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Building a Loyalty Program Client: Aloha Animal Hospital Associates, Kahala, HI An Award Winning Project Methodology At Schweitzer Consulting, we understand that each client and situation is unique. We partner with our clients, combining their industry knowledge with our marketing expertise to develop solutions that will take their business to the next level. This case study is one example of our work. This is no textbook approach, and we wouldn’t necessarily use this approach with other clients. Background It is fair to say that most people love their pets but at Kahala's Aloha Animal Hospital Associates, pet owners are self-proclaimed pet fanatics. Finding a skilled pet care facility like Aloha Animal Hospital (AAHA), that loves animals as much as clients do, is not always easy. AAHA's vets have world-class medical training – and area leaders in their fields – yet it’s their personal touch that clients love. Employees of this high-end veterinary center know all of the clients’ pets by name. After each appointment, they offer treats. After treatment, they often hand-carry pets to their clients’ cars. This comes naturally to the staff because loyalty is a two-way street. Challenge/Summary In launching a defined loyalty program, it was obvious that traditional programs, such as membership cards with discounts, would not excite AAHA’s clients. What motivated them most was not discounts – it was their pets. Schweitzer Consulting helped AAHA identify a low cost, highly impact way to reinforce client loyalty and underscore AAHA’s reciprocal loyalty to their clients. Strategic Insight We reasoned that greater value would come from a program that provides lifetime memories for clients with their pets – in the form of photos. A picture is worth a thousand words. AAHA harnessed the power of pictures by building an event around the holidays when families are typically searching for special, unique photos to include with their cards. Oftentimes, professional photographers do not allow pets into their studios. AAHA reversed this problem for families by transforming one of its examination room into a pet-friendly holiday photography studio. We targeted a Sunday in October, well ahead of Thanksgiving. This allowed clients enough time to create their holiday cards and avoided scheduling conflicts associated with the busy holidays. Result AAHA gave clients their very first taste of the holidays. As clients stepped through AAHA’s front door, they were greeted with refreshments, holiday music and a host of Santa and elf hats to fit on their pets. While awaiting their appointments with Santa, clients mingled with one another and discussed their favorite topic – their pets. After their photos were taken, clients selected their favorite pose to take home in a pet-themed frame. They also got a special gift bag filled with pet toys and treats (like doggie frisbees, pet brushes, etc.) which were donated by AAHA’s vendors. After the event, all of the digital photos were uploaded to the website where clients could download their images at no charge, print portraits and create their own holiday themed greeting cards. As a finishing touch, the photos ran in a special year-end newsletter. Not only did this day help strengthen the bond between pets and their owners, it also strengthened the bond between customers and AAHA. Additionally, it created an unexpected (but much appreciated) word-of-mouth campaign for AAHA. Crazy about your pet? Check out Aloha Animal Hospital Associates at www.alohaanimal.com. Not to be reproduced in whole or in part without the prior written approval of Schweitzer Consulting, LLC. |
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