Gamify, Reward, Retain: How a Simple Perks Ladder Turned Transactional Subscription Emails into Loyalty Drivers

We helped Myoovi boost subscriber retention by 42%, increase orders per customer by 28%, and cut same-day cancellations in half; all by transforming transactional emails into a visible, gamified rewards journey. Here’s how we turned their subscription flow into a loyalty engine.

Client Insights

Myoovi is a wellness brand on a mission to help people manage pain naturally, without pills. While their TENS device put them on the map, their fast-growing line of supplements is now a major driver of repeat purchases and customer loyalty.

YOCTO partners with Myoovi to support and scale this side of the business, focusing on subscription strategy, retention, and lifecycle communication for supplement customers. With a brand that puts clarity, care, and customer comfort first; our job was to turn transactional moments into rewarding ones, and build long-term relationships that go far beyond the first order.

The Challenge

Myoovi is a wellness brand built around innovative, drug-free relief products. Their flagship item had found a loyal customer base, but their subscription model wasn’t scaling as effectively as it could.

The core issue? Functional, transactional emails like “Your next box is on the way” were keeping customers informed, but not engaged. Churn tended to spike after the second or third order, with customers pausing or canceling their subscriptions long before reaching true LTV potential.

YOCTO’s challenge was to turn these low-engagement touchpoints into value-building moments that drive loyalty, extend retention, and increase order volume per customer, without changing the pricing model or adding complicated new tech.

Our process

We started with a deceptively simple solution: build a perks ladder. Then, make it visible early, often, and everywhere.

1. We Replaced Boring Reminders with a Visible Reward Journey

Instead of sending plain transactional updates, we launched a series of milestone-based emails that built excitement from day one:

• Order 1: Introduced a progress bar in the welcome email to show how close the subscriber was to their next reward.

• Orders 3, 6, 9, 12: Added progressively more valuable perks to encourage subscribers to stick around:

• Order 3: 10% off the next three boxes
• Order 6: One free box
• Order 9: 40% off a one-time supplement
• Order 12: 10% off all future boxes

Every email showed the subscriber’s real-time progress toward their next reward. The goal was to make them feel like they had something to lose if they canceled.

2.  We Simplified Redemption with One-Click Access

Each email contained a clear CTA that linked directly to the customer’s portal, where they could skip, swap, or apply a reward in seconds.

No new logins. No confusing menus. No waiting for customer service. We turned their inbox into a simple, satisfying control panel.

3.  We Timed Rewards to Drop Before Risk Spikes

Most subscribers cancel between orders 2–4 and 6–8. So we positioned rewards right before those cliffs.

This made each reward feel well-timed and motivating, rather than reactive or promotional.

The Results 

WHY IT WORKED

Progress You Can See:

A visible bar taps into loss aversion and momentum bias. Once customers saw how far they had come, they didn’t want to lose it.

Perks Timed to Prevent Churn:

Strategic milestone placement created a natural rhythm of reward and reinforced long-term value at the most critical drop-off points.

Friction-Free Experience:

With simple self-service options, customers stayed in control, reducing frustration-based churn.

Profitable by Design:

The perks ladder was structured so that the most valuable reward (a free box) only triggered after six paid cycles, protecting margins.

KEY TAKEAWAYS?

Myoovi’s results prove that smart subscription retention isn’t always about big discounts or complex systems. It’s about delivering visible value in small, meaningful ways and showing customers how far they’ve come.

We didn’t change the products or pricing. We simply made the reward journey clearer, more timely, and more rewarding.

To Make It Work for Your Subscription Program:

1. Pinpoint your danger zones: Look at your churn curve and mark the orders where drop-off spikes (often orders 2-4 and 6-8). These become your reward milestones.
   
2. Start small, grow the carrot: Offer a light perk (5-10% off) at the first milestone, then build to something bigger (a free item or lifetime discount) once the subscription has already paid for itself.
   
3. Show progress everywhere: Add a simple bar or checklist to every transactional email and your customer portal. The goal is constant visibility, not fancy design.
   
4. Keep self-service one click away: Make it easy to skip, swap, or redeem rewards. Control lowers panic cancellations more than any coupon ever will.
   
5. Track three metrics: Active days, orders per subscriber, and same-day cancels. If all three move in the right direction, your ladder is working.

WANT TO BE NEXT?

If your subscription emails are just updates, not value drivers, you’re leaving serious money on the table.

Let us help you turn one of the most overlooked parts of your retention program into a compounding asset.

Book a 30-minute Socratic Interview with our team and let’s see what kind of subscription growth is hiding in plain sight.