True Religion launches new loyalty programme to boost DTC growth

American denim and sportswear brand True Religion has announced the launch of its new loyalty programme, True Fam. This is part of a series of strategic initiatives aimed at transforming True Religion into a digital-first direct-to-consumer (DTC) brand. True Fam aims to reward True Religion’s most loyal shoppers with a more personalised experience, exclusive perks, event access, and additional savings.

True Fam offers a three-tiered loyalty programme that allows members to earn and redeem points across all consumer touchpoints, including in-store, online, and through the brand’s recently launched mobile app. Members can earn points based on their spending, receive welcome discounts, birthday discounts, and early access to sales, the company said in a press release.

The programme was co-created and tested with True Religion’s community, who provided valuable feedback in identifying the ideal tiers and rewards. True Fam’s creative identity is inspired by True Religion’s roots and connection to the music industry. The tiers are called Opening Act, Headliner, and Icon and are differentiated by spending thresholds and rewards.

The programme will roll out to customers across all of True Religion’s channels throughout the Spring. Customers will have access to their member profile page where they can check their points balance and points redeemed. In-app notifications will advise shoppers on special offers, ways to earn, and points earned and redeemed.

True Fam was developed in partnership with Lexer for CDP data and Yotpo, a loyalty strategy platform. The programme was also tested with current and prospective True Religion customers by Zurb, a product design company. In-store, True Fam will be marketed with signage, scannable POS receipts, and in-store sign up and redemption at check-out.

“Customer retention is one of our top priorities as we evolve to become primarily a DTC brand,” said Michael Buckley, chief executive officer, True Religion. “Our new True Fam loyalty programme will allow us to maximise customer retention and customer lifetime value, both of which are essential to True Religion’s continued growth.”

“Loyal customers spend 67 per cent more on average than new ones, and the ability to earn rewards influences about two-thirds of consumers’ behaviour,” said Scott McCabe, senior vice president, Digital. “Furthermore, our most valuable customers aren’t just the ones who spend the most money. True Fam allows us to prioritise shoppers who refer True Religion to their friends and family while also tailoring their experiences based on purchase history and tier status.”