The Spin, The Streak, The Run: Modern Loyalty Strategies in Action

One morning, your phone lights up with a notification: “Don’t forget to spin the Vodafone Wheel today!” Out of curiosity, you open the app, spin, and maybe win extra data or a free coffee voucher. In that moment, you’ve engaged with the brand again. This is exactly where customer loyalty comes in: brands finding ways to bring you back every single day. And when I worked on the Vodafone Fortune Wheel team, this was precisely our goal—not just attracting customers with rewards, but keeping them engaged through excitement and habit.

Brands know how to win us over with loyalty strategies—sometimes without us even noticing. Why do we always end up at Starbucks for our morning coffee? Or find ourselves on Netflix every night? It’s not a coincidence—it’s customer loyalty at work.

Defining Customer Loyalty: Beyond Points and Discounts

Customer loyalty is when a customer repeatedly chooses the same brand, making it a powerful way to build long-term and meaningful relationships.

• Behavioral Loyalty: Customers consistently buy from the same brand.
• Attitudinal Loyalty: Customers feel trust and emotional attachment to the brand.

According to Fortune Business Insights, the worldwide loyalty management market is forecast to reach $28.65 billion by 2030. That’s why brands need to focus on and improve their loyalty programme.

Case Studies: From Gamification to Community Building

Vodafone Fortune Wheel

Vodafone, a UK-based telecom giant, gave me the opportunity to work within the Customer Loyalty & Engagement team in Turkey. During this role, I gained hands-on experience with the Vodafone Wheel, a gamified loyalty initiative that shows how simple mechanics can drive consistent customer engagement.

Users spin the wheel daily for small rewards, and over time, this repetition builds a lasting habit. From my perspective, the true success wasn’t about the prizes themselves—it was the anticipation and excitement. Customers kept coming back not only for what they might win, but also for the simple fun of spinning, which turned Vodafone into part of their daily routine.

Thanks to this strategy, Vodafone’s Fortune Wheel was spun a total of 336 million times in 2022. Each user only gets one spin per week—meaning a maximum of four spins per month. Do the math: to reach 336 million spins, imagine how many users had to come back to the app again and again.

Duolingo

Another customer loyalty program that leverages gamification is Duolingo. Through streaks, badges, and leaderboards, it keeps users hooked. Here, loyalty doesn’t come from rewards, but from the game-like mechanics that build a daily habit. In fact, some real-life examples of how far people go to maintain their streaks are both funny and thought-provoking.

As of 2024, Duolingo’s monthly active users have surpassed 100 million. This data shows us how people trust the brand and are part of it.

Nike Run Club

Loyalty isn’t just about the product - it is about building emotional bonds between brand and customers. Nike Run Club is a great loyalty example to keep people connected to brand. Nike’s loyalty program accounts for over 100 million members and continues to build a dedicated community. 

Research consistently demonstrates the power of loyalty. According to Semrush, customer retention costs significantly less than acquiring new customers, and businesses enjoy a 60–70 % chance of selling again to existing customers, versus just 5–20 % for new ones. (Forbes, quoting the book “Marketing Metrics”)  On top of that, repeat customers spend 67 % more than new ones.

Given these insights, it’s clear why brands invest heavily in customer loyalty strategies. They’re not just saving on acquisition costs—they’re cultivating a high-value, engaged customer base.

Final Takeaways: Actionable Lessons for Marketers

“Customer loyalty is not built on discounts—it’s built on habits, emotions, and community.”

• Gamification Engagement: In today’s world, gamification has a great impact on customer loyalty and habits. By adding playful mechanics like streaks, challenges, or daily spins—as seen with Duolingo and Vodafone Wheel—brands turn routine interactions into something fun. Customers will return because they’re curious, excited, and motivated to keep their streak or see what comes next.

• Build Communities: As we see in the case of Nike, people are loyal not only to the brand itself but also to its community. Being surrounded by like-minded individuals and feeling part of something bigger strengthens their attachment to the brand. There’s a reason why they don’t switch to cheaper alternatives or brands of similar quality—they value the sense of belonging that Nike provides.

Bonus: Personalization!

At every step, personalization is a powerful tool to capture customer attention. Generic vouchers feel outdated—what truly resonates are offers tailored to purchase history, preferences, and personalized recommendations. When you create an offer that aligns with a customer’s specific needs, that’s when you truly win their loyalty.

Looking ahead, the brands that will stand out are those that transform loyalty into lifestyle. They will not only win repeat purchases but also secure a place in customers’ daily routines and emotional worlds.