Bill Hanifin
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We are hopeless romantics when it comes to sports, and it’s no wonder why.
Survey the national sports scene and there’s a lot to be excited about. The Chicago Blackhawks have enjoyed the best start in NHL history, earning at least one point in each of their 24 games, while the Miami Heat is in the midst of a 20 game winning streak, tied with 2 other teams for the 3rd longest in NBA history. On the national stage, March Madness is taking over as the NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament is ready to start. Locally in South Florida, March brings professional golf and tennis tours to our doorstep.
Our fascination with sports centers on the search for possibilities in our lives. We root for the underdog, scrutinize the champion, and embrace the Ironman tagline that “Anything is Possible”. Loyalty Marketers have sought to add sizzle to their programs, to engage and delight their members with differentiating offers but at a higher level, to break through the clutter of program saturation that we talked about in our most recent post.
The worlds of sports and loyalty marketing are coming together in Thuzio, a recently launched platform that connects consumers with professional athletes. Within a range of pricing, Thuzio offers customers the opportunity to interact with a Thuzio athlete to have dinner, receive coaching, watch a game, or hear their story in the context of social and business gatherings. The big idea is to create “unforgettable experiences” by giving the public access to former and active professional athletes and being able to customize to great degree the type of experience you’ll have with your favorite athlete.
Founded by Mark Gerson, Chairman of the expert networking clearinghouse Gerson Lehrman Group (GLG) and former NFL player Tiki Barber, Thuzio is sure to be a hit in the loyalty industry as I’m sure that the experiences they offer will be positioned in rewards catalogs as highly aspirational rewards.
Research has shown that money spent on experiences resonates much longer than when it is spent on material goods. For the same reason that airline tickets continue to carry greater than average “reward swagger”, having lunch with or listening to an inspirational story from your favorite sports hero can be an experience that lasts a lifetime.
Considering that we’re focused on increasing lifetime value among our customers, who wouldn’t want to reward loyalty program members with experiences that last a lifetime?
PS: Noone offered me lunch to write this article!
