies have loyalty programs.

And 83% of respondents believe it’s harder than ever to maintain customer loyalty. The top five challenges to fostering customer loyalty were selected as: price sensitivity, innovation, increased competition, personalization, and diminishing brand relevance.