How we work with clients: Building ASDA’s new loyalty app

At AND Digital, we don’t just build apps, we build partnerships. 

When we start working with a client, one of the key things we look out for is cultural alignment – whether we share similar ways of working and mutual values. As an agency, we don’t believe in a top-down approach. Instead, we work cross-functionally towards a shared vision, involving different teams, levels and skillsets across the project. This means our ANDis (our people) enjoy the type of work they do, forge strong relationships, and, together, deliver outstanding work. 

We also aim to work with organisations that are making a difference, so we can enhance their journey and bolster their impact. Whether we manage a company-wide transformation over several years or work on a small part of a wider initiative, we love to give our ANDis the opportunity to work on projects that change people’s lives, utilise cutting-edge technology, and, most importantly, for their work to be respected and seen.

Our approach in action: customer loyalty programmes

At AND Digital, our ANDis complete a wide variety of work for a range of clients – but we’ve recently worked on a number of impactful projects in one space in particular: customer loyalty. 

When loyalty is positioned in the right way (as an outcome, not a means to an end), it provides a great opportunity to showcase your culture and values to customers. Loyalty is earned, not given, so understanding your customers, their needs and motivations is key. But the relationship must be symbiotic, so that both your customers and your business benefit from the programme. 

Learn more: Customer loyalty schemes: Where to begin?

If you are seriously thinking about customer loyalty, why not download our free whitepaper “Exploring customer loyalty in the ecommerce era” which explore the origins of loyalty, the metrics for success and some tips on how to implement a successful customer loyalty program based on our work with ASDA and Avios.

Establishing agile working 

Once we’ve determined a client is a good cultural fit, the next step is to establish shared ways of working. There are many different approaches to managing a project, but at AND Digital, we’re big believers in agile methodology. We have the knowledge and experience to work in any way, but agile working is flexible, encourages collaborative thinking, and ensures iterations are continuously improving – producing the best results in the shortest amount of time. 

You can, of course, opt for a blended approach, but this is often easier said than done. Siloed teams are more likely to lose visibility and control over the various components of a project, leading to an inevitable drop in consistency and quality of work. 

During our loyalty project with ASDA, we were able to deliver the MVP (minimum viable product) of the Rewards app at speed. Not because our developers are incredibly fast (although they are!), but because we followed the agile methodology closely. The AND Digital Squad worked in partnership with the ASDA Rewards Product Owner and other teams involved in the build, establishing agile working and effective communication across relevant areas of the business. 

Despite being made up of ANDis, ASDA colleagues and external contractors, we approached the build as one team. Trust was quickly established and any issues were resolved, and celebrated, together as one team. 

The recipe for success

Cultural alignment, shared vision and values, clear ways of working and trust – the recipe for a happy, high performing team and the timely delivery of brilliant products. 

If you found this article helpful, why not take a look at our whitepaper “Exploring customer loyalty in the ecommerce era” which gives insights into modern customer loyalty programs and how to ensure you are keeping your customer at the heart of your offering