Web3 infrastructure company Co:Create is rolling out an application on e-commerce giant Shopify, enabling millions of businesses to deploy blockchain-based loyalty and rewards programs on the platform.
Powered by Ethereum sidechain Polygon, the Web3 Rewards Tools application aims to help brands create a deeper connection with their customers through non-fungible tokens (NFT) and gamified experiences. Brands can issue token-based rewards, as well as release token-gated products with their own NFT collections and existing projects such as the Bored Ape Yacht Club or CryptoPunks.
Tara Fung, CEO and co-founder of Co:Create told CoinDesk that commerce is an important mechanism for engaging the community behind a brand, and Web3 provides the technology for merchants to give digital ownership to their loyal customers.
“We are building an assistance system that helps the most innovative community-centric brands grow, reward and engage their communities,” said Fung. “And that’s where the Shopify app lives.”
She also noted that commerce helps startups and newer brands build their audiences and engage their communities, as opposed to larger brands rolling out Web3 activations.
“The future of brand engagement and the most exciting brands that people are really ecstatic about and want to promote their best interests are often smaller brands that feel very authentic,” said Fung. “Those are the types of brands that want to engage a community more deeply rather than just using Web3 as a marketing game.”
While Co:Create’s application aims to introduce more brands into Web3 ecosystems, it’s not the first to do so. In March, Avalanche-based community engagement platform Try Your Best (TYB) released its application on the Shopify app store, allowing brands to implement NFT-based loyalty programs in their stores.
Beyond commerce, Co:Create is focused on bringing fans closer to the individuals and brands they love through personal experiences. Last month, Co:Create partnered with ticketing application EVNTZ to provide blockchain-based rewards to attendees of pop singer Harry Styles’ concert at Slade Castle in Ireland.
Read more: Loyalty, Memberships, and Ticketing: How NFTs Will Drive Mass Adoption