More than a trend, the global wellness movement has accelerated in today’s post-pandemic world, with the global wellness economy set to hit over $7 trillion by the end of 2024. Today’s customer values health and well-being more than ever, driving changes in purchasing decisions and their relationships with brands across multiple sectors.

Customers are seeking alignment with brands who not only actively share their wellness values, but actively support a consumer’s health and wellbeing. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that within the loyalty space, health and fitness is the number one category of customer rewards. In fact, research from the customer loyalty sector has shown that 80% of customers prefer rewards that promote health and wellness.

Building on this popularity, and with many loyalty offerings often still focused on transactional rewards from points and discounts to physical products, there is a huge opportunity for thinking brands to connect on a deeper level with customers by offering wellness-driven loyalty solutions that better align with the modern customer’s values and needs.

Fitness as a loyalty benefit

One company at the forefront of wellness as a loyalty benefit is award-winning fitness app, WithU. Boasting long-term global loyalty partnerships with a broad portfolio of leading brands including Visa, McDonald’s, and Vodafone, WithU is on a mission to empower the world to choose fitness, with tailored loyalty solutions created to help businesses form deeper long-term connections with their customers.

With 74% of customers preferring to work out under the expert guidance of an instructor, WithU takes the experience of an expert-led exercise class and makes it accessible to all, with on-demand workouts and wellness sessions led by world-class coaches that members can do anywhere, any time.

It’s on-demand offering spans thousands of engaging, personalised workouts for all levels of fitness, designed with mass-market appeal and the needs of any customer base.

Workout motivation: Challenge or engagement opportunity?

As with any loyalty solution, success hinges on two factors: customer uptake and engagement. For loyalty solutions within the fitness and wellness sector, the true challenge lies in motivating customers to maintain a fitness routine – one of the biggest barriers to long-term fitness.

To hurdle this potential obstacle to help consumer build sustainable fitness habits, WithU has identified a unique opportunity to build brand affinity for its partners, with a co-branded loyalty offering that puts partners front and centre on a customer’s journey to a fitter, healthier version of themselves. WithU’s solution is a personalised, gamified wellness experience, created with the aim of driving engagement, by motivating users to continue their fitness journeys.

WithU’s latest innovation has seen the app enhance and gamify it’s Daily Sessions feature with the aim of driving daily app usage by motivating members to complete a short but effective 10-minute Daily Session. These workouts and wellness sessions are designed to maximise engagement by giving members a ‘daily boost of feel good.’

Backed by a combination of user and clinical data, WithU’s experts identified an opportunity to cater to a preference for shorter, more frequent bursts of exercise, creating 10 minute in-app offerings that meet a member’s need for a sense of achievement on a daily basis.

As experts in motivating people to build a sustainable fitness routine, WithU offers brands a unique solution to making a truly personal connection with their customers, unlocking the key that makes it possible for fitness and wellness to be an enjoyable part of daily life.

Success story – Vodafone

Leading technology communications company, Vodafone UK is WithU’s longest-running loyalty partnership. The first iteration of the partnership saw customers offered an exclusive 12 month’s premium access to WithU via Vodofone’s VeryMe platform, providing a high-value customer offer at a wholesale price point.

The campaign drove record engagement for Vodafone UK, with over 65,000 customer redemptions, making it Vodafone UK’s most successful lifestyle loyalty reward to date.

The success of this initial campaign has seen the partnership evolve into a long-standing agreement of over four years, with seven successful loyalty campaigns to date, and an expansion into Vodafone markets worldwide.

Industry Expert’s Perspective

Steve Clarke, Co-Founder & CEO at WithU comments, “The loyalty space can be a traditional one, operating around the same transactional offers and generic physical reward offerings. However, in today’s climate when price is often the ultimate deciding factor for many consumers, it has never been more important for customer retention for brands to elevate their offering to connect with customers on a deeper level. It’s no secret that showcasing true understanding of customer priorities and care for their wellbeing is a valuable tool in customer loyalty.

However, when operating in a competitive market, actions speak louder than words. Fitness and wellness loyalty solutions, such as those offered by WithU, are redefining the loyalty landscape by successfully marketing customer well-being as a viable loyalty solution.

With personalised fitness experiences that help facilitate customers to reach their deeply personal individual wellness goals, brands have a unique opportunity to form long-term connections with customers and make an investment in the lifetime value of their customer base.”

Editor’s Note

WithU is the award winning fitness app that helps motivate members to prioritise their well-being. Through world-class coaching and a highly personalised experience, WithU provides members with the support and guidance they need to build their confidence, celebrate their individual achievements, and build a sustainable fitness routine. WithU whose registered office is WithU Holdings Limited, The Carriage House Mill Street, Maidstone, Kent ME15 6Y, is registered in England and Wales with company no: 11938764.s, casinos have the potential to build lifelong loyalty in a rapidly changing market.