PlayAbly Podcast Episode 52: 3.2x Conversion in Cannabis: What a Gamified Rebate Actually Did for Subscriptions

A few weeks ago, we launched a live Gamified Rebate campaign with Soul around the Super Bowl — designed specifically to survive the strict realities of cannabis marketing. Now the campaign is over, the data is in, and the results are clear: this wasn’t just a fun experiment, it was a revenue-driving engine.

In this episode, we break down exactly what happened — from a 3.2x lift in subscription conversion to a 20.5% increase in AOV, all without relying on upfront discounts. Campaign-attributed customers converted to subscriptions at 50.6% vs Soul’s 15–16% baseline, proving that ecommerce gamification doesn’t attract bargain hunters — it attracts high-intent buyers.

We dive into why this matters so much for restricted industries like cannabis, where paid ads are limited and brands must win through owned channels, CRM marketing, and experience-led retention marketing. You’ll hear how a single compliant promotion generated 121 net-new subscriptions, over $23k in attributed revenue, and a projected $70k+ in lifetime value — without cannibalizing existing demand.

This episode is a masterclass in building a better customer journey using interactive experiences instead of louder discounts. If you’re thinking about customer loyalty programs, VIP programs, or new ways to drive Shopify retention without risking compliance, this one’s for you.

We also explain why shoppable games and mechanics like this work so well across restricted categories — and how brands are using platforms like PlayAbly to turn engagement into measurable revenue. For more examples, check out PlayAbly’s real-world results in their case studies or explore how brands are using Shopify gamification to increase Shopify engagement and subscriptions.

👉 If you want the full breakdown of how this campaign was built, be sure to listen to Episode 51, where we walk through the entire structure step by step.

When advertising gets harder, the brands that win aren’t the ones discounting harder — they’re the ones building experiences customers choose to engage with.

We’ll catch you next time on the PlayAbly Podcast.

Want to see what PlayAbly can do for you? From cool custom games to PlayAbly Gamified Rebates, we (probably) have a solution for your ecommerce shop woes. Book a meeting with the great and powerful John here.

Transcript

Welcome back to the PlayAbly podcast. A couple weeks ago, we walked through a live Gamified Rebate campaign we launched with Soul around the Super Bowl — built entirely to work within the strict realities of cannabis marketing.

Now the campaign has officially closed, the data is in, and today we’re breaking down what actually happened — not just headline numbers, but what this tells us about how gamified promotions perform in restricted industries.

Let’s start with the biggest takeaway.

This campaign didn’t just “do okay.” It converted 3.2x higher than Soul’s baseline subscription rate

Campaign-attributed customers converted to subscriptions at 50.6%, compared to Soul’s normal 15–16% baseline. That’s not a small lift — that’s a completely different quality of customer.

And that’s important, because one of the biggest fears with promotions — especially in cannabis — is that you attract bargain hunters who churn immediately. That didn’t happen here.

Instead, the campaign generated 121 brand-new subscriptions from just 239 attributed customers. So roughly half of everyone who came through this experience committed to a subscription on their first order

Now here’s where it gets even more interesting.

The campaign didn’t just convert better — it attracted higher-value customers. Average order value during the promotion was $97.51, compared to Soul’s baseline AOV of $80.91. That’s a 20.5% lift in AOV, without relying on upfront discounts

So customers weren’t spending less because of a promo — they were spending more because the experience reframed the purchase.

Another key insight: overall daily subscription volume only increased modestly, about 6% during the campaign window. And that’s actually a good thing.

Why? Because it proves this wasn’t cannibalizing existing demand or just pulling forward customers who were already going to subscribe anyway. The baseline subscription rate stayed flat before and during the campaign. The lift came from capturing a distinct, high-intent audience, not distorting normal behavior

When we break down attribution, we see something else that matters for restricted industries.

Customers who explicitly engaged with the OVERTIME mechanic — using the campaign code — converted at 55.8%. Even email recipients who didn’t use the code still converted at 37.3%, more than double the baseline

So the gamified moment didn’t just drive clicks — it elevated intent across owned channels, which is exactly where cannabis brands are forced to win.

From a revenue perspective, the campaign generated over $23,000 in directly attributed revenue, and more importantly, 121 new subscription customers. Based on Soul’s historical retention patterns, that represents $70,000+ in projected lifetime value, from a single, compliant promotion

So what’s the real lesson here?

Gamified Rebates don’t work because they’re flashy.

They work because they:

Preserve full-price purchases

Create urgency without desperation

Attract high-intent buyers instead of deal hunters

And stay compliant in industries where traditional ads keep getting shut down

This campaign didn’t replace Soul’s marketing stack — it augmented it with a moment customers actually wanted to participate in.

And that’s the shift we keep coming back to on this podcast.

When advertising gets harder, the brands that win aren’t the ones pushing louder discounts — they’re the ones building experiences that customers choose to engage with.

If you want to learn more about how the campaign was structured check out Episode 51 which was the last episode and we go through all the details. And if you’re a brand operating in a restricted category — cannabis, supplements, alcohol, finance — this framework isn’t hypothetical anymore. It’s proven.

We’ll catch you next time on the PlayAbly podcast.