CREATING THE DAILY YELPa gamification and rewards program to

increase daily user engagement

THE AVERAGE YELPER TODAY

M T W T F S S

primary use: exploration i.e. searching for new restaurants, bars, shopping

• user engagement: around 1x per week, when users have a specific “discovery” need

• users often start on a different search engine & then end up on Yelp through links (inorganic)

OUR CHALLENGE

Create a loyalty program that inspires current Yelpers to use Yelp on a daily basis.

$focus on engagement (sessions)

not reviews or revenue

CONSTRAINTSNO significant product changes or feature additions

NO metrics on usage or frequency

LIMITED OPPORTUNITY for exploration & discovery during the average week with current app.

HOW MIGHT WE bring Yelp’s current users into the app more frequently without major product changes or

feature additions?

UNDERSTANDING THE AVERAGE YELP USER

DEMOGRAPHIC• Age 25 - 40• Urban • 54% earn > 70%K

income• Slightly skewed

women to men• Head of household • Tech savvy, engaged• Trendsetter, on

social media

WHAT THEY VALUE• Discounts/Free Stuff: free

drinks/meals; discounts on pricier services (hair, spa, salon, etc.)

• Convenience: comped delivery; no wait time

• Feeling Special: reservations & priority seating at restaurants; first to check out hottest new places

UNDERSTANDING THE BEST REWARDS & LOYALTY PROGRAMS

PROVEN• Earn points/currency to redeem

free stuff of your choice (customization)

• Free samples• Bonus days – e.g. 2x rewards• Tiered systems (Star Alliance

Gold; SPG Platinum)• Transparency to track• Surprise & delight elements

(Starbucks discount days)• Core loop understanding

SOLUTION: WEEKLY CADENCE FEATURE + BOLD BEAT1. Increase discovery opportunities. 2. Increase motivation to use Yelp’s

features beyond search for discovery.

YELP SECRET MENUCadence feature to create new emotional engagement

around discovery using surprise & delight tactics.

PROVEN BETTER NEW

- discovery- discounts/free stuff- flash sales- recommendations- exclusivity- time pressure with

exploding offer- secret menu

concept

- customization/personalization of discovery

- submitting secret password through search bar

YELP SECRET MENU

1x/week: Secret Menu

notification with secret code on user’s phone user opens

Yelp

Yelp discovery location, deal, & suggestion pop

up

user claims deal

user gets Yelp points for checking

Secret Menu

user uses deal at restaurant/bar within the

week

user types the secret code into the Yelp search bar

core loop

YELP SECRET MENU

New customized restaurant based on your search history

1x per week notification of a secret menu code

Recommendation of what to try - the “secret menu”

Must claim offer in time & before first 20 people

Use search bar to enter secret code

YELPER SCOREBold beat that gamifies engagement beyond exploration.

PROVEN BETTER NEW

- cumulative score- point system- linking rewards to

tiered scores- habit formation with

trigger, specific behavior, and rewards

- opportunity to surprise & delight highest overall scores

-

- transparency of obtaining points

- no explicit change in current behavior for user

- visual display of points- non-pushy marketing

- “rewards for doing what you already do”

- monthly refresh

YELPER SCORE

1st of month, user gets

notification that Yelper Activities have refreshed

user opens Yelp & goes to Yelper Points

page

user does the activity over the

month

user earns deals & rewards

user uses deals & rewards

user sees all activity that he

can do to obtain points

core loop

user earns points &

increases overall Yelper Score

YELPER SCORE

Points Earned per activity

Rewards Earned this month - must be used within the month

Total Monthly Score

Cumulative Score creates feeling of attachment & loyalty - potential to do a leaderboard

Ordinary activities based on yelp features other than organic discovery search - used to introduce Yelpers to other features

Includes Visits & time on app to reduce gaming he system

MY YELPER SCOREJUNE

528528

Greyed out when done once this month

WHY WILL THIS WORK?• Instantiate a more regular engagement flow with new interactive content on weekly &

monthly basis• Weekly through Yelp Secret Menu• Monthly & Daily through Yelper Score

• No dilution of valuable content -i.e. inventing review writing or rating• Premium users (Yelp Elite) retain status & aren’t downgraded

• Rewards in line with what target demographic values (size & content)• Introduction of new features to users is opportunity for more regular organic

interaction• Capitalizing on psychology of small wins & “earned” deals - keep users in the game

longer • Generally standard programs (deals + points) but with a single twist to each (secret

word + monthly refresh)• Transparency in process - user knows how to achieve “wins” • Yelper Score doesn’t require explicit change of normal behavior• Limited financial downside - only X number of rewards possible per month per user

THANK YOU!

taralv@stanford.eduTara Viswanathan

APPENDIX

YELPER SCORE

• Make a Reservation• Check in to a Location• Order Delivery• Share Business Information

with a Friend• Search in Each Genre

• food, drink, coffee, delivery, hair, shopping, nail, gym, spa, laundry, etc.

• Use the Map Feature• Use the Nearby Feature• Use the Monocle Feature• Participate in Yelp Secret Menu• Make a Service Appointment• Total Yelp Searches• Daily Visits to App

Potential Measured & Rewarded Activity Opportunities