Objective

Research insights on Loyalty programs revealed that additional experiences outside typical Earn and Burn models were highly desirable. MapMyRun’s Challenges platform provided the ideal foundation to build a program with an extra dimension to motivate and inspire athletes to improve their performance and potential.

Approach

As a result of the timing and distribution of work, we had some unique challenges in solving this problem. The program mechanics, branding, and MapMy branding were all in the process of being developed. Rather than engaging in a waterfall approach with dependencies that would string out the roadmap, we adopted a systems approach that utilized what we knew and made best-guess assumptions where we didn’t. Like landing a helicopter on a train moving through the mountains, it was easy to imagine what could go wrong, but we had faith that we could adapt to unforeseen issues.

Program Mechanics

To keep things as simple as possible, we established that the core experience of the program would live within the ecommerce ecosystem. MapMy would act as an extension of the program and mimic the branding aspects we would drop in once our agency partner finalized that work. The Visual Refresh work made this easier by aligning the MapMy ecosystem with the UA brand, meaning we wouldn’t require one-off branding exceptions in the Rewards system.

We also kept the mechanics of the earning portion contained within the existing Challenges functionality. Building on an existing CMS allowed us to be efficient in creating and launching challenges within the program with minimal creative resources. Built-in analytics functionality allowed for continued optimization of challenge variables as the program evolves.

Program Enrollment

MapMyRun has a considerable audience of active users that does not directly overlap with Under Armour online shoppers. Allowing MapMyRun athletes to enroll in the App was a pivotal opportunity to expand both audiences. It also allowed us to measure the interest of the MapMyRun ecosystem in a Rewards program.

Program Status

The one area where we used core functionality of the Rewards program within the MapMy platform was allowing visibility of one’s overall points total. Our insights told us this was essential functionality in that getting feedback on point accumulation was critical for maintaining active interest. This “mini-hub” of their point total read directly from the loyalty engine and would redirect to the Ecomm side for redemption tasks or program exploration. This approach kept complexity to a minimum while offering enough information to spur engagement and extend reach to MapMyRun athletes not fully engaged with purchasing Under Armour.

Outcome

The most significant outcome was hitting our target release date for the pilot launch. We launched the pilot in the US, restricting enrollment to targeted regions enforced through ZIP code validation.

Impact

The challenges had a significant impact on the program, increasing adoption of the program and extending its reach. Even with restricted visibility and entry points due to technical limitations and using a ZIP gate, MapMy showed a higher enrollment rate than e-commerce and retail channels. This finding verified the insight gathered through consumer research that a way to earn points through “sweat equity” was a highly valued aspect of the program. The Rewards Program has since moved into full release in North America.