Citi’s Head of Loyalty Talks About Its New ThankYou App

Citi has just introduced a Facebook app for its loyalty members that the company terms “both a rewarding and social experience.” The Citi ThankYou Point Sharing App allows reward members who are Facebook friends to pool their points and to use the collective value toward a shared goal or rewards, like a weekend getaway or charitable donation. Citi claims to be the first to enable its customers and card members to share and consolidate points for a group initiative.

Ralph Andreta, head of loyalty and co-brands for Citicards shares the strategy behind the new app.

PROMO: How did come up with the idea for the ThankYou app?
ANDRETA: We listen to our customers and last year we allowed members to transfer points to each other on our web site. The customers seemed to like that very much so we said how can we improve upon that. Facebook is where a lot of our customers are, so we launched the app so they can share their points in their social circle and use them as a group. The response has been overwhelming, more than10,000 downloads since the official Jan. 3 launch. 

PROMO: How did you develop the app?
ANDRETA: We developed it with Facebook following all of the privacy and security processes that Citi has in place. We cleared all those hurdles and ensured that we did this in a way that was very structured. We looked at it from the perspective of what would make our card members want to do this. We wanted to have very few steps and make it very exciting for our customers.

PROMO: How are you marketing the app?
ANDRETA: We wanted the app to go viral. That’s one of the best ways of marketing this type of thing. We sent out press releases, and emails to our customer base. We had the 10-million point giveaway promotion and we’re waiting to see how this settles in and how we’ll market it in the future. We sent it out there in social media and it’s behaving just as we thought it would in the social domain, and quite frankly, in the early days the response has surpassed the numbers we put together.

PROMO: What is your goal for the app?
ANDRETA: Our goal is to have our customers and card members use this and to see that Citi as a brand is innovative in providing capabilities for them to use in a fun and easy way. Obviously, we want new members and cardholders, but our goal is to please our customers with this application.

PROMO: Have you debuted other apps recently?
ANDRETA: Yes, last August, in collaboration with Best Buy, we introduced the first mobile rewards app for ThankYou members to redeem points in Best Buy stores. Members scan the merchandise then view the number of points needed and can execute the deal right there. We’ve had 50,000 downloads so far.

PROMO: In general, what do you think of mobile apps and their ability to affect branding and or sales?
ANDRETA: Time will tell, but I think apps are part of the future. It’s where our customers are now, we’re right there in their hands. It’s early days and we’re trying a lot of things but it’s clearly the future to get people to use your brand on their mobiles. It’s just the tip of the iceberg for us.

PROMO: In general, how have the advancements in mobile marketing impacted Citi’s overall marketing strategy?
ANDRETA: It’s becoming a bigger component of what we do. So, as we think about marketing and reaching our customers, mobile is now part of a major discussion. We are looking toward the future and know that mobile will be a big part of it as a very valuable channel for our customers and how can we develop in that channel.

PROMO: Can you share any future mobile programs you have planned?
ANDRETA: I like a competitive advantage so I will just say watch this space. You will see more activity from Citi.

PROMO: If you could see five years into the future, what would mobile marketing look like?
ANDRETA: I would love to see location-based marketing where we as a service provider can provide our services to customers in a way that gives them the opportunity to earn points or get discounts right at the time they may be looking for that. I also envision two-way conversations with customers to better understand what more we can give them, what more we can we invent for them to use on their wireless handsets. I also see the integration of the service and marketing experience to be able to service customers or to market a new product or feature to them. It will be about continuing to provide value to them as a brand in a friction free way.

PROMO: As a marketer, what keeps you up at night?
ANDRETA: The next best innovation; how to do that? How to be there? How to ensure that the things we’re doing, while innovative today, are not obsolete tomorrow? This is a very fast-paced market and the challenge is, how do you keep up with our customer demands and what do they want.