2016 winner: Shell Driver's Club, FD's Prize - case study

Shell might be one of the globe’s most instantly recognisable brands, but in mid-2013 it was suffering, undistinguished in a petrol marketplace increasingly dominated by forecourt pricing. Shell’s loyalty programme, and brand preference, was in decline, while its global CRM programme in nine markets was disjointed. Shell needed to revamp its CRM communications programme so that consumers would reassess the Shell brand and, most importantly, buy their petrol from its petrol stations more often.

The company employed a data-driven, reactive CRM strategy built on the creative proposition that ‘It’s the little things we do’, to better personalise its approach and reward customers. At the heart of the creative was the use of pithy visual icons — tiny painted human figurines that appeared in photographs of real-life situations, depicting Shell’s brand values and promoting the benefits and rewards available via Drivers’ Club/ Clubsmart.

A multi-phased approach to the membership scheme ensured that opportunities to attract, and most importantly to retain, members were not missed. For instance, six weeks after joining, a customer would be reminded of benefits and encouraged to accrue and redeem points. After three months, members were migrated into the scheme's main communication cycle, receiving monthly missives via email, DM and a mobile app. The strategy paid dividends.

Over a two-year period, Shell boosted its brand preference, while that of many rivals decreased, and achieved its best-ever ROI. Judges were demonstrably impressed, describing Shell’s reinvention of its loyalty scheme as a “great campaign in a market in which it is hard to achieve differentiation”

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