Community isn’t a Campaign. It’s Always On.

When marketers talk about building community, what they’re really chasing is loyalty and long-term relevance. But when “community” becomes the goal instead of the byproduct, consumers can sense the effort and often interpret it as forced or transactional. When that happens, they look elsewhere for connection.

True communities can form anywhere: private chats, livestreams, forums, or in-person events. But the format itself isn’t what makes them successful. What matters is the foundation brands build before inviting people in.

At TLC, we’ve seen community building work best when it’s anchored to an always-on experiential rewards proposition. One of the clearest examples of this approach in action is our partnership with UFC.

UFC came to us with a clear set of challenges:

Increase the perceived value of benefits across three paid membership tiers priced at $99, $139, and $179 annually
Introduce more experience-based rewards that connect deeply with fans’ passions
Drive more frequent and ongoing engagement

Our solution was to design a robust, always-on portfolio of experiential rewards that significantly elevated the value of each membership tier, perceived value to approximately $250, $600, and $1,000 per year. Reward codes were delivered directly through the UFC membership platform, creating a seamless experience for members. The rewards spanned fitness, travel, live events, gaming, and dining, complementing existing benefits like early ticket access and merchandise discounts.

The results were immediate and meaningful. Memberships grew more than 100% over the historical base within the first two years of launching the new UFC Fight Club. Average quarterly membership sales increased 35% from year one to year two.

But the most important impact went beyond growth metrics. Real communities aren’t defined by how often people engage with a brand - they’re defined by how people interact with each other because of the brand. For UFC fans, membership became a gateway to experiences that extended beyond the octagon, unlocking opportunities that made everyday life more rewarding and more connected.

That’s the power of an always-on experiential rewards ecosystem: it doesn’t try to manufacture community. It gives people a reason to belong and lets community grow naturally from there.

- Ray Chelstowski

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