Case Study: Brand Loyalty

Client Description

A leading developer of arcade, PC and platform video games franchises, including some of the industry's most well-known and popular games. The client has a very loyal following among gamers; players will wait outside stores for midnight releases to be among the first to own a copy. The client enjoys multiple revenue streams from their products, not just from the sale of their games, but also from licensing fees for clothing, books, movies, memorabilia and other products.

Challenge

The client recently developed a social network platform to connect their player community, drive fan interaction and inspire loyalty. Their initial plan also included a co-branded reward credit card to drive everyday brand interaction.

However, in today's credit market, upwards of 80% of affinity co-brand credit card applications are denied. So the client needed to find a solution that would serve a similar purpose to a co-branded credit card, without risking a negative brand experience due to declined applications.

Solution

In place of a credit card solution, Prepaid Solutions USA proposed a General Purpose Reloadable Visa® card that offers loyal fans unique rewards, with nearly universal approval for all applicants.

The card features exclusive benefits unavailable elsewhere, including a discount on any purchase made with the card at the client's online store, cash back rewards on all Visa signature purchases, and cash back rewards on purchases made at 750+ merchants in a client co-branded online mall. The card also rewards users for loading funds to their account, giving them access to exclusive branded contests, prizes and events.

The card is promoted through the client's existing communication channels with its fan community, including strategic banner ads and blog postings, promotional inserts into game packages, event marketing, and more.

Unlike most GPR programs that target consumers underserved by banks, this program targets a more mainstream audience, offering a lower cost and more convenient alternative to a checking account. In fact, research showed that 14% of users could save up to $1,800 over checking with a GPR card.

Result

This program launched in February 17, 2009, and while initial feedback from gamers has been extremely positive, quantifiable results are not yet available.

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