1-800-Flowers.com can now link its rewards program to Facebook thanks to a new application from Loyalty Lab.
The new application from on-demand customer management solutions provider Loyalty Lab, San Francisco, is called Gimme Love. It connects customer relationship programs to Facebook applications and widgets, enabling a retailer or consumer brand to reward customers for activities they do while on the social networking site. The application leverages the open APIs provided by Facebook.
As the first client to use the new application, 1-800-Flowers.com is rewarding members of its Fresh Rewards loyalty program for referring their friends to the multichannel specialty gift retailer.
Further applications in development will enable Facebook members who give virtual flowers to also purchase them, as well as earn points or discounts on purchases when friends click branded links, site referrals and sweepstakes enrollments.
Loyalty Lab is responding to client interest in social networking, especially with Facebook and YouTube having recently announced that they would start accepting advertising.
“Customer evangelists are a brand’s best friend,” said Mark H. Goldstein, CEO of Loyalty Lab, in a statement. “By bridging their loyalty programs to social networks, brands can make it easier for their customers to spread the good word around,” he continued.
“We want our brand to be where our customers are, which is why we were the first floral brand on Second Life and why we’re the first multi-channel specialty retailer to link our loyalty program to Facebook,” said Monica Woo, president of 1-800-Flowers.com, in the statement.
