.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nWhen we talk about Shell loyalty, we\u2019re not talking about just one or two markets here, but about more than 20 markets and a customer base of over 50 million. Our programmes are deeply rooted amongst our customers. One example of this is Shell Club Smart in Poland, where we have a customer base of over a million, but there are also programmes that have recently been launched, such as Lotto Shell in Mexico. Every year, we aim to launch additional programmes in new countries. This enables us to continue growing.<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nWe are talking about 20 markets, that is, 20 countries.<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nYes.<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nAnd every year, new ones arrive.<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nThat\u2019s right.<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nDo you have a particular approach to selecting new markets and new countries?<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nWe look at the maturity of a given market and the needs of our consumers. Based on this kind of research and our development strategies, we endeavour to implement the appropriate measures at the right time.<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nKuba, there are three types of loyalty schemes on the market. Does Shell only have a points-based scheme?<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nThe simplest answer is no. We tailor our programmes to market needs, as well as to the structure, requirements and expectations of our customers. There are countries where our customers actually expect the programmes to be points-based, but we also have markets where our programmes are based on a combination of points and discounts, as well as, for example in Mexico, a programme based on collecting stamps via a mobile app.<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nYou mention Mexico a lot, and I wanted to ask you about Poland \u2013 what\u2019s it like in our country?<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nIn Poland, the programme is points-based. Our users can collect points for fuel purchases, as well as for non-fuel items such as hot dogs, coffee and car washes. Points can be redeemed for rewards, exchanged for products at the petrol station, or for vouchers with our partners, such as Allegro, booking.com or Rental Cars.<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nWe\u2019ll be talking in general terms \u2013 after all, this is the field you work in and specialise in, when it comes to loyalty schemes \u2013 but I\u2019ll chime in every now and then to ask about Poland, so that we can make a comparison.<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nAll right.<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nNow that I\u2019ve mentioned what you do and that you work globally rather than locally here in our country, I was wondering what challenges someone who operates globally faces when it comes to loyalty programmes?<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nBecause we operate in 20 markets, our users\u2019 profiles \u2013 and their expectations \u2013 vary. There are countries where our users expect a plastic card and a loyalty scheme without a plastic card simply does not exist, but there are also countries where the trend is the other way round, meaning we are developing a mobile app and a virtual card. Another aspect that must always be taken into account is, of course, market regulations. In different countries, it is possible to offer incentives \u2013 that is, to reward customers for various things. There are also restrictions that we must always bear in mind. Fortunately, because we operate in so many markets, we\u2019re able to share knowledge and experience amongst ourselves, which allows us to roll out solutions that have already been tested globally in a really effective way.<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nYou mentioned two points. I hope you won\u2019t mind if I interrupt for a moment to address our viewers, because Kuba mentioned incentivisation, and we\u2019ve already discussed this \u2013 we have an episode where we explain what incentivisation is and how it\u2019s calculated, and in the description of that episode you\u2019ll find a link to that very programme and the mobile apps. I also spoke to Tomasz Wit about mobile apps, and I wanted to let our viewers know that they\u2019ll find a link to that episode in the description of our programme. So, let\u2019s stick with mobile apps for a moment and talk a little bit about what the Shell app is like.<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nSo mobile phones \u2013 smartphones, that is \u2013 have really become an integral part of our lives. For us, a mobile app is a very important channel of communication, as it allows us to build relationships with our users there. When it comes to loyalty apps, they are, of course, no longer just a place for collecting points; in fact, they are becoming a platform where users want to find all the essential features and services, such as the ability to easily locate a petrol station, the ability to take advantage of programme benefits, or even mobile payments. From our perspective, of course, a mobile app should be well integrated with all other communication channels, whether in terms of content or design.\u201d.<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nA lot has changed with your app, hasn\u2019t it? Have there been any changes recently?.