Footwear brand New Balance is stepping into customer loyalty through a new partnership with the RunKeeper mobile application to reward users based on their fitness activity.

The app-based program, titled MyNB, enables New Balance fans to earn points by completing a variety of activities, including fitness initiatives, social media usage and product purchases. The RunKeeper will monitor consumers? fitness through their smartphones and aggregate possible rewards, such as meet-and-greets with athletes and racing bibs.

?New Balance?s new interactive MyNB app is a great way to engage its customers and help inspire brand enthusiasts,? said Ken Morris, principal, Boston Retail Partners, Boston. ?As consumers reach bronze, silver and gold levels based on the points they earn for their running miles, they will be motivated to visit a New Balance store or shop online to redeem their points.

?The MyNB app is a great example of retailers using gamification to engage with their customers. In a recent Boston Retail Partner?s survey, 87 percent of retailers plan to use gamification to engage the customer within five years.?

Common goals
New Balance and RunKeeper?s common goal of fueling customers to exercise regularly and enjoy their fitness efforts will likely make for a strong partnership. While guests can appreciate the tracking abilities of the RunKeeper app, especially if they do not own a wearable such as a Fitbit or Jawbone, they will also receive an organic branded experience from New Balance.

Consumers can download the MyNB app for iOS and Android devices, and must also sign up for a RunKeeper account if they do not already have one. The app download itself will yield users a total of 500 rewards points, with an additional 500 for completing an account profile for the first time.

Customers can also receive more points for activities such as attending New Balance events, following the New Balance brand?s social media pages, saving favorite items to a Wish List up to three times a year and working out using the RunKeeper app.

Individuals who purchase New Balance products can accumulate 10 rewards points per each dollar spent.

Users may attain the bronze, silver and gold rewards levels, all of which come with special perks to sweeten future New Balance shopping experiences. The bronze level offers a free birthday gift, last call on limited quantity items, special access to pre-orders and personalized deals, while the silver status provides free shipping with no minimum spend and an online race concierge.

Those who manage to earn more than 5,000 points will receive access to a loyalty concierge digital service.

To view a list of available rewards, customers may visit the Dashboard online or in the app.

Loyalty on digital
New Balance?s extensive rewards platform places the shoe brand in a long line of major retailers tapping loyalty platforms on mobile to keep their customers from buying from a competitor.

While plenty of brands offer their frequent customers points for each in-store, online or mobile purchase made, the real utility ? and potential lucrativeness ? in rewards platforms stems from offering useful features.

Successful customer engagement and loyalty platforms include apps that provide users convenience and utility, and are have intelligent and intuitive use rather than relying on gimmicky tools (see story).

RunKeeper has also been working on reaping revenue from its offerings.

Last August, the fitness-tracking app partnered with marketing platform Kiip in an effort to monetize its loyal base of users in a way that coincides with its mission to promote healthy living (see story).

?New Balance is the premier running brand in the world and the partnership with RunKeeper is a natural fit,? Mr. Morris said. ?With more than 30 million people worldwide already using the RunKeeper app, it makes it an easy transition for New Balance customers to download and participate in the MyNB app loyalty program.

?New Balance?s partnership with RunKeeper will accelerate the adoption of the new MyNB loyalty app."

Final Take
Alex Samuely is an editorial assistant on Mobile Marketer, New York