How AMC Relaunched Stubs to Reach Millions of Moviegoers

Company: AMC Theatres

Timeframe: 2016 to 2019

Role: Loyalty & Promotions Manager

Team: Worked with Field Operations, Studio Partnerships, IT, and Creative

Challenge:

By 2016, AMC's loyalty program, Stubs, was stagnant, with a paid-only membership base of approximately 2.5 million members and little momentum behind the program. In an increasingly competitive entertainment landscape, AMC needed to expand its loyalty base, deepen engagement, and capture a greater share of wallet — while also unlocking value from member behavior data for studio partnerships. Key challenges included:

• Reinventing Stubs to deliver scalable value, remove enrollment barriers, and create a platform for long-term engagement.
  

• Monetizing membership data with select studio partners to improve film slate marketing opportunities.

Summary of Initiatives:

To meet the moment, I drove the marketing strategy and lifecycle communications for a national relaunch of AMC Stubs. Our approach blended customer insights, tiered value propositions, and omnichannel marketing execution. Key initiatives included:

Market Research: Test. Learn. Launch. Beginning in 2016, AMC began piloting a two-tiered approach to the AMC Stubs loyalty program. Early research confirmed that price sensitivity and perceived lack of value were key barriers to enrollment. We implemented a multi-method strategy across test markets, combining behavioral data (ticket sales, spending patterns) with qualitative research (surveys, focus groups).

The insights collected were clear: launching a free tier (AMC Stubs Insider) would significantly expand the member base without cannibalizing the paid offering. Simultaneously, a refreshed paid tier (AMC Stubs Premiere) with enhanced perks would retain loyal members and drive incremental revenue from frequent moviegoers.

AMC Stubs: Lights, Camera, Activation! Once the research was synthesized and the structure finalized, it was time to premiere the new AMC Stubs experience to the public. Our goals were to drive awareness, increase signups, and influence behavior change at scale.

I oversaw campaign development across in-theater signage, email, social media, and partner channels, ensuring message consistency and data-driven targeting.

• For Insider, we focused on accessibility: "Why not join for free?" Campaigns highlighted perks like "Discount Tuesdays," birthday gifts, and points earned on each purchase.

• For Premiere, we emphasized convenience and savings: skip the line, increased point earning rate (10% back), and no online ticket fees.

  
  

This tiered approach expanded Stubs' reach while elevating its perceived value. This also expanded AMC's reach while reinforcing its premium brand experience, laying the foundation for a scalable loyalty platform that would support future innovations.

Results & Impact:

The revamped AMC Stubs program was a breakout success, becoming one of the fastest-growing loyalty programs in the movie exhibition industry. Within the first 18 months, membership skyrocketed from 2.5 million to over 17 million households. By 2019, the program surpassed 22 million members, driven by strong conversion from casual guests and increased engagement among core moviegoers.

This membership surge resulted in tangible business results:

• $1B+ in incremental revenue was attributed to loyalty-driven behaviors, including increased visit frequency and upsell of concessions.
  

• Partner value grew: studio and vendor partners embraced the expanded reach of AMC communications, leveraging the program's data-rich targeting to fund co-branded promotions and exclusive offers.
  

• Lift in frequency and lifetime value: Members visited more often and stuck with AMC longer than non-members, proving the model's retention power.

  
  

  

  Fans love the AMC Stubs Premiere experience, raving about shorter lines, birthday perks, and skipping the crowds. These real tweets show how loyalty pays off at the movies.

Reflection:

Relaunching AMC Stubs enabled me to apply many of the skills and knowledge I had obtained while managing previous loyalty programs. It showcases my ability to implement tactical changes backed by meaningful customer insight and understanding. However, this relaunch incorporated more than just a new set of benefits and pricing; it required partnering with field teams, creative, IT, and studio partners to deliver a seamless and scalable experience.

Through this project, I demonstrated my ability to:

• Lead the end-to-end marketing lifecycle, from research and segmentation to creative development and omnichannel execution.
  

• Use data to drive strategy—not only in concept testing but also in post-launch analysis and optimization.
  

• Build cross-functional alignment with internal and external stakeholders.

Ultimately, the AMC Stubs relaunch taught me how to craft loyalty programs that are inclusive, performance-driven, and future-ready. I'm proud to have helped direct AMC Stubs' next chapter and to continue to see it grow and evolve.