Air Miles is hoping a new partnership with Live Nation Canada will hit the right notes with millennials.
Air Miles currently has 10 million collectors across the country. Millennials don’t make up a significant portion of its member base, but Air Miles is aiming to change that. As part of an ongoing effort to engage younger members, the coalition loyalty program has launched Stage Pass. The program lets collectors use their “dream miles” for concert tickets, discounts and perks at select shows, and VIP experiences.
“Over the last year and a half, we’ve been looking at millennials to make sure that the Air Miles [program] really engages them and was creating meaningful experiences for them,” said Rachel MacQueen, vice-president of marketing at Air Miles Reward Program.
Last year, Air Miles partnered with the NBA, bringing pro basketball players and legends to Canadian university and college campuses. “We got great feedback from that, but what was clear was that while basketball attracts a certain type of consumer, we needed something that engaged and inspired more,” said MacQueen. “And music clearly came back as being the experience that most people want to have.”
One of the objectives of Stage Pass is to increase enrollment among younger members. In May, Air Miles launched a month-long promotion, the Smile Booth, to enroll younger members as well.
“We really are a family-based program,” said MacQueen. “If you look at our most active collectors in our program, they’re the collectors who are shopping at [retailers such as] gas, grocery, pharmacy and home. But we recognize that the largest groups of consumers coming into play are millennials.”
To kick off Stage Pass on June 16, the Canadian rock band Arkells toured parts of downtown Toronto, performing from the top of a double-decker bus. The band also stopped at various locations to greet fans.
“We are going to have lots of exciting experiences popping up over the next couple months,” said MacQueen.
The program is being promoted through Air Miles’ social media channels. North Strategic is handling PR.
