Advanced Television

Sky introduces anti-churn loyalty programme

August 3, 2017

By Colin Mann

Having revealed in its Full Year results that on a 12-month rolling basis churn was 11.5 per cent, Sky has taken steps to address the problem, with the introduction of Sky VIP, which it describes as the first tenure-based loyalty programme in the TV and Broadband sector.

Sky foreshadowed the initiative in its results announcement, saying: “While churn remains at a level higher than we would like, we have a strong set of plans to address it. We’ve already seen an excellent response to our customer Christmas gifting campaign and we are now in the process of making our loyalty programme available for all customers in the UK and Ireland. We believe this programme will deliver tangible results by rewarding longevity in order to build even stronger customer relationships, learning from the success of our loyalty programme in Italy.”

The new loyalty programme will offer hundreds of thousands of free tickets to all customers, including top sports events such as the British Masters and the Premier League, exclusive preview screenings of the latest films and prize draws for money can’t buy experiences such as the chance to visit filming locations of Game of Thrones.

Customers who’ve been with Sky for longer will be able to access more benefits including a new preview channel Sky Atlantic VIP, the latest and best Sky technology with free set-up for Sky Fibre, free Sky Go Extra and free Sky Q set-up, as well as priority customer service.

“Sky has always been a customer led company and the launch of Sky VIP is about putting our existing customers first and showing we value their loyalty,” explained Stephen Van Rooyen, Sky’s UK and Ireland Chief Executive. “This isn’t about tactical deals or collecting points – it’s about offering genuine experiences and benefits we know our customers value and which only Sky can offer.”

“That’s why we are gathering every single ticket that we have from our sports partners and giving them to our customers, alongside free tickets to exclusive film previews and money can’t buy experiences. And for our most loyal customers, who we know want the latest kit and best possible service, we’ll be offering access to our best technology as well as priority customer service.”

“But it doesn’t stop there – this is only the beginning as Sky VIP will keep expanding, with more benefits and rewards to be added in the coming months.”

Sky VIP has been developed following extensive customer research and feedback, which revealed customers are looking for a variety of rewards. New customers want rewards based on experiences and Sky shows, while priority service and access to the latest technology is more appealing to those that have been with Sky for longer.

Sky VIP lives in the My Sky app which has been designed to offer each and every customer a direct and personalised experience with Sky, from accessing the loyalty programme right through to being able to instantly manage their accounts with up to date information and customer service.

Customers can join Sky VIP immediately by downloading the app to discover the exclusive range of personal rewards available to them. On joining, all customers can access their free Welcome Gift of a Sky Store movie and find out their membership tier, based on the length of time they’ve been with Sky.

The launch of Sky VIP is part of Sky’s commitment to giving customers great value. It follows the successful launch of Sky Italia’s loyalty programme and last year’s Christmas gift to UK customers, which gave Sky TV customers Sky Box Sets for three months or a Sky Store Buy & Keep voucher.

 

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