Decathlon has always been at the forefront of loyalty and customer engagement programs, thanks in particular to the Decat'Club. This loyalty program offers innovative solutions for earning and using rewards. Customers can accumulate points for every sports session, purchase, eco-responsible action or review submitted, and these points can be exchanged for sports sessions or donations to associations. But in 2022, Decathlon has also embarked on Web3, with its Kipsta Barrio project, to engage its customers in a new way. Our analysis.
In 2022, sports giant Decathlon launched an innovative program based on NFT (Non-Fungible Tokens) technology. NFTs are unique digital assets using blockchain technology. This means that anyone can verify the authenticity of NFTs thanks to the blockchain, which is a kind of ledger where every transaction is recorded and identifiable, ensuring authenticity and traceability. This opens up the possibility of selling and exchanging NFTs with others.
This program, dubbed "Kipsta Barrio", offers a host of advantages to its users. As Valentin Auvinet, NFT leader at Decathlon, explains:
"Our aim is to create a unique experience for our customers. With NFTs, we can offer video lives, 3D object viewing, product co-creation, behind-the-scenes discovery and more. We've even created an official Discord to facilitate communication with our customers."
What is NFT interoperability? Web3 technology introduces a significant innovation to the customer engagement sector — interoperability. This new dimension of customer loyalty enables audience sharing between brands and/or their partners. Users are therefore no longer faced with the challenge of tracking their various benefits across a multitude of disparate loyalty platforms and channels. As a result, rewards are no longer confined to closed private gardens created by each brand, opening up a whole new realm of possibilities in the creation of collaboration between brands. A unique opportunity to create broader ecosystems, and to stand up to the engagement programs of behemoths like Amazon.
The NFT recovery process:
At the heart of this revolution are NFTs. These unique digital assets enable Décathlon to forge deeper links with its customers. For example, by giving customers with NFTs the opportunity to actively participate in the design of sporting goods, Décathlon strengthens their sense of belonging and creates an unrivalled shopping experience. By transforming consumers into true product co-creators, Decathlon increases their sense of belonging tenfold.
However, the benefits of NFTs don't stop at simple co-creation. Decathlon has cleverly seized the opportunity to strengthen customer loyalty by also rewarding their long-term commitment. Holders of NFTs are offered privileged access to a world of exclusive benefits, such as special discounts, early access to product launches and VIP invitations to exclusive events. This innovative approach to customer loyalty, now focused on the relationship rather than the transaction, establishes a closer bond between Decathlon and its customers, by fostering a personalized and memorable customer experience.
In addition, the adoption of NFTs serves as a springboard for an exciting exploration of blockchain technology. This advance offers Decathlon the opportunity to experiment with the power of blockchain to connect physical products with vibrant online communities. NFTs make it possible to track the origin and authenticity of products, while offering customers transparent traceability. This technology offers considerable potential for boosting customer confidence and revolutionizing the way we interact with physical products in an increasingly digital world.
The success of Decathlon's NFT program is undeniable. The Kipsta Barrio project was a real success: all the shoes were sold out in less than 48 hours, and over 70% of NFT owners took part at least once in one of the votes proposed by Decathlon.
Valentin Auvinet emphasizes:
"We have 1,200 users out of 2008 who have made the effort to collect NFTs. In terms of engagement rates, there's no contest: we would never have seen this level of engagement on another channel, such as email."
In this way, Decathlon is becoming a role model in the customer engagement sector. In addition to its Decat'Club program, Decathlon uses NFT campaigns to engage consumers in a new way. They have, in fact, grasped the turning point that is taking place in the loyalty market. Kipsta has succeeded in building emotional relationships with its customers, creating a strong brand community and establishing itself as one of France's leading "love brands". They are positioning themselves as trailblazers in the same way as Starbucks with its Odyssey project, and Nike with its Swoosh program.
Decathlon has shaken up the codes of customer experience with its innovative NFTs projects. But did you know that this innovation is within your reach too?
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