If there’s a better day every year than your birthday, I don’t know what it is.
And it’s something that your favorite brands cash in on. There’s no reason why your station couldn’t do it also.
Here in Detroit, Jax Car Wash – a local chain – offers a free wash to commemorate the day you came into the world. Starbucks offers a free beverage of your choice. And there’s that barrage of Facebook greetings you get that remind you of just how loved you are – by friends and by strangers you’ve never heard of.
A new article in Retail Dive reminds us how retailer Sephora has taken the birthdays of its loyal customers to the bank. In a story by Cara Salpini, “How Sephora maintains loyalty by focusing on what shoppers want most,” she describes the mechanics of a strong birthday strategy.
Radio stations are not retailers so not every idea in the article is a
winner. But the idea of getting in on the celebration of this special day we all celebrate is worth reading. In the same way the old Film House “Birthday Game” was a radio hit in the 1980’s, there’s a positive association with the day you took your first breath.
In Sephora’s case, their “birthday gift” is a runaway hit. Their fans love to see the group of treasures they can choose from. Why couldn’t a radio station offer something similar – a hat, a laptop sticker, or maybe something less tangible – like recording a :10 “It’s my birthday message” that can be heard on the air at specified times (making it easy to share socially)?
Sephora’s SVP and GM of Loyalty (how’s that for a title?) Emeline Berlind explains it’s about “trying to make sure we’re offering the best loyalty elements possible.”
And as it relates to those gifts, here’s the key:
“What’s been kind of the bedrock of the program … every time we do consumer research, it’s always the No. 1 benefit, the birthday gift. People just love the birthday gift. We work really hard with the brands that participate to make it a compelling gift each year. And we’ve continued to offer more choices to our clients as well over the years.”
Sephora has 31 million members in its loyalty database – not the biggest or smallest among brands in its category. And these consumers have a mega-impact on sales.
In fact, Berlind admits these Sephora loyalists – called Beauty Insiders – makes up a majority of U.S. sales. It’s similar to how Jacobs Media looks at database members in our annual Techsurveys – these are the listeners that move the needle.
And its all about the base – the database. Sephora – like most brands – has discovered the value of sending those well-crafted email to their most loyal followers. At a time in radio where budgets are ultra-tight, leaning into those thousands of core listeners to promote contests, special programming, and events can make or break a ratings book.
Sephora also researches its massive group of acolytes. And they’ve discovered that it’s more than just about saving money. The two main factors are value and convenience.
What is it for your station? How can you create moments for all those loyalists that resonate? These are the questions that aren’t
that hard to answer that can inform and power up an email database program that’s been under-utilized.
One last Sephpora idea: a partnership with Kohl’s, another retailer with a similar but different list of core customers. Think about a partnership with a local concert venue, a music store, or the local symphony (for all you public radio classical stations). How can melding with a new audience pay off in a tough economic year?
But don’t forget the core element to Sephora’s success. It’s wrapping itself around those birthdays – a great reason to celebrate in good and in bad times.
Jacobs Media has consistently walked the walk in the digital space, providing insights and guidance through its well-read national Techsurveys.
In 2008, jacapps was launched - a mobile apps company that has designed and built more than 1,300 apps for both the Apple and Android platforms. In 2013, the DASH Conference was created - a mashup of radio and automotive, designed to foster better understanding of the "connected car" and its impact.
Along with providing the creative and intellectual direction for the company, Fred consults many of Jacobs Media's commercial and public radio clients, in addition to media brands looking to thrive in the rapidly changing tech environment.
Fred was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2018.
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Sorry can’t do it.
Reason 1: No budget for “birthday gifts”.
Reason 2: No personnel to administer “birthday gifts”.
Reason 3: No budget to market “birthday gifts”.
Reason 4: No room. We’re running a “nationwide” contest..(not affiliated with the insurance company).
I’m being facetious. These are great ideas and easy to administer and sell if you put forth the effort. Radio’s “loyalty” programs are sort of twisted these days (“listen on our app”) and pretty poorly managed because there’s no “GM of Loyalty”. Radio does have a much larger (and less expensive) megaphone than Sephpora has, and with a little thought can add fun to the mix. At one point we were sending out “Half Birthday” messages-that could have included a free taco if we had sold ’em. Yes our databases are sitting there collecting dust when instead we tell you to text “sheckles” to a phone number-and then don’t offer up the resolution to the promise of $1000.
Your facetiousness is well-placed, Dave. I could hear these 2023 objections ringing in my ears as I was writing the post. Thanks for the reminder.