<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nWe are constantly evolving, and naturally, this app is developing at different rates across various markets. Mobile payments are a case in point. There are countries where mobile payments are already an integral part of the mobile app, whilst in others we are only just about to introduce them.<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nAnd what about people who don\u2019t use their smartphones for these purposes? They have a phone that\u2019s intended solely for making calls and sending text messages \u2013 it isn\u2019t a smartphone, or it is a smartphone but isn\u2019t used for that, precisely because it doesn\u2019t have any apps. Then there\u2019s that plastic card we can use.<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nYes, this card is available in most markets, and in Poland, of course, you can obtain one at a petrol station when you make a purchase; you can then register the card at home and join the scheme.<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nI\u2019d like to ask you a few questions about the statistics, if you know them, because I\u2019d like to see how Poland compares with the other countries you work with. Is it the case that people here use the mobile app or the plastic card more often, or is that the case in other countries?<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nCertainly in Asian markets, where mobile apps are definitely on the rise and where people are gradually moving away from plastic cards. As for the use of the mobile loyalty app itself in Poland, our base of active users has almost doubled over the last 18 months.<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nSo it\u2019s not that bad.<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nIt\u2019s not bad. We\u2019re making progress.<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nI\u2019m really pleased to hear that. In that case, I\u2019d like to ask you about the possibility of earning points in other countries, because until now, when I\u2019ve travelled abroad and worked at a Shell petrol station, I haven\u2019t been able to add points to my Polish card. How does it work now?<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nThe \u2018cross-country\u2019 feature \u2013 that is, the ability to collect points in two different countries \u2013 is a very interesting option, which we are, of course, continuing to analyse. At present, this option is available to users of the programmes in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nSo, as a Czech citizen, I can go on a trip to Slovakia and earn points there as well.<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nThat\u2019s right.<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nAnd what about me, when I\u2019m travelling from Poland to the Czech Republic?<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nAt present, this functionality is not available. We are, of course, looking into implementing such a solution, but it is important to bear in mind that there are many different factors to consider, such as technological constraints, legal and tax restrictions, and the mechanics of the loyalty scheme itself.<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nDoes the currency of the country in question also play a role here, as we collect points and receive rewards? Each point is worth a specific amount, and depending on which country we\u2019re in, that amount is different and in a different currency, so could this also be an obstacle to centralising all these cards and being able to collect points in every country?<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nThis is certainly an aspect that needs to be considered and analysed. As we know, the Czech Republic and Slovakia have two different currencies, so we\u2019ve managed to resolve this issue. As I mentioned, we\u2019re considering rolling out this sort of solution in other countries, and it\u2019s certainly easier to implement in countries with a single currency, such as those in the eurozone.<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nWe\u2019ve already mentioned the option of paying via a mobile app that lets you collect points. Could you tell us a bit more about how this works at Shell?<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nAbsolutely. The mobile app is an integral part of our strategy and, of course, our customers expect to find all the necessary features in one place \u2013 namely, our loyalty app. Looking at the trends emerging in the United States and Canada, customers want to complete their transactions at the petrol pump; consequently, the integration of mobile payments into the loyalty app is no longer a question of \u2018if\u2019, but of \u2018when\u2019.<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nAll right, we\u2019ve been talking about functionality the whole time, but as someone who uses petrol stations and collects points, I have to ask about the most appealing part of loyalty schemes \u2013 the rewards. We have a rewards catalogue, and I suspect it varies from country to country. Do you carry out any research to help you put together such a rewards catalogue? Because in every country, it seems to me that completely different things are popular.<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nAbsolutely \u2013 I\u2019d even go so far as to say that it\u2019s not just a catalogue of rewards, but rather what we offer our customers from the perspective of our loyalty programme. Of course, we\u2019re constantly researching our customers\u2019 needs, analysing their feedback and, in this way, developing the features and rewards that meet their needs. At present, we\u2019re seeing significant differences in behaviour and in the way points are redeemed for rewards between corporate clients and consumers. Consumers are looking for a wider range of options; they want to be able to use even a small number of points to gain some sort of benefit.