Dairy Queen Fan Club Celebrates One-Millionth Member
Dairy Queen is celebrating its latest loyalty club milestone—1 million members—reaching its goal with help from its most recent sweepstakes.
In October when the promotion launched, Dairy Queen had 902,000 members in the Blizzard Club. The online sweeps included a refer-a-friend component, which automatically entered the friend, and earned the member additional entries if their pal became a club member. Dairy Queen awarded $50 Blizzard gift cards to 100 randomly selected second-prize winners.
One week after the sweepstakes began, the chain reached its target, naming Carole Wollbaum of Canada its 1 millionth member, said Patty Halvorson, director of national/local promotions for International Dairy Queen. The sweeps, which ran throughout October, drew 45,569 entries.
One grand-prize winner received a choice between a trip for two to the Ice Hotel in Quebec City, Canada or a trip to the Blizzard Beach Water Park at Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL. To drive membership, the chain also offered a $1,000 gift card and a Blizzard party for 20 friends to Wolbaum as its 1 millionth Blizzard Fan Club member.
Dairy Queen launched the Blizzard Fan Club in April 2005 kicking off the 20th birthday of the chain’s signature frozen treat
“We were thrilled to have hit that [number] as soon as we did,” Halvorson said. “It speaks volumes to the brand, how loyal people are and how much they love the Blizzard.”
Online materials and e-mail blasts supported. Atlanta-based Brandmovers handles.
Club members have access to online coupons for buy-one-get-one-free offers. Dairy Queen used the club’s database to e-mail regular communications about products and offers. The club is open to members 13 and older. For younger crowds, Dairy Queen has rolled out a separate loyalty club at TheDQLab.com.
To date, Dairy Queen has about 1.04 million fan club members and the program continues to grow, Halvorson said. For 2007, the chain is planning a round of “aggressive promotions” to enhance the offering and retain members, she said.
“It’s been a very successful program,” Halvorson said. “There’s an opportunity to build it next year.”
