Rachel MacQueen
Senior Vice President of Collector Experience & Marketing, AIR MILES Reward Program
Canada’s most-recognized loyalty program continues to connect and reward nearly 11 million Canadians with valuable and flexible choice.
The AIR MILES Reward Program is part of the fabric of Canada, with a 28-year history and a reward card in the wallet – or digital wallet – of two thirds of Canadian households. Collectors can get Miles with over 300 Partners and brands and on 80% of their household spend. “Our card is swiped 1,000 times a minute, every minute of every day,” says Rachel MacQueen, Senior Vice President Collector Experience and Marketing at AIR MILES. “Across Canada, Collectors use Miles for a rewardevery two seconds.”
Supporting Canadians in times of need
The COVID-19 pandemic has left many Canadians feeling isolated and disconnected. AIR MILES has responded with special efforts to connect with its Collectors during this challenging time, stepping up its communications and nurturing an emotional connection with Canadian communities. One example is AIR MILES’ Happy Every Day campaign, an online community built to engage, excite, and entertain Canadians through the darkest days of the pandemic, and it continues to respond to Collectors’ needs with engaging offers and rewards.
“We’re seeing a fundamental change in how people live, work, and socialize,” says MacQueen. “Home has really become your domain of everything.” The flexibility and choice built into the AIR MILES Reward Program accommodated this shift smoothly with personalized and relevant offerings.
Rewards that fit your life
“We’ve seen a significant, double digit increase in Merchandise Reward redemptions,” says MacQueen. Collectors can use Miles for staycation essentials, home office necessities, and home fitness basics to make the time spent safely at home more enjoyable. “Brands like Fitbit, KitchenAid, Dyson, and Cuisinart have been really popular,” MacQueen notes.
Collectors can also use AIR MILES Cash Miles at participating Partners for free everyday purchases at Sobeys, Metro, Shell, Staples, Lowes and more, helping stretch their budget a little further.
AIR MILES has also pivoted to include rewards to suit Canadians’ current needs. “We’ve introduced some new AIR MILES Cash Partners — including Door Dash, Uber Eats, and Spotify to enable Collectors to use Miles for what matters most to them in this new environment,” says MacQueen.
So, while AIR MILES may conjure up thoughts of foreign destination travel and experiences, it is so much more as a well-rounded, fulsome program that focuses on rewarding Canadians, every day, with a wide variety of offers.
Stronger and better together
“The other thing that has been really interesting is the willingness and desire for Collectors to give back,” says MacQueen. Collectors can use Miles toward charitable donations and AIR MILES is big on giving back, too. “Together with our Collectors, we’ve donated over $1.2 million to some very important charities including Food Banks Canada, Kids Help Phone, Black Health Alliance, and motionball, an organization in support of the Special Olympics Canada Foundation,” says MacQueen.
2020 has been a difficult year but AIR MILES is doing everything it can to make it better for Canadians.
