Challenge

India’s most trusted rebar superbrand sought to engage its key last-mile influencers—architects, engineers, and contractors (ACEs)—to drive sales in the rapidly growing independent home builder (IHB) segment, particularly in tier 2 and tier 3 cities. Operating in the premium segment of a highly competitive, commoditised industry, the brand faced the challenge of competing with more affordable alternatives. To stand out, it aimed to empower ACEs to advocate for the superior quality and reliability of its products to individual home builders, who rely on ACEs’ expertise when making purchasing decisions.

The brand also faced challenges in effectively tracking lead generation data (IHBs data) from ACEs, particularly unconverted leads that were kept offline, limiting effective outreach. It struggled to build loyalty among ACEs, relying on inconsistent manual schemes and occasional, locally sourced gifting. These lacked instant gratification and failed to foster long-term engagement, leading to dissatisfaction and demotivation. Moreover, there was no reliable system to track whether ACEs had received their rewards or were consistently recognised for their efforts. The absence of clear data on ACEs’ performance hindered the brand’s ability to assess the true impact of its influencer network, forecast growth, or understand how ACEs’ churn affected overall business performance.

Solution

BI WORLDWIDE India recognised that while the brand prioritised reward fulfilment, true engagement with ACEs required a more holistic approach – one that empowered them in lead generation and long-term advocacy. Building on this insight, BI WORLDWIDE India developed a bespoke, points-based influencer loyalty program, leveraging Channel Smart—our enterprise-wide technology solution for seamless, end-to-end channel management. Launched in 2022, the program was rolled out nationwide within seven months. To support ACEs’ in adopting the program, surveys were conducted through the helpdesk, queries were addressed, and easy-to-follow handbooks were provided, covering lead submission, points earning, and reward redemption.

The program enables the brand to capture and optimise Independent Home Builder (IHB) data within its CRM app, enhancing targeted outreach. Channel Smart’s promotions suite, with its gamified structure, rewards ACEs at each stage of the lead generation process – from creation and verification to sales conversion – ensuring consistent recognition of their efforts. Integration of Channel Smart with the brand’s CRM app enables seamless data synchronisation at midnight, ensuring ACEs earn points within 24 hours of any action taken on their leads. This data-driven approach has been helping the brand run focused campaigns for both IHBs and ACEs.

The program also offers a curated mix of persona-based rewards and once-in-a lifetime experiences to motivate ACEs to elevate their performance. Additionally, it provides valuable learning opportunities through webinars, product and brand videos, and plant visits, alongside networking and recognition at community events. Backed by a comprehensive communication strategy across various campaigns, the program delivers clear, consistent messaging through multiple channels (Email, Voice, SMS, IVR), driving sustained engagement. This holistic approach has empowered the brand to shift from transactional partnerships to more meaningful, lasting relationships with its influencers—architects, engineers, and contractors (ACEs).

Impact

The program has delivered exceptional results across key metrics such as enrolment, engagement, sales growth, and participant satisfaction. BI WORLDWIDE India’s focus on providing aspirational rewards in record time has consistently delighted program participants and driven ongoing success. In addition, the program was recognised with a Bronze Award at the Dragons of Asia Awards 2024, reflecting its significant impact. Here are the measurable results that showcase its success:

• 7.6x increase in ACEs enrolment since 2022
• 72% of enrolled ACEs are now active, up from 40% in 2022
• 5X growth in sales volume from 2022 to 2024
• 85% of participants actively earn points, with a 5X increase in reward redemptions
• 94% participant satisfaction (PSAT) score

These results highlight the program’s success in driving incremental sales growth, increasing engagement, and delivering strong ROI. They also demonstrate BI WORLDWIDE India’s expertise in designing impactful influencer loyalty programs that ensure long-term brand success.