Five months since the launch of its new online loyalty club, the Blizzard Fan Club, Dairy Queen is going strong and is increasing its database of faithful customers by the thousands.
Since mid-April when Dairy Queen launched it first online fan club, 553,000 consumers 13 and older have signed up. And that growth shows few signs of slowing, officials said.
“It just goes to show the loyalty people have toward the Blizzard,” said Patty Halvorson, director of promotions for International Dairy Queen. “People love the product…and the brand.”
Dairy Queen rolled out the fan club in April as part of its yearlong celebration of the brand’s 20th birthday of the Blizzard Frozen Treat. Consumers who join the club online at Blizzardfanclub.com will receive an online coupon for a “buy one, get one free” 16-ounce Blizzard treat, receive monthly e-mail updates on new flavors and earn special birthday greetings with a second free Blizzard coupon. The club is open to consumers 13 and older.
“It gives us a forum to send out reminders about our upcoming products and help build loyalty for the brand,” Halverson said. “We’re trying to drive additional membership and create a really fun, cool environment for our members. All you do is sign up.”
Select members receive online surveys from Dairy Queen asking consumers for their input about the brand. In a recent survey, Dairy Queen asked 2,000 consumers via e-mail for their opinion on T-shirt designs for the brand. The QSR plans to sell merchandise to club members in the coming months, Halverson said.
Dairy Queen is continuing its Blizzard birthday celebration with a scratch-and-win sweepstakes. Consumers who buy 12- or 16-ounce Blizzard treats in the branded Birthday Bash cups can play the game. Prizes include a 42-inch Plasma screen TV, an Apple 20GB iPod, a Microsoft Xbox video game system and a year’s supply of free 16-ounce Blizzard treats.
Since Sept. 8, the QSR has recorded 1.9 million game plays. About 30% of players opt-in to enroll in the fan club, with 35 being the average fan club members’ age, Halverson said. The scratch-and-win game ends March 28, 2006.
Atlanta-based Brandmovers, a provider of promotional marketing services for online, offline and mobile interactive promotions, handles.
Dairy Queen is also reporting solid numbers with its secondary fan club, The DQ Crew. Since April, some 60,000 members have joined the club, which is open to consumers eight to 12. Members can access the site at TheDQLab.com and receive a coupon for a free cone or $1 off a Blizzard. Members can also redeem points earned from game plays on the site or food purchases for online merchandise.
This month, Dairy Queen plans to kick off a major promotion with in-store support and a retooled BlizzardFanClub.com Web site specifically for fan club members. The new Web site will have a “young, edgier look,” Halverson said.
In-store signage and Internet materials will support.
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