Most people don't associate bridal stores with loyalty programs. Especially in the middle of a global pandemic when most weddings were postponed or downsized. But the David's Bridal loyalty program Diamond, launched in December 2020, is defying the odds and has already paid dividends with huge amounts of loyal and satisfied customers. The program was created as part of David's Bridal's transformation to return customers to the center of the experience. CEO Jim Marcum said the company had lost its way by not focusing on what brides needed to make their wedding planning experiences amazing. Because the wedding industry is centered around a singular event, the David's Bridal loyalty program isn't like most retailers' loyalty programs. Marcum calls it a crowd-sourcing program that rewards brides for every David's Bridal purchase for their wedding, not just the wedding dress. Anything anyone spends for the wedding, including bridesmaids' dresses, accessories and the mother of the bride's dress, earns loyalty credit for the bride. In the first nine months, the loyalty program brought in 700,000 members, an amazing 89% of whom have already transacted. KPIs across the board are staggering—loyalty program members spend more than non-members and have higher return rates. Marcum said the amazing success is because the program is centered on brides and looks way beyond the singular purchase of a wedding dress. Brides are embracing the program because it is unique and meets their wedding planning needs. The rewards are also incredibly motivating for brides, with the top prize being a free honeymoon. So far, David's Bridal has given away 41 free honeymoons to its most loyal customers. The loyalty program also helps David's Bridal improve its overall customer experience by helping the company serve and understand brides at every step of their journey. Employees can see where a bride is in the process, like if she has purchased a wedding dress and gotten alterations, and then can work with the rest of the bridal party to get them outfitted with everything they need. Marcum says the program has become an infectious part of the service journey and a significant portion of the business overnight because customers and employees see the value in it. David's Bridal's loyalty program proves that there is always a market for a unique experience that meets customer needs. Even in the middle of a global pandemic, the loyalty program filled a gap and improved the entire experience, which has led to an outpouring of loyal customers. _______________ Blake Morgan is a customer experience futurist, keynote speaker, and author of the bestselling book The Customer Of The Future. For regular updates on customer experience, sign up for her weekly newsletter here. Join the waitlist now for the new Customer Experience Community here.

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