Reward with moments, not merch

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Ready for another day of staying ahead of the competition in the Growth race?

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Partnership with Creator.co

From Invisible to Irresistible: How UGC Helped This Brand Pop Off the Shelf

What if the biggest unlock for your CPG brand isn’t a packaging refresh or a promo blitz but creators telling the story your audience actually wants to hear? 

That’s exactly what happened when this everyday grocery staple shifted from pushing polished product shots to activating creators across food, lifestyle, and everyday routines. The result wasn’t just content; it was momentum. 

Delivering 560K+ views, 247K reach, 9K likes, 2K saves, and $58K EMV - all from authentic storytelling that felt like discovery, not advertising.

More importantly, it became repeatable. Mid-tier creators expanded visibility. Micro-influencers added warmth and trust. 

And with Creator.co managing recruitment, briefs, and delivery, the brand built a scalable content engine, everything from 71K-view recipe videos to 600+ save snack hacks. 

When UGC becomes the heart of your strategy, your product stops blending in and starts belonging in the lives (and carts) of your consumers.

👉 See how creator-led storytelling can fuel your brand’s next breakthrough →

💡 Why Free Experiences Beat Free Stuff in Loyalty Programs

If you want rewards that actually change behavior, stop defaulting to physical freebies. Research shows that experiences drive higher spending, stronger loyalty, and more word of mouth than material rewards. Even better, you can make a physical item perform like an experience by changing how you frame it.

1️⃣ The Core Recommendation: Offer free experiences as rewards whenever possible, such as a short expert session, a mini workshop, or a guided demo. If you must offer a physical reward, frame it as an experience, not an object. For example, “win Italian cafe-style mornings” will outperform “win a coffee machine.”

2️⃣ What the Research Found: Across three experiments, experiential rewards consistently beat material ones. • Salon customers were 4 times more likely to pick an experience like a massage over products of equal value • When offered experiences, customers spent 43.3 percent more than those offered an item, and 63.7 percent more after redeeming • Experience rewards increased future spending intent by 12.2 percent, word of mouth by 11.2 percent, and repeat purchase intent by 10.8 percent • Frequent coffee shop visitors were 2 times more likely to choose a movie ticket over a coffee mug • Even a candle reward performed better when framed as an experience like “fill your home with citrus aroma.”

3️⃣ Why Experiences Work Better: Experiences feel tied to identity. People believe experiences say more about who they are than objects do. They also expect experiences to create more happiness and value. Most importantly, experiences create story utility. People want to talk about them, which boosts referrals naturally.

4️⃣ How to Apply This Without Changing Your Rewards: If you already give physical items, keep them, but change the language. Describe the outcome, mood, or moment the reward creates. This simple shift can lift redemption and loyalty without increasing cost.

5️⃣ A Real Example to Improve: A bakery loyalty program offering free items could add an experience tier, like a coffee tasting or baking workshop. They could also reframe free drinks as a daily ritual experience and introduce occasional surprise rewards to increase excitement and redemption.

The Takeaway

If you want customers to spend more and recommend you more, reward them with experiences. When rewards feel like moments and stories, not objects, they carry more emotional value and create stronger loyalty.

💡 How to Restore Old Photos Using NanoBanana

Old photos fade, scratch, and lose detail over time. NanoBanana can help you restore damaged images quickly, improving clarity, color, and resolution so you can preserve memories in modern quality.

1️⃣ Set Up NanoBanana: Sign up on NanoBanana, then go to Tools → Create Image to access the restoration workflow.

2️⃣ Upload the Photo You Want to Fix: Upload your old, damaged image. This could be a faded print, a scratched photo, or a low-resolution scan that needs sharpening and cleanup.

3️⃣ Use a Clear Restoration Prompt: Give NanoBanana direct instructions to restore while staying faithful to the original. Sample Prompt: “Faithfully restore this image with high fidelity to modern photograph quality, in full color, upscale to 4K.”

4️⃣ Generate and Download the Restored Version: Click Create, and NanoBanana will generate a cleaned, enhanced version within seconds. The output is typically sharper, more color-corrected, and higher resolution, making it easier to archive or print.

The Takeaway

NanoBanana makes photo restoration fast and accessible. With a single prompt, you can turn damaged memories into clear, color-corrected images ready for sharing or preservation.

As we prepare more "Growthful" content, we'd love to hear your thoughts on today's edition! Feel free to share this with someone who would appreciate it. 🥰