This guide introduces parallel campaigns, an advanced referral strategy that allows brands to run multiple, simultaneous campaigns for different products or customer segments. Whether you're offering multiple services or targeting varied customer groups, this guide will help you maximise flexibility and drive more tailored referrals.
Introduction: What Are Parallel Campaigns?
Parallel campaigns allow a client to run multiple referral campaigns that target different product segments or customer groups, while letting referrers participate in all of them simultaneously.
This is especially useful when:
- A brand offers different products or services (e.g., Electricity vs Gas).
- Different rewards or rules apply per product.
- You can't determine in advance which product a friend might be interested in.
Why Use Parallel Campaigns?
For most clients, a single campaign works well when the product offering is consistent. For example, Farfetch customers can refer friends to "Farfetch" without needing to specify what’s being referred to, because the brand and products are aligned.
However, some clients have multiple product categories that behave differently in terms of economics, markets, or rules. That’s where parallel campaigns come in.
Real-World Example: Lovely Energy
Let’s say Lovely Energy offers two services:
- Electricity (referral reward: £50)
- Gas (referral reward: £20)
We need separate campaigns for each, but customers might buy both services, or refer friends to either. With parallel campaigns:
- Customers are enrolled in both the Electricity and Gas campaigns by default.
- They can use separate share links for each service.
- The appropriate reward is applied based on the referred product.
Key Features of Parallel Campaigns
- Multiple Segment Enrolment: Customers automatically join all related campaigns when they qualify for one.
- Separate Share Links: Each campaign generates its own unique referral link.
- Custom Rewards: Each campaign can have its own reward and qualifying rules.
- Automatic Handling of Switching: If a referred friend switches services while buying, the system tracks and rewards based on the actual purchase.
Dashboard Experience
Referrers in parallel campaigns will see tabs for each campaign in their dashboard, helping them track both segments separately.
Controlling Customer Behaviour in Parallel Campaigns
You can control what each customer needs to do to qualify under different segments, using:
Rules Management
- Define what purchasing activity qualifies under each campaign.
Switching Behaviour
By default:
- New customers must complete the purchase under the campaign linked in the share link they clicked.
- You can allow switching scenarios – for example, if the customer clicks on an Electricity link but purchases Gas, rewards will still be appropriately issued based on the first purchase.