<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nYou\u2019ve actually got a bit ahead of my next question here, because I was just about to ask about the differences, to put it simply, between a customer who comes to a petrol station to fill up a company car and, in theory, collects points on a company card, and the customer who comes to the station to fill up their car but also very often to do a bit of shopping.<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nCorporate customers, as we know, face slightly greater restrictions when it comes to choosing a petrol station or what they can do with their fleet card, unlike end customers \u2013 our consumers \u2013 who can make decisions whilst on the move. From a rewards perspective, corporate customers are, of course, keen to collect points based on their behaviour and redeem those points for physical rewards. End customers \u2013 that is, our consumers \u2013 are looking for a wider range of solutions; they want the option of making so-called \u2018micro-redemptions\u2019, that is, using a small number of points to obtain some kind of benefit.<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nBut are you talking about this on a global scale, or are you focusing on Poland at the moment?<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nAre these trends visible on a global scale? Where points-based schemes have been introduced, the trend is very similar.<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nI czy to jest tak, bo u nas tak jest. „U nas”, m\u00f3wi\u0119 w Polsce, \u017ce ju\u017c na ka\u017cdej ze stacji paliw mo\u017cna zrobi\u0107 ma\u0142e zakupy spo\u017cywcze, no bo um\u00f3wmy si\u0119, \u017ce w tej chwili stacje paliw to ju\u017c nie s\u0105 tylko miejsca gdzie tankujemy, myjemy auto i ewentualnie dokupujemy \u017car\u00f3wk\u0119. Ja jako osoba, kt\u00f3ra pojecha\u0142a w podr\u00f3\u017c s\u0142u\u017cbow\u0105 przyje\u017cd\u017cam na stacj\u0119 paliw i, oczywi\u015bcie na stacj\u0119 paliw Shell, tankuj\u0119 auto, ale mam przed sob\u0105 bardzo d\u0142ug\u0105 tras\u0119, wi\u0119c potrzebuj\u0119 co\u015b dobrego zje\u015b\u0107, wypi\u0107 kaw\u0119 i przygotowa\u0107 si\u0119 do spotkania, kt\u00f3re mnie czeka za 5 godzin.<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nFrom Shell\u2019s perspective, we want to be a partner to our customers on their journeys. We offer them the option of collecting parcels at petrol stations, and for corporate customers, the option of having their laundry done. Because we have laundry machines.<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nSo I don\u2019t have to iron my shirt at home; I can do it at your place instead.<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nExactly.<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nPerfect.<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nAnd, of course, to offer customers the opportunity to purchase good-quality products from our catering range.<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nBecause this is a challenge for you. You\u2019ve had to expand your range, which means more products are now included in loyalty schemes, because when I buy chocolate or water, I also earn points.<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nThat\u2019s exactly right, and our mission as loyalty scheme operators is to reward our users for their transactions and their behaviour \u2013 and to do so by offering points not only for fuel purchases but, of course, for our entire non-fuel range as well. They have the opportunity to collect points more quickly, as well as to use those points specifically on this food and drink range.<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nIt\u2019s precisely this chocolate that\u2019s going to save my life on this five-hour journey. All right, Jakub, I\u2019ll be honest with you \u2013 before our conversation, I\u2019d hoped we wouldn\u2019t have to bring this topic up again, but we live in the reality we live in, and the coronavirus pandemic is still very much with us, so it\u2019s not so much that I want to, but that I have to ask you how this has affected the loyalty programme and its development as far as the Shell brand is concerned.<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nThe pandemic has had a huge impact on behaviour \u2013 on changes in our customers\u2019 behaviour. In particular, the inability to travel and the shift to remote working. We are seeing three trends emerging across various markets. First and foremost, customers are now making purchases closer to home. Secondly, when shopping, they are trying to combine more shopping trips into a single visit \u2013 that is, not just fuel, but also all their non-fuel shopping \u2013 which naturally leads to a larger shopping basket. And the third trend, which I believe is the most important, is that customers want to complete their transaction as quickly as possible \u2013 whilst, of course, observing all social distancing and safety measures \u2013 and they prefer to carry out this transaction at the petrol pump rather than going inside the petrol station.<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nAnd these are the changes you\u2019ve noticed all over the world; we\u2019re not talking about Poland here.<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nExactly.<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nI\u2019ll be asking you some questions. The inability to travel \u2013 and we\u2019re not just talking about private holiday travel here, but also business travel \u2013 meant that fewer customers were stopping off at this station.