Loyalty test: Buckeye Nation Rewards program offers benefits to engaged fans

Xiaohan Wu
Tue, 06 Nov 2018 02:55:03 +0000
Campus, News, bnr, buckeye nation, buckeye nation rewards, buckeyenation, gobucks, loyalty program, office of business and finance, ohio state, ohio state campus, ohio state football, ohio state university, osu, rewards program

Buckeye Nation Rewards offers fans a chance to cash in on their commitment. Credit: Courtesy of Buckeye Nation Rewards

For those who can’t get enough of the Ohio State Buckeyes, the athletics department introduced a new loyalty program Oct. 12. The Buckeye Nation Rewards program offers fans rewards for their commitment to the Buckeyes.

To maintain people’s interest in Ohio State, BNR provides users with personalized, up-to-date event notifications, along with challenges that include “interacting with content and completing challenges such as sharing social posts, watching videos, taking surveys or even checking in at locations with the BNR mobile application,” according to BNR’s website.

Completing challenges earns users GoBucks, which can be exchanged for rewards or to enter contests. Examples of rewards range from Ohio State football jerseys to chances to win tickets to a bowl game.

The program releases a rolling winner list on a regular basis, rewarding multiple people, especially those who want to maintain a loyal relationship with Ohio State, said Rick Van Brimmer, assistant vice president of the Office of Business and Finance.

“Some of our constituency groups are not here on campus every day, but they want to participate,” Van Brimmer said. “They want to say thank you [for] being part of Buckeye Nation.”

Despite her interest in the rewards program, Mackenzie Paige Greenlee, a second-year in criminology and criminal justice, said it’s hard to have enough time to finish challenges.

For those like Greenlee, who don’t feel they have time to participate more with the rewards program, the BNR team is trying to make challenges as different, time-saving and compelling as possible.

“The challenges are more fun, and they range from completing a test or reading an article or actually being at a physical location,” Van Brimmer said. “So they’re not something that is meant to be difficult; they’re meant to be fun and engaging instead.”

The program plans to come up with a variety of ways for more students to get involved and participate.

“It’s not a short-time program. It’s something we hope to be a continuing trial,” Van Brimmer said.

For more information regarding Buckeye Nation Rewards program, visit BNR’s website.