Increasing Daily User Engagement with a User Centric Rewards Program. Worked with Yelp to design & pitch a loyalty program to increase daily user engagement for Yelp users. Combined empathy & customer research strategies with proven gamification & rewards mechanics to design a two-fold loyalty program. 1. An overall points system, Yelper Points, and 2. a flash deals mechanism, the Yelp Secret Menu.

1. YELPER SCORE
Points
Earned per
activity
Rewards Earned
this month - must
be used within
the month
Total Monthly
Score
Cumulative Score
creates feeling of
attachment &
loyalty - potential
to do a
leaderboard
Ordinary
activities based
on yelp features
other than
organic discovery
search - used to
introduceYelpers
to other features
IncludesVisits &
time on app to
reduce gaming
he system
MYYELPER SCORE
JUNE
528528
Greyed out
when done
once this month

2. CREATINGTHE DAILYYELP
a gamification and rewards program to
increase daily user engagement

3. THE AVERAGEYELPERTODAY
M T W T F S S
primary use: exploration
i.e. searching for new restaurants, bars, shopping
• user engagement: around 1x per week, when users have a
specific “discovery” need
• users often start on a different search engine & then end up
onYelp through links (inorganic)

4. OUR CHALLENGE
Create a loyalty program that inspires
currentYelpers to useYelp on a daily basis.
$
focus on engagement (sessions)
not reviews or revenue

5. CONSTRAINTS
NO significant product changes or feature additions
NO metrics on usage or frequency
LIMITED OPPORTUNITY for exploration & discovery
during the average week with current app.
HOW MIGHT WE bringYelp’s current users into the app
more frequently without major product changes or
feature additions?

6. UNDERSTANDINGTHE
AVERAGEYELP USER
DEMOGRAPHIC
• Age 25 - 40
• Urban
• 54% earn > 70%K
income
• Slightly skewed
women to men
• Head of household
• Tech savvy, engaged
• Trendsetter, on
social media
WHATTHEYVALUE
• Discounts/Free Stuff: free
drinks/meals; discounts on
pricier services (hair, spa,
salon, etc.)
• Convenience: comped
delivery; no wait time
• Feeling Special: reservations
& priority seating at
restaurants; first to check
out hottest new places

7. UNDERSTANDINGTHE BEST
REWARDS & LOYALTY PROGRAMS
PROVEN
• Earn points/currency to redeem
free stuff of your choice
(customization)
• Free samples
• Bonus days – e.g. 2x rewards
• Tiered systems (Star Alliance
Gold; SPG Platinum)
• Transparency to track
• Surprise & delight elements
(Starbucks discount days)
• Core loop understanding

8. SOLUTION:WEEKLY CADENCE
FEATURE + BOLD BEAT
1. Increase discovery opportunities.
2. Increase motivation to useYelp’s
features beyond search for discovery.

9. YELP SECRET MENU
Cadence feature to create new emotional engagement
around discovery using surprise & delight tactics.
PROVEN BETTER NEW
- discovery
- discounts/free stuff
- flash sales
- recommendations
- exclusivity
- time pressure with
exploding offer
- secret menu
concept
- customization/
personalization of
discovery
- submitting secret
password through
search bar

10. YELP SECRET MENU
1x/week:
Secret Menu
notification with
secret code on
user’s phone user opens
Yelp
Yelp discovery
location, deal, &
suggestion pop
up
user claims deal
user getsYelp
points for checking
Secret Menu
user uses deal
at restaurant/
bar within the
week
user types the
secret code
into theYelp
search bar
core loop

11. YELP SECRET MENU
New
customized
restaurant based
on your search
history
1x per week
notification
of a secret
menu code
Recommendation of
what to try - the
“secret menu”
Must claim offer
in time & before
first 20 people
Use search bar to
enter secret code

12. YELPER SCORE
Bold beat that gamifies engagement beyond exploration.
PROVEN BETTER NEW
- cumulative score
- point system
- linking rewards to
tiered scores
- habit formation with
trigger, specific behavior,
and rewards
- opportunity to surprise
& delight highest overall
scores
-
- transparency of
obtaining points
- no explicit change in
current behavior for
user
- visual display of points
- non-pushy marketing
- “rewards for doing
what you already do”
- monthly refresh

13. YELPER SCORE
1st of month,
user gets
notification that
Yelper Activities
have refreshed
user opens
Yelp & goes to
Yelper Points
page
user does the
activity over the
month
user earns deals
& rewards
user uses deals
& rewards
user sees all
activity that he
can do to
obtain points
core loop
user earns
points &
increases overall
Yelper Score

14. YELPER SCORE
Points
Earned per
activity
Rewards Earned
this month - must
be used within
the month
Total Monthly
Score
Cumulative Score
creates feeling of
attachment &
loyalty - potential
to do a
leaderboard
Ordinary
activities based
on yelp features
other than
organic discovery
search - used to
introduceYelpers
to other features
IncludesVisits &
time on app to
reduce gaming
he system
MYYELPER SCORE
JUNE
528528
Greyed out
when done
once this month

15. WHY WILLTHIS WORK?
• Instantiate a more regular engagement flow with new interactive content on weekly &
monthly basis
• Weekly throughYelp Secret Menu
• Monthly & Daily throughYelper Score
• No dilution of valuable content -i.e. inventing review writing or rating
• Premium users (Yelp Elite) retain status & aren’t downgraded
• Rewards in line with what target demographic values (size & content)
• Introduction of new features to users is opportunity for more regular organic
interaction
• Capitalizing on psychology of small wins & “earned” deals - keep users in the game
longer
• Generally standard programs (deals + points) but with a single twist to each (secret
word + monthly refresh)
• Transparency in process - user knows how to achieve “wins”
• Yelper Score doesn’t require explicit change of normal behavior
• Limited financial downside - only X number of rewards possible per month per user

16. THANKYOU!

17. taralv@stanford.edu
TaraViswanathan

18. APPENDIX

19. YELPER SCORE
• Make a Reservation
• Check in to a Location
• Order Delivery
• Share Business Information
with a Friend
• Search in Each Genre
• food, drink, coffee, delivery,
hair, shopping, nail, gym,
spa, laundry, etc.
• Use the Map Feature
• Use the Nearby Feature
• Use the Monocle Feature
• Participate inYelp Secret Menu
• Make a Service Appointment
• TotalYelp Searches
• DailyVisits to App
Potential Measured & Rewarded Activity Opportunities