Case study · The Dairy Club at Yarra Valley Dairy
From first visit to loyal regular
How Yarra Valley Dairy built a community of more than 100 members in four months.
Four months in
A community of guests who spend, share and come back.
Yarra Valley Dairy has welcomed cheese lovers for years. With Loop Fans, it launched The Dairy Club: its own branded rewards program that thanks guests for visiting, sharing and coming back. The Club helps the Dairy stay connected and learn more about its visitors.
107
Club members
Joined since the Club launched in June.
575
Tasks completed
Visits, reviews, photos, follows and check-ins.
3 in 4
Surveyed guests are repeat visitors
Of 20 surveyed guests; not a measure of all members or an increase caused by the Club.
30
Photo entries
Real guest content from three competitions since April.
16
Rewards claimed
From cheese tastings to tote bags.
173
Rewards wishlisted
Guests choosing rewards for a future visit.
“Helped with ideas for our next visit.”
A Dairy Club member
The goal
Give guests a reason to come back.
The Dairy is a destination for handcrafted cheese, relaxed grazing and slow afternoons. It wanted to turn one-off visits into an ongoing relationship: reward return visits, understand its visitors, and turn happy guests into followers, reviewers and advocates.
What Loop Fans provided
- A branded rewards program. Dairy Credits, meaningful rewards and its own member page.
- Ways to participate. Visit check-ins, receipt uploads, reviews, photo competitions, follows and surveys.
- Tools to stay in touch. Email, member insights and analytics in one place.
What the Dairy brought
- Its customers. Staff introduced guests to the Club during their visit.
- Its mailing list. Past contacts were invited through email campaigns.
- Its rewards. Real products and experiences made participation worthwhile.
23 new members were introduced through local partners on Loop Fans, helping guests discover the Dairy through neighbouring businesses.
The approach
Six everyday habits. One connected community.
01
Invited guests at the counter
Guests were invited to join, check in on arrival and upload their receipt to earn Dairy Credits.
18 visit check-ins · 16 purchases linked to known members · A$69 average tracked receipt
02
Emailed its mailing list
A spring photo competition email reached the Dairy’s mailing list, followed by a re-engagement email to Club members.
Mailing-list campaign: 29% open rate and 139 clicks · Member email: 49% open rate
03
Ran photo competitions
Three competitions since April invited guests to share their favourite Dairy moment, at the Dairy or at home.
30 entries · 110+ votes · 34 pieces of content for the Dairy to share
04
Offered rewards that bring guests back
Visit- and spend-linked rewards included a cheese platter add-on, a weekday cheesecake slice, and a cheese with a $20 spend.
16 rewards claimed · 173 wishlisted · Most wanted: Premium Tasting for Two
05
Asked guests about their visit
A short visit survey rewarded guests for sharing where they came from, why they visited and what they loved.
51 survey responses · 12 reviews · 95% of 20 surveyed guests said the visit met expectations
06
Grew its social following
Follow and posting tasks encouraged guests to connect with the Dairy online and share their visit.
56 new Instagram and Facebook followers · Posts reaching 624 followers
The difference wasn’t more technology. It was using the tools already available, every day.
Community growth
Fresh campaigns kept guests engaged.
Activity rose around the winter photo competition, the spring email and the new daily check-in. The Club kept growing month after month. The report’s weekly task chart illustrates these campaign peaks without specifying exact weekly task counts.
| Week | Visitors |
|---|---|
| 7 Sep | 69 |
| 14 Sep | 186 |
| 21 Sep | 118 |
| 28 Sep | 86 |
The busiest week followed the spring mailing-list email: 186 visitors.
3 in 4
Of 20 surveyed guests are repeat visitors. The Club engages existing customers as well as new ones.
15
Members checking in daily since the daily check-in launched in September.
480
Unique visitors to the Dairy Club page in 30 days, mid-September to mid-October.
First-party insight
Getting to know every guest.
Visit surveys reveal where guests come from, why they visit and what they love: insight that previously walked out the door. The following breakdowns describe 20 surveyed guests, rather than the full membership.
| Category | Share |
|---|---|
| Cheese tasting | 50% |
| Café visit | 50% |
| Day trip | 40% |
| Regular visit | 30% |
| Exploring the region | 30% |
Share of 20 surveyed guests. Guests could choose more than one reason.
| Category | Share |
|---|---|
| Friends & family | 50% |
| Local, passing by or online search | 30% |
| 10% | |
| Tourism channels & website | 10% |
Share of 20 surveyed guests.
“Good food and good vibes.”
Dairy Club guest feedback
“I’ve bought your cheese in Melbourne many times so keen to visit.”
Dairy Club guest feedback
“Buying delicious cheese to take home!”
Dairy Club guest feedback
The full journey
From joining to planning the next visit.
01Acquire
107
Club members in four months
02Participate
575
Tasks completed
03Understand
51
Visit survey responses
04Advocate
30
Photo entries, alongside 12 reviews and 56 new followers
05Return
3 in 4
Of 20 surveyed guests are repeat visitors
06Plan ahead
173
Rewards wishlisted
Bring the model to your business
Your business. Your customers. Your community.
Invite guests at the counter
Use a QR code at the register or tables, with a simple invitation from staff to join and earn credits for today’s visit.
Tell your own customers
An email or social post invites your existing customers into your program.
Run a photo competition
Guests share favourite moments, friends vote, and you build a library of real content.
Offer rewards worth returning for
Tastings, add-ons and weekday treats give guests reasons to come back.
Ask guests about their visit
A short survey helps you learn where guests come from and what they love.
Keep members engaged
New activities, rewards and campaigns offer fresh reasons to return and participate.
Full source
Read the complete six-page case study.
Prepared by Loop Fans. The Dairy Club at Yarra Valley Dairy — From first visit to loyal regular. Figures and quotes on this page come from the supplied report. Reporting windows vary by activity; survey findings describe respondents, not all customers.
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