LocalPerks - Local Loyalty Coalition

Part 1: Background & Context (10 min)

1. Tell me about your business - what do you do, how long have you been here?
2. What's your typical customer like? How often do they visit?
3. What are your biggest challenges in attracting and retaining customers?
4. How do you currently compete with chains like Starbucks or national brands?
5. What's your average transaction value and customer lifetime value?

Part 2: Problem Exploration (20 min)

1. Walk me through the last time you lost a customer to a chain competitor. What happened?
2. How often do you see customers choose chains over you because of their loyalty programs?
3. What loyalty or rewards programs do you currently use? How effective are they?
4. How much time do you spend managing your current loyalty system each week?
5. What's the most frustrating part about your current loyalty solution?
6. If you could wave a magic wand, what would your ideal loyalty program do?
7. How much would you estimate you lose annually to chain competitors because of their loyalty programs?

Part 3: Current Solutions (15 min)

1. What tools or methods do you currently use to build customer loyalty?
2. What do you like about your current system? What don't you like?
3. Have you ever tried a digital loyalty program? What was your experience?
4. How much do you spend monthly on loyalty-related activities?
5. What would make you switch to a new loyalty solution?
6. How important is it that your loyalty program integrates with your POS system?

Part 4: Coalition Concept Exploration (15 min)

1. If I told you there was a way to offer rewards that work across multiple local businesses in your area, what would be most valuable about that?
2. How would you feel about customers earning points at your business and redeeming them at other local businesses?
3. What concerns would you have about joining a coalition loyalty program?
4. How important is it that you can set your own earn/redeem rates?
5. What would make you more likely to participate - financial incentives, marketing support, or something else?
6. How much would you be willing to pay monthly for a coalition loyalty program?
7. What features would be essential for you to try this?

Part 5: Wrap-up (10 min)

1. On a scale of 1-10, how painful is the loyalty program problem for you?
2. What would need to be true for you to try LocalPerks?
3. Would you be interested in being part of our pilot program?
4. Who else should I talk to about this?
5. Any final thoughts or concerns about the coalition concept?

1. What type of business do you own or manage?
   Coffee shop/cafe Bookstore Restaurant Boutique/retail Service business (salon, gym, etc.) Other: ________
2. How many locations does your business have?
   1 2-5 6+
3. Do you currently offer any type of loyalty or rewards program?
   Yes, a formal program Yes, informal (punch cards, etc.) No
4. How many customers visit your business weekly?
   Less than 100 100-500 500-1,000 1,000+
5. On a scale of 1-10, how important is customer loyalty to your business?
   [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10]
6. How much do you currently spend monthly on loyalty-related activities?
   $0 (DIY only) $1-$100 $100-$500 $500+
7. Would you be interested in a 30-minute interview about loyalty programs? ($50 gift card)
   Yes, contact me at: ________ No
8. What's your biggest challenge with customer retention?

1. How often do you shop at local businesses (vs. chains)?
   Always Often Sometimes Rarely Never
2. What's the main reason you choose local businesses?
   Support local economy Unique products/services Better customer service Convenience Other: ________
3. What loyalty programs do you currently use?
   Starbucks Target Amazon Prime Local business programs None Other: ________
4. How many loyalty apps do you have on your phone?
   0 1-3 4-6 7+
5. How often do you forget to use your loyalty cards/apps?
   Never Rarely Sometimes Often Always
6. What would make you more likely to choose local businesses over chains?
   Better rewards Unified loyalty program Personalized offers Community benefits Other: ________
7. How valuable would it be to earn rewards at one local business and redeem them at another?
   Very valuable Somewhat valuable Neutral Not valuable
8. What types of rewards would motivate you to shop local more often?
   Free products/services Discounts Exclusive experiences Donations to local causes Other: ________
9. How much would you be willing to spend monthly at local businesses to earn meaningful rewards?
   $0-$50 $50-$100 $100-$200 $200+
10. What would make you download and use a new loyalty app?
    Works with all my favorite local businesses Easy to use Valuable rewards No ads Other: ________
11. Would you be interested in a loyalty program that works across multiple local businesses in your area?
    Yes, definitely Maybe No

Setup:

• Create landing pages for both business and consumer audiences
• Clear value proposition highlighting coalition benefits
• Email signup for waitlist (separate lists for businesses and consumers)
• Optional: Add pricing tiers (fake door test for businesses)
• Drive traffic via targeted ads and organic channels

Headlines to Test (A/B):

Metrics to Track:

• Unique visitors (separate for business and consumer pages)
• Time on page (target: >1 minute)
• Scroll depth (target: 70%+ see pricing)
• Waitlist signup rate (target: >5%)
• Click-through on pricing (if showing)
• Traffic sources (which channels perform best)

Success Criteria:

• 1,000+ visitors per page in 2 weeks
• 5%+ signup rate (50+ emails per audience)
• Email quality: <10% bounce rate
• Business page: 10+ inquiries about pilot participation
• Consumer page: 100+ waitlist signups

8-Week Validation Plan