LNER validates loyalty proposition, rapidly and remotely

We helped London North Eastern Railway (LNER) to rapidly validate a new loyalty proposition with diverse customers and stakeholders.

  • User research and testing validates concept
  • Workshops ensure stakeholder alignment
  • Work delivered 100% remotely – in under 5 weeks
LNER train

The challenge

In April 2020, we partnered with LNER to help design a new loyalty proposition for their customers. LNER’s ambition for the loyalty programme was to increase customer retention, drive brand engagement and advocacy as well as increase adoption of the LNER app. Ultimately LNER wanted to develop a more personalised relationship with their customers, providing them with genuine value at the point of transaction, and we worked with them to achieve that ambition. 

What we did

  • Facilitated remote ideation sessions and workshops with key stakeholders, getting them to share their own ideas and vision, collaborate with each other and buy into concepts together 
  • Conducted user research with customers to validate concepts and test prototypes remotely with participants all over the country
  • Created and updated visual designs, incorporating feedback and ideas from the user research
  • In designing the user interface for the app, we worked with the new global brand creative and provided pixel perfect designs for developers to build
  • Collaborated with other external LNER teams including their branding and app development agencies, bringing everyone along the journey
  • As a high performing team, we formed a great relationship with LNER from the start, working together as one. We worked seamlessly, efficiently and delivered LNERs objectives in under 5 weeks, as promised. 
  • We worked on making the process of earning loyalty an effortless and delightful experience for the LNER customer. This meant exploring multiple ways to earn and use rewards including the introduction of gamification techniques. 
  • All achieved while being fully remote during lockdown
App for LNER
LNER app

What we delivered

We delivered a comprehensive spec of how loyalty will be integrated into the mobile app, detailing the interaction and functionality through an annotated and clickable design prototype. Throughout the design sprints we formed a close relationship with the development team, bringing them on the journey with the UX & design teams, and working together. We delivered outputs that were helpful to the development team, ensuring a smooth handover into the build phase.

The delivery of this project was done without ever meeting the client in person, due to the Covid-19 pandemic! We are now one of LNER’s ongoing consultancy partners, focused on helping them achieve continuing success.