Emarat understood that the impression of a gas station was a grab-and-go style mindset, with the incentives being mainly focused around topping up at the pumps. Emarat wanted to influence the mindset of fuel stations to be lifestyle focused; a supporting partner in your day-to-day life.

Emarat wanted to remove the ‘Arcade’ mentality to loyalty; earning reels of tokens, only to receive minimal value. Emarat wanted a product where customers felt their dollar being stretched with meaningful rewards, as well as having a relatable brand identity to leverage in marketing campaigns and promotions.

The goal of the app was to ensure that customers could:

• Onboard quickly without any unnecessary information
• Earn & Burn points immediately after downloading
• Build a profile for offers that will deliver real value

We developed the Emcan brand and mobile app, as part of a nationwide launch led by Emarat Petroleum, across over 100+ locations in the Emirates.

The app was released with over 20+ features, allowing customers to earn EmCoins; a digital currency for Emarat customers to earn & burn at Emarat stations and other exclusive partnered stores, on all fuel & non-fuel related products

Emcan has over 400,000 active users, acquiring over 100,000 downloads in the first month of launch. The app continues to build new partnerships with companies such as Emirates, Polestar and P2P payment platforms

“The launch of the EmCan loyalty program is another step towards Emarat’s mission to offer its customers the best possible service, year after year, generation after generation,”

- Rashid Saif Al Jarwan; Vice Chairman, Emarat

A key focus for the newly formed team for EmCan Loyalty was to understand the current ecosystem of loyalty programs and customer behaviours.

There has been various fuel loyalty programs launched since 2021, from competitors such as ENOC and ADNOC, as well as unicorn startups such as CAFU.

We benchmarked the UAE’s high performing apps and companies offering a loyalty program, including Yes Rewards by ENOC and Smart Tag by ADNOC as well as user interaction behaviours from Careem and Talabat to learn how they kept their customers engaged and satisfied.

A lot of UAE residents have multiple applications on their phones, with session times for a single app being kept to a minimum. Therefore, keeping interactions familiar while building trust with the EmCan brand was an important strategy for Product & Design teams.

We conducted surveys and focus groups with Emarat customers to understand their expectations and pain points when buying fuel.

In the fast paced world for most UAE residents, they were seeking fast onboarding, instant rewards and personalized offers that brought real value.

“The optimal experience for a new customer would be to download EmCan, create an account and be ready to redeem points before their tank is full”

Based on these insights, we defined clear objectives and requirements that would benefit drivers in the UAE for the EmCan app. We outlined happy path flows and ideated on key features as a working group with Product Managers, Engineers, Designers & Emarat Leadership.

As the Design Lead with a team of 4x Product Designers, we championed the design and prototyping of the EmCan app.

Key features of the EmCan app include:

• Earn & Burn EmCoins: Ability to earn Emarat currency (EmCoins) that are redeemable on fuel & non-fuel purchases
• Station Finder: Find your nearest Emarat station on a dynamic map, showing how busy each station is and integration with Google Maps wayfinding based on your location
• Offers & Promotions: A comprehensive listing of offers and promotions across multiple Emarat partners based on user preferences, spending history and featured promotions.
• Personalised Recommendations: Intelligent algorithms suggest attractions and activities based on user preferences and previous interactions.

For each key feature, we created a wireframe and tested the MVP journey. Participants were selected by Emarat, with our guidance, as well as rapid testing of ideas at high footfall petrol stations.

We developed a brand for EmCan, to supplement that brand guidelines of Emarat. Given that Emarat is a semi-government company, there was a need to build a relatable brand, while maintaining an integral and respectful presence amongst UAE government associated companies.

Emcan is the extension of Emarat brand state of mind: amplifying the diversity of products and services available to customers but also providing them with the benefits and opportunitiesof the loyalty program.

Dubai is known all over the world for its futuristic inventions. But it wouldn’t be possible to imagine a smart and sustainable future without strong traditions.

Falconry has been central to Emirati culture for thousands of years.The EmCan brand was designed with the loyalty between falcon and people in mind.

The logo is the representation of a crossroads, the opportunity to travel to any destination, in line with the claim: “Limitless possibilities”.

Finally, the EmCan logo is the incarnation of the strong link between Emarat and EmCan, EmCan and its customers but also between past and future generations.

We developed the Emcan brand and mobile app, as part of a nationwide launch led by Emarat Petroleum, across over 100+ locations in the Emirates.

The app was released with over xx features, allowing customers to earn EmCoins; a digital currency for Emarat customers to earn & burn at Emarat stations and other exclusive partnered stores, on all fuel & non-fuel related products

Since its launch, EmCan has established itself as an integral platform for drivers and car owners in the UAE , with most considering the brand as a leader in building an authentic relationship with their customers and rewarding them for a commodity that supports over 9 million residents.

EmCan has had a significant impact on Emirati local culture, with Emarat’s investment into Dubai community leaders & partners including sponsoring local football clubs and sport activities across Dubai.

Emarat continues to build partnerships with Emirates, Polestar and other local brands to gain a wider presence across the world and position them as the leading loyalty platform in the Middle East.

“The launch of the EmCan loyalty program is another step towards Emarat’s mission to offer its customers the best possible service, year after year, generation after generation,”

- Rashid Saif Al Jarwan; Vice Chairman, Emarat