<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nWe are seeing these trends; however, what is important from our perspective is to respond to these changes in our customers\u2019 behaviour, which is why we are increasingly focusing on introducing mobile app payments more quickly, so that these customers will return to us and be able to carry out their transactions at the petrol pumps. We are also developing other marketing initiatives. One example of this is gamification, where we aim to build customer engagement, not just when they visit our petrol station, but also whilst they are at home.<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nKuba, \u2018gamification\u2019 is a very difficult word. Let\u2019s explain to our viewers what it means \u2013 for those who don\u2019t know \u2013 because I suspect that most of our viewers are familiar with the loyalty schemes market and will know what we\u2019re on about.<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nGamification essentially refers to lotteries, scratch cards and competitions offered to users of loyalty programmes, but it also includes mobile app games, such as Shell Racing.<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nGames?<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nGames.<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nGo on, tell me.<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nThis is an app that allows users to race in different cars. They can also use points \u2013 which are not directly linked to the loyalty scheme \u2013 to upgrade their car.<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nRight, so it\u2019s not the sort of game where I collect points by playing, and those points go into a pool that I can later redeem for rewards; it\u2019s actually a slightly different approach to customer loyalty.<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nThere is a way to build a relationship with a brand, but of course, in an ideal world \u2013 and this is what we would like to strive for \u2013 such solutions would also be linked to loyalty schemes.<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nYou told me about this game. We already know what gamification is \u2013 what\u2019s it like in Poland, and what\u2019s it like in other countries?<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nWe are implementing various types of gamification in European markets, such as Austria and Switzerland, as well as in Canada. From the perspective of users of these types of solutions, we can see that there are customer segments that actually expect us to make gamification an integral part of the loyalty programme.<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nCould I ask you to give me an example of the most interesting case of gamification \u2013 a method, not necessarily here in Poland, but in any other country, that has worked best?.<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nOne such example from overseas markets is Mexico, where customers collect stamps in their mobile app and then receive scratchcards. They never know what\u2019s underneath these scratch cards, which helps us keep them engaged and ensures they keep coming back to our mobile app.<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nRight then, let\u2019s fly from Mexico to Canada. And is there an interesting example in Canada?<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nYes, we recently ran a competition there where users could win the chance to take part in a virtual race \u2013 alongside a professional NASCAR driver, of course.<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nSo, where else could we take you? Where else could we fly to? There\u2019s Mexico and Canada.<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nThe United States.<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nOK.<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nSimilarly, members of the loyalty scheme have the opportunity to take part in various types of prize draws, where the prizes also include the chance to attend various events \u2013 such as the chance to win tickets to a Formula 1 race.<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nWell, to be honest, from a customer\u2019s point of view, it seems to me that an event like that is actually more appealing than a prize of that sort.<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nThis is certainly a suitable solution for a certain segment of our customers. As you know, we strive to tailor our offering to our loyal customer base, and their needs vary. That is why we do not want to limit ourselves to a single solution; on the contrary, we want to offer a range of solutions so that our customers and the value we provide will meet their needs.<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nAnd what about the station staff? I imagine you have a loyalty scheme for your staff as well.<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nWe may not have any loyalty schemes, but from the perspective of gamification and engagement, we have recently introduced a gamification scheme based on the concept of fantasy football. This means that station staff competed against one another, earning points for achieving specific targets linked to promoting the loyalty programme and climbing the leaderboard. Of course, the top performers received prizes, both non-monetary and cash, and this is a solution that we will continue to develop, learn from and roll out in other countries.<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nExactly, because we\u2019re talking about the UK here.<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nThat\u2019s right.<\/p>\n
.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nFor now. To start with.<\/p>\n