[INTERVIEW] AIR MILES’ The Moment Shop

Jason Beales is back for this third interview with us! Today, he is going to share the new “AIR MILES’ The Moment Shop” initiative. Even though Air Miles takes its fair share of heat, I do feel that they are at least trying to take their program up another level. Thank you Jason for taking time out of busy schedule again and again to answer our questions. We really appreciate your time! 

Links to first two interviews:

• AIR MILES – The evolution of the in-store shopping experience
• New Booking Platform with AIR MILES Travel

1) Please tell us about yourself and your role with AIR MILES?

My name is Jason Beales and I am the Chief Strategy and Commercial Officer at AIR MILES. I’ve spent much of my career in North American capital markets, working with corporate clients to uncover facets of their business which are unrealized or underappreciated; advising on growth-driven corporate development, and assisting in value maximization pursuits. I have experience as an entrepreneur and have held positions in both marketing and technology throughout my career. Thus, no matter the size of a partner’s business or the scope of their involvement in the AIR MILES coalition, I am well-positioned to assist our Client Services and Business Development teams as they focus on integrating new brands into the program while working collaboratively with our existing partners to deliver results.

2) What is AIR MILES’ The Moment Shop all about?

We recently launched AIR MILES’ new brand platform ‘Collect More Moments’ to help Canadians reconnect as we reshape the future of loyalty in Canada. Amidst the chaos of our daily distracted lives, we believe Canadians have lost a sense of true connection with those that give their lives meaning. Given conventional loyalty programs now seem to be predominantly transactional focused these days, we believe that real loyalty goes well beyond merely collecting Miles or cash back – providing true experiential value in people’s lives is our refurbished goal, and that’s what we’re looking to do across the nation.

To celebrate our new brand evolution, AIR MILES has launched The Moment Shop – a unique retail experience where every item represents a meaningful moment that can be redeemed via the program. The Moment Shop features a variety of ‘moments’ (both big and small), allowing AIR MILES collectors to choose experiences that empower them to connect with those who matter most – be it a Sunday Spa Day Moment, the Doggie Birthday Party moment or the Rollercoaster Drop moment.

After selecting the moment that resonates with them, collectors take their item to the checkout counter where it’s scanned and a free prize – spanning from gift cards to pizza ovens – is revealed. Prizes relate to the collector’s chosen moment, showing how AIR MILES is here to help you create more moments, more often.

Collectors can participate in the national tour by visiting The Moment Shop in person when it comes to their nearest city. The Moment Shop debuted in Toronto on July 5 and is running as a national mobile tour, visiting major cities across Canada including Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Montreal, Ottawa, Halifax and Charlottetown throughout the summer. Canadians can keep up to date on their nearest Moment Shop here.

3) What prompted AIR MILES to work on this initiative?

As mentioned previously, we know Canadians are busy and distracted; many have lost a sense of true connection. AIR MILES is on a mission to help Canadians break free from their devices and disconnect; effectively reshaping the future of loyalty in Canada into tangible and memorable events.

In a recent third-party survey commissioned by AIR MILES, data shows that Canadians are feeling increasingly disconnected from their loved ones and overconsumed by screen time. 67 per cent of Canadians crave more special moments with people that matter to them, yet 37 per cent rarely or never plan an activity or event to create these moments. An astonishing half of respondents take their phone to the bathroom with them and 39 per cent say it’s the last thing they see before falling asleep. Additionally, 84 per cent of Canadians agree that world events over the past few years have made them realize that time is precious and small moments matter.

AIR MILES recognizes this and is evolving the program to help collectors experience more of these moments, more often. Real loyalty is more than a transaction, and AIR MILES is all about helping people collect more meaningful moments, above and beyond physical items.

4) What else is AIR MILES working on?

Starting in September, a national expansion of our partnership with Pharmasave gives collectors a new way to earn and redeem Reward Miles in-store at participating locations across the country, excluding Quebec. Pharmacies are a cornerstone of communities across Canada and a major category of everyday spend, along with gas and grocery. This expanded partnership offers Canadians more value back from their hard-earned money while offering our valued partner an opportunity to deepen its relationship with customers in each of its communities.

As Canadians continue to prioritize value optimization, AIR MILES has made key program changes to strengthen its presence in key everyday purchase categories – grocery, gas, and pharmacy – to allow Canadians to get to their next reward and moment faster, which the new platform underscores. Enabling stacking of promotions is an encouraged fast track to value accrual. We’re confident with the program investments we’ve made (and are poised to make), AIR MILES is evolving the platform to focus on giving Canadians more opportunities to collect – every day.

5) Any closing thoughts?

We’re excited for this new chapter at AIR MILES and the fact you’ll start seeing far more of us than ever before (not merely a reach out to collectors…but to all Canadians). Whether it’s our new expanded partnership with Pharmasave, continued improvement for travel, merch, and evoucher optionality, more robust Card Linked Offer alternatives, or adding new partners to our Receipt scan functionality, we’re emphasizing value and showing up for Canadians when they need it most. Stay tuned for even more to come – it’s going to be a busy year!