Igniting Hearts and Minds Everywhere.
As Vice President of Loyalty (and KidZania’s Minister of Citizenship), I led the delivery of the B-KidZanian program from initial design concept to pioneering global loyalty program for families. The program proved to be the company’s most successful development initiative measurably increasing guest repeat and also resulting in a significant rise in related merchandise sales.
The power of personalization came alive the moment KidZania’s distinctive red “PaZZports” were in hand, fortifying skills development in our guests’ eyes, and setting in motion a global program expansion from Mexico City to Dubai, Santiago, Mumbai, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Moscow, Cairo, Istanbul, London, Dallas and more.
For anyone wondering whether the next generation is inspired by loyalty, the answer is "Yes," but it's not going to be your typical points program and freebies.
Setting the Scene
Designed as a completely integrated scaled replica of a city, KidZania is fully envisioned and fully imagined for role playing, where children are encouraged to assume identities of their choosing from more than a hundred different jobs: be an airline pilot, DHL delivery person, dentist, radio DJ, race car driver, judge, and even a tattoo artist. At KidZania, interactive entertainment and learning are taken to new levels, empowering kids with role playing real life experiences in dynamic environments.
From its roots as a Mexican flagship to more than 30 destinations worldwide, what makes KidZania so powerful are the multiple ways for children to consume the experience. In the course of a visit, kids make choices with real tradeoffs and consequences mirroring real world issues of education, productivity, consumption, teamwork, and citizenship while gaining knowledge of each other and themselves through their presence and participation.
Empowering Kids to Build a Better World.
As natural-born pathfinders, children are granted the freedom to explore professions, gravitating to activities they love and fearlessly exploring new ones. With B-KidZanian, the nature of those interactions are magnified (e.g. be a firefighter, earn a university degree, get published in the newspaper) and are crystallized through the immediacy and ability to personalize them.
Earned Secret
Kids appreciate the value of belonging, but they expect it to be delivered in novel and subtle ways.
Across cultures and generations, there are certain recognized behavioral rituals and patterns that transcend age and gender. We all intuitively practice them whether we’re eight or 80 years old. It could be that impulse to complete a collectible set or being motivated by a goal within reach. The “stretch” signal to our brain inspires us to take the next step toward change. Leveraging these behavioral cues, KidZania crafts an integrated engagement program of tangible recognition combined with personalized points of contact to build emotional loyalty.
How It Works
As the story goes, kids were fed up with how adults were running the world. A spirit was born, embodying the desire to build a better world guided by children’s values. United by their core beliefs, kids declared their independence and a nation was formed: KidZania, the “Land of Cool Kids.” Central to any nation, citizenship would become the organizing feature for a truly pioneering loyalty initiative. As CitiZens of KidZania, children learn important leadership skills and teamwork, as well as earn benefits while having fun.
Through B-KidZanian, the brand recognizes the accomplishments and unique skills acquired by each of its CitiZens over time. Previously unstructured activity data becomes actionable. And specific affinities for professions, hobbies or services could be leveraged in fun, organic ways to extend the customer relationship beyond the visit. For example, KidZania’s CitiZens collect stamps in a personalized physical passport for each activity completed, which are dynamically populated on a one-of-its-kind digital resume to share with family and friends.
Learning through play takes on deeper meaning when you feel that you are part of something bigger than oneself. The program enabled KidZania to deliver real-time personalized recognition while also predicting cross-visitation, visit frequency, and CitiZens’ progression through increasing levels of skill.
What makes B-KidZanian so powerful is its integration at all levels of the KidZania experience—on premise and online, across multiple geographical locations.
Reflections
Well-crafted experiences flourish in the hands of others. When you empower the next generation to take total responsibility for their experience, to build stronger trust within and among themselves, that bond becomes a powerful invitation to do something beyond the moment. This is the enduring gift of the culture-driven brand: together, we are capable of so much more.
Personally connected, locally relevant, and globally valued—these are the experiential building blocks of a better world.
