The story
From one hive to Alabama’s beekeeping home
Foxhound Bee Company is for beekeepers at every stage of the journey, from someone setting up their first hive to a seasoned keeper managing a whole apiary. Founded in 2014 by Adam Hickman, a certified Master Beekeeper, the company started with one clear mission: give people real access to the world of bees through quality supplies, honest education, and genuine community.
What began as selling bee supplies out of the back of a truck at beekeeping conferences has grown into something far bigger. Today, Foxhound operates a full-scale Bee and Pollinator Center in Irondale, Alabama, and serves a national customer base that keeps coming back.
The reason is simple. Foxhound is a teacher first. Every product, every interaction, and every piece of content is built around the reality that beekeeping is a years-long commitment, and Foxhound is there for all of it.
The challenge
A program that didn’t provide results
Beekeeping is not a one-time purchase. It is a years-long commitment, and the customers who stick with it spend more, engage more, and become some of the most loyal in ecommerce. Foxhound had built a brand around that journey but their loyalty program told a completely different story.
Signups were low, reward usage sat below 25%, and the redemption rate was around 12%. The earn-to-redeem balance was off, there were no tiers, and customers had no reason to climb.
Neev Stuhl at Bridgmark, a retention and growth consulting firm, saw exactly what was being left on the table. For a brand built around supporting the beekeeper at every stage, a transactional one-size-fits-all program was a direct contradiction of that mission. The opportunity to rebuild it was too obvious to ignore.
A proper loyalty program creates a lasting bond between a brand and its customers. Smile.io gave us the platform to focus entirely on strategy and execution, and the results speak for themselves.
The solution
Rebuilding the Honey Money Program from the ground up
Bridgmark rebuilt the Honey Money program from scratch, introducing a clear 5 points per dollar earning ratio, a 1,000 point signup bonus to drive immediate enrollment, and a reward ladder scaling from $10 off to $200 off with value per point increasing at every tier. The goal was simple: make earning feel achievable and redeeming feel worth it. Membership doubled within the first six months of re-launch.
A great program means nothing if customers forget it exists. Bridgmark connected Smile.io directly into Foxhound’s Klaviyo flows, embedding loyalty-specific messaging and special graphics into abandoned cart, post-purchase, and educational flows. Every communication was built to reflect each member’s status and points balance, creating a personalized experience that kept the program front of mind between purchases. The Review Lottery was layered in as well, giving members a chance to win a $50 gift card simply by submitting a product review. It was a low-cost, high-impact mechanic that fit naturally into the email program and drove a 50% increase in monthly reviews. Consistency of communication turned awareness into action.
Foxhound and Bridgmark designed a four-tier VIP system built around the hive hierarchy: Bronze Brood, Silver Drone Bee, Gold Worker Bee, and Platinum Queen Bee. This system reflects the stair step value in levels from bronze to platinum, but pairing it with a similar scale known to beekeepers with beekeeping terms. Entry tiers were intentionally easy to reach so customers felt progress immediately, while Gold and Platinum required real spend, giving the most committed beekeepers something worth chasing. The structure was not just a reward mechanic. It was a direct reflection of the beekeeping journey itself, recognizing customers the deeper they went and making their loyalty feel meaningful. Tier status was woven directly into email communication so customers saw their standing at every touchpoint. VIP engagement jumped over 500% after launch and Platinum Queen Bee customers went on to spend 1,595% more than Bronze members.
The program
Honey Money
01
Bronze Brood
02
Silver Drone Bee
03
Gold Worker Bee
04
Platinum Queen Bee
How it works
- 5 points per dollar
- 1,000-point signup bonus
- Rewards from $10 off to $200 off
The results
A program built to last, results built to prove it
Focusing on the full beekeeping journey has undoubtedly paid off for Foxhound Bee Company.
Redemption rate climbed from 12% to 47%. Reward usage rose from below 25% to 86%, meaning the vast majority of members are actively engaging with the program, not just signed up and sitting dormant. Total membership grew 243% since Bridgmark relaunched the program, with the base doubling in the first six months alone.
The VIP tier structure created clear separation at the top. Gold Worker Bee customers spend 456% more than Bronze members. Platinum Queen Bee customers spend 1,595% more.
A program now aligned with the beekeeping journey has given Foxhound a retention engine that compounds the deeper a customer goes.
What surprised me most was how naturally it translated across channels. A customer who starts online and eventually walks into our store in Irondale, or the other way around, stays engaged because the program follows them. Beekeeping is a years-long commitment, and Honey Money reflects that. That consistency is what turns a transaction into a relationship, and that’s the kind of value you can actually build a business on with repeat customers.
