#LEAwards 2021 highlight: WINK+ gamifies daily commute in creative twist to score user loyalty

During the pandemic, the government enforced regulations to significantly reduce movements and social interactions to contain the virus. However, the resulting drop in transport ridership and human traffic in stations was a huge setback for SMRT’s engagement platform WINK+ as it also meant that its app users had limited opportunities to scan QR codes and earn points. To prevent consumers from spending less time on the app, the brand worked with OOH agency Stellar Ace, which is also under SMRT, to come up with a solution that kept users engaged while adapting to their new lifestyle.

“Christmas with WINK+ Gates” rewarded existing users to foster brand loyalty, while at the same time launching new solutions to allow users to still earn points when social distance measures were in place. WINK+ and Stellar Ace’s ability to retain the app’s users and versatility towards consumers’ “new normal” impressed the judges and secured them the gold award for Best Use of Direct Marketing at MARKETING-INTERACTIVE’s Loyalty & Engagement Awards 2021.

Challenge

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the government implemented efforts to significantly reduce movements and social interactions to contain the outbreak. This resulted in a drop in public transport ridership and human traffic in stations.

This affected WINK+ app users as there were limited opportunities for them to earn their daily WINK+ points when tapping in and out of the stations or when scanning WINK+ QR Codes. As a result, the app's disruptive banners published as part of clients' paid campaigns also saw a decrease in impressions and clicks. WINK+ quickly pivoted and developed a solution to meet users’ needs and its daily WINK+ app usage and engagement during that period.

WINK+ had established the following objectives: to develop an engaging campaign to continue rewarding WINK+ users for their brand loyalty by easing their user experience by simply turning on their app and earning points; educate users on a new way to earn WINK+ points; showcase WINK+ GO as an additional app feature for advertisers to connect with users outside of the SMRT network and continue advertising engagement and marketing ROI; and drive long-term customer engagement and retention, and turn users into passionate promoters

Strategy

To celebrate the festive spirit despite the difficult period, the WINK+ team introduced "Christmas with WINK+ Gates" - a new way for users to continue earning their WINK+ rewards daily. A total of 200 WINK+ Gates were deployed around island-wide in Singapore. With every five WINK+ gates users pass through; they can earn a chance to win extra prizes at the end of the campaign.

Furthermore, WINK+ app users were rewarded with free points through various innovative solutions; including tapping on any fare-gates when entering and exiting SMRT stations, driving through an operational ERP gantry in their private vehicles, and playing quick and fun in-app gamification contests and short on-the-go surveys.

To adapt to the new normal, the WINK+ Gates feature enhanced the experience for the majority of WINK+ users who mainly earn WINK+ rewards when travelling within SMRT’s public transport network. Users start to recognise that WINK+ is not just an app that rewards them with free points, but also aims to keep them entertained and engaged anytime, anywhere, through relevant content.

Stellar Ace’s in-house creative, web/app development and marketing teams worked closely with WINK+ to develop the game mechanics and creative assets in-house providing users with a seamless game experience within the WINK+ App, without the need to leave the app or launch a web browser.

Prior to the launch of the campaign, teaser messages were posted on WINK+’s Facebook page and in-app banners to pre-empt users and drive anticipation for the campaign. The campaign, which lasted for 12 days from 21 December 2020, was promoted via online-offline platforms. These included disseminating information using daily in-app push notifications, EDM outreach, social media engagement on its Facebook and Instagram, and digital ads on SMRT iView screens in Stations.

The WINK+ app had a unique mobile value proposition for consumer engagement, whilst providing campaign measurability through its disruptive full-page and pop-up banners to capture eyeballs and direct consumers to campaign information, in-app push notifications and campaign participation.

Execution

WINK+ introduced the Christmas with WINK+ Gates campaign – a new way for users to earn daily rewards during the Christmas period. With 200 active WINK+ gates island-wide. During the campaign, all WINK+ users were entitled to five WINK+ points with every WINK+ Gate they pass during their daily commute all around Singapore.

Users also stood a chance to win the Christmas Lucky Reward for every five WINK+ gates they pass through. The users who hit the highest number of WINK+ gates during the campaign would win the Christmas Lucky Reward.

At the end of the campaign, the winners of challenge received 500 WINK+ points (worth SG$5), 5,000 WINK+ points (worth SG$50) and prizes sponsored by advertisers such as Viu, Fisherman's Friend, I'm Kim, Harry's Bar, Tanyu, Trapped, ChongQing Grilled Fish and Lemongrass House.

A multi-channel marketing approach was adopted to maximize campaign reach. Publicity collateral was deployed via WINK+ in-app banners, in-app notifications, social media posts, eDMs and iView Screens in Stations.

Results

Compared to the 12 days before the campaign, WINK+'s engagement increased by 18.5%, racking over 1.1 million user engagements and 2.7 million screen views. The campaign saw a 48% engagement rate, with a total number of 72,000 hits and 58,200 respondents.