Bill Hanifin
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Kipling, the fashion brand known for its bags adorned by Kipling mascot monkeys, is launching a new loyalty program in October 2014. Born in Belgium, the Kipling story is one of passion, creativity and entrepreneurial spirit. At least that’s what their website says and we have no reason to believe otherwise.
Named after famous author Rudyard Kipling, the brand is now one of the portfolio owned by VF Corporation, a global leader in branded apparel and accessories. Boasting 215 stores and many more shop-in-shops, Kipling bags have been the choice of over 35 million women in more than 60 countries, and as the site says, “that’s some SERIOUS monkey business!”
The Kipling Club loyalty card appears to be a rather straightforward rendition of the concept at first glance. Registration with submission of a valid email address earns a 10% discount on purchase and thereafter, members earn the equivalent of a 5% discount with threshold for redemption based on collecting 400 points.
One feature of the program that’s not apparent from the current description on the website is the ability to earn points in the program from Facebook “Likes” and other social activities. That’s the interesting part that makes this program worthy of mention.
The importance of a social feature in today’s loyalty programs was highlights by quotes from Kipling executives and market observers. This one hits the important notes:
“Millennial consumers around the globe are massively influenced by social and mobile channels, crowd-sourced recommendations, and demand instant gratification from brand Interactions. Only offering rewards for purchase behavior is no longer enough to survive in a competitive marketplace. …. Next to transactions, we recognize and respond to interactions to create the right personalized experience. It is no longer enough to satisfy your customers —you must inspire and delight them to create loyal customers. ”
We’ll be watching for Kipling’s loyalty launch and report back as details of their social features become more clear.
