The recipe for loyalty success seems simple enough: Identify customer pain points and address them in a way that makes their lives better.
AMC is a brand that executes against this method extremely well. Here’s a look at AMC Theatres’ loyalty program and why it’s such a hit with moviegoers.
Target Your Best Customers
Targeting your best customers lies at the heart of a paid loyalty program.
AMC Theatres has done this quite well since it launched AMC Stubs in 2011 and added a free tier (AMC Stubs Insider) in 2016.
See how free and paid loyalty programs can work well together.
AMC Stubs Premiere received a refresh in 2016, which included these added benefits:
- For a $15 annual membership fee, Premiere members enjoy:
- Express service with specially marked shorter lines at the box office and concession stand
- Free size upgrades on popcorn and soda
- A free refill on large popcorn
- Up to $5 off movie tickets on Tuesdays
- A birthday gift (free large popcorn and soda
- No online ticket fees
- 100 reward points for every $1 spent.
The AMC Stubs loyalty program eclipsed 10 million members in September 2017−a goal AMC originally did not expect to reach before 2025.
Unveiling A-List VIP Premium Loyalty Tier
AMC Theatres recently added a new VIP tier called AMC Stubs A-List.
Through A-List, which launched in late June, members pay $19.95 per month and can enjoy up to three movies per week at every available showtime, at every AMC location, in every format including IMAX at AMC, Dolby Cinema at AMC, RealD 3D, Prime at AMC, and BigD.
AMC Stubs A-List members also enjoy all the benefits of AMC Stubs Premiere above.
Much like Amazon’s staggeringly popular Prime program, officials at AMC Theatres continue to target their best and most loyal customer by adding the benefits they desire.
AMC CEO and President Adam Aron said that “our current and future guests will be interested in this type of program, as AMC Stubs A-List rewards guests with something that no one else offers: The very best of AMC, including IMAX, Dolby Cinema and RealD 3D up to three times per week for one sustainable price.”
Early Signs Very Positive For A-List Program
After seven weeks, AMC Theatres announced that the new AMC Stubs A-List program enrolled more than 260,000 fully paid members. The A-List program has pushed the current membership of the entire AMC Stubs program to more than 15.8 million U.S. households.
AMC has more than 1,000 theatres and 11,000 screens in the U.S. and globally.
The theater chain has always delivered a premium movie-going experience with its recliner seating, premium sight and sound formats, and high-quality food and beverage offerings, including Coca-Cola Freestyle machines, MacGuffins bars, and AMC Dine-In theaters.
When AMC relaunched in 2016, it was to ensure that the AMC Stubs program showcased the best parts of AMC and enhanced the member experience end-to-end, from ticket purchase through show time and beyond.
That has clearly occurred, and the program has grown exponentially since then.
AMC Theatres Always Offers Value
AMC Theatres tries to offer something for everyone and that’s why its loyalty program makeup is so appealing. Company officials are always looking to manage the program in such a way that it remains fresh and value-driven.
According to a release, A-List membership levels are strong across all age and ethnicity groups. What’s more, consider that 28 percent of enrolled members are under the age of 30.
AMC noted that 45 percent of A-List members were not previously signed up to its AMC Stubs loyalty programs.
“We remain immensely satisfied by the initial consumer response to AMC Stubs A-List,” Aron added. “With more than 260,000 members enrolled and over 1 million in attendance in just seven weeks, A-List in its early going is already demonstrating that it encourages moviegoers of all ages, locations, and backgrounds to come to movie theatres more often, and they bring family and friends along with them.”
A-List enrollment continues to move at a brisk pace, setting the stage for increased customer engagement while creating memorable experiences.
“We expect that AMC Stubs A-List will be a permanent part of our marketing activity going forward,” Aron said. “We fervently believe that consumers have a basic right to expect to be able to rely on us to honor the commitments that we make, and that they not have to fear constant program changes that come without warning.”
Listening to Customers Pays Off
It boils down to listening to your customers, identifying their pain points, and addressing them in a way that gives them the best the brand has to offer.
AMC has paid attention to their best customers and added premium loyalty tiers that offer the best of the brand.
When it comes to building loyalty, if you put your customers at the center of everything you do, success will follow.
Just ask AMC Theatres.
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ebbo helps brands achieve their customer loyalty goals with full-service, end-to-end solutions and also creates original educational content straight from the experts to help loyalty marketers stay on the cutting edge of customer engagement.