Let's Talk Loyalty

This episode is sponsored by Points, a Plusgrade company. Read more about their Exchange solution as a growth channel for loyalty programs here.Web 3.0 is of the hottest topics in business right now, but most of us have yet to figure out what the potential could be for these newest technologies within our loyalty programs.Whether it's blockchain technology, crypto-currencies, the metaverse, or NFT’s, few can figure out whether the opportunities they offer are purely for fun or for real commercial consideration!Joining me on this show to help separate facts from fiction is Stuart Evans, a Web 3.0 strategy advisor with a passion for understanding these emerging technologies so that he can create concepts that drive loyalty by exciting consumers in ways we haven't seen before.For all of us working in loyalty marketing, whether you're fully versed in Web 3.0 or not, please enjoy today's conversation with this inspiring thought leader who shares some great ideas to get started playing in the wonderful world of Web 3.0!Show Notes:1) Stuart Evans

This episode is sponsored by Points, a Plusgrade company. Read more about their Exchange solution as a growth channel for loyalty programs here.Today, "Let's Talk Loyalty" meets airline industry thought-leader Mark Ross-Smith, who shares his insights on global airline loyalty programmes – their role, positioning, and potential for greater profits with seemingly plenty more room for growth!It's a fascinating discussion about innovative ideas to drive customer loyalty, learning from both the gaming industry as well as strategies that have been adopted by some leading airlines with great success.We hear some fascinating recent valuations of airline loyalty programs compared to the values and margins earned by the airlines who own them. Mark then shares some challenging ideas about the commercial positioning of each business in the post-pandemic world of aviation, and whether loyalty leaders should have a seat in the boardroom and why.Show Notes:1) Mark Ross-Smith2) StatusMatch.com3) traveldatadaily.com4) Digital Driving Growth in KFC China5) Measuring Loyalty – Tracking passengers who fly with competing airlines

This episode is sponsored by Points, a Plusgrade company. Read more about their Exchange solution as a growth channel for loyalty programs here.How can a financial services firm like Old Mutual compete against a powerful market leader, in an industry that consumers often find confusing and expensive!The answer is by adding incredible value and being loyal to members so that they learn to trust your brand, even before they need to buy your products.In this short summary, learn the ideas and insights that are driving growth, connection, and financial wellbeing with Old Mutual's members and customers.Show Notes:1) Brett Cameron - Head of Rewards, Old Mutual2) Old Mutual 3) #106:Intense Competition Driving Loyalty Innovation by South Africa's Old Mutual

This episode is sponsored by Points, a Plusgrade company. Read more about their Exchange solution as a growth channel for loyalty programs here.Today’s episode features key insights from the industry's best-known research report that’s produced every year by Bond Brand Loyalty.Featuring insights from more than 39,000 consumers in eleven markets including North America and Europe, it includes consumer loyalty feedback on over 750 consumer brand programs in 15 industries.This episode features Alie Donnelly and Sean Claessen from Bond Brand Loyalty, who share their initial insights that have just been published in the first post-pandemic version of “The Loyalty Report 2022”, and their “Pathways to Growth Guide”.From the importance of how brands are addressing societal issues through to the ongoing fundamental shift in consumer’s expectations of the loyalty programs they engage with, today’s conversation highlights the important issues, ideas, and innovations that are proving essential to drive consumer loyalty in 2022 and beyond.Show Notes:1) Bond Brand Loyalty2) Alie Donnelly3) Sean Claessen4) "Pathways to Growth Guide"5) “The Loyalty Report 2022” Press Release

This episode is sponsored by Points, a Plusgrade company. Read more about their Exchange solution as a growth channel for loyalty programs here.Today's episode discusses the increasing need for customer loyalty in the railway industry for the first time!Renfe is the leading train company in Spain, carrying over 500 million passengers a year and at 80 years old, they are facing new challenges as a business, with increasing competition not only from cars and flights as in the past, but also now from two new rail operators.Our interview is with Javier Marin Martinon, Chief Commercial, Loyalty, and Customer Officer, who shares some great ideas that Renfe has already launched for members of its loyalty program – designed to be simple and exciting to understand even when they are sometimes quite difficult behind the scenes to deliver!A great case study and an example of how to learn about loyalty from other industries to create compelling strategies for your own business needs.Show Notes:1) Javier Marin Martinon, Chief Commercial, Loyalty, and Customer Officer2) Renfe3) Más Renfe

This episode is sponsored by Points, a Plusgrade company. Read more about their Exchange solution as a growth channel for loyalty programs here.This short summary explains how a better understanding of the psychology of human beings can help us design better loyalty programmes!Dr. Anil V. Pillai offers some interesting insights on what needs most people are seeking to satisfy when they join our programmes, and key factors to how successfully we deliver on that.This episode showcases key ideas that often get forgotten along the way when we design our loyalty journeys, often becoming increasingly complex to satisfy multiple business needs, rather than designing them as human beings prefer - with speed and simplicity in mind.For anyone interested in the neuroscience of either business or loyalty, listen to learn some key ideas to help engage your customers.Show Notes:1) Dr. Anil V. Pillai2) #102: The Science & Psychology of Human Engagement for Customer Loyalty

This episode is sponsored by Points, a Plusgrade company. Read more about their Exchange solution as a growth channel for loyalty programs here.Few industries have been as dramatically affected by the internet as the publishing industry, when free news and the instant availability of global information online became a threat to the entire business model for newspapers. And yet, despite the disruption, trusted brands like the Irish Times have managed to re-invent themselves and survive, and it was also an industry that benefitted from the impact of the Covid pandemic, as readers increasingly sought information they could trust.Quality news, exclusive content, and insights from diverse contributors are just some of the important ideas shared by today's guest. Cliona Mooney who is the Director of Subscriptions and Reader Insights for The Irish Times.Cliona shared with us their current approach, and some of the initiatives that are proving popular and powerful with readers as The Irish Times continues to focus on growing and retaining its base of subscribers.Show Notes:1) Cliona Mooney Subscriptions and Reader Insights Director2) The Irish Times\

This episode is sponsored by Points, a Plusgrade company. Read more about their Exchange solution as a growth channel for loyalty programs here.One of Canada's best kept secrets, Northland Properties is a family business that operates an impressive portfolio of businesses including restaurants, resorts, sports teams and hotels!In 2021, the Sandman Hotels within the Group completed a dramatic digital transformation of their loyalty program, and in this episode, I'm joined by Fiona McFaul, the Vice President of Marketing and Loyalty for the Sandman Group who shares their journey one year on from launching their RSVP Rewards program.Show Notes:1) Fiona McFaul, Vice President of Marketing and Loyalty for the Sandman Group2) Sandman Hotels3) Sandman RSVP Rewards program

This episode is sponsored by Points, a Plusgrade company. Read more about their Exchange solution as a growth channel for loyalty programs here.This episode celebrates the 250th episodes of Let's Talk Loyalty!The Star Alliance is an extra-ordinary example of how global partnerships can be created to ensure a compelling, consistent and seamless experience for airline customers and earn their loyalty.Listen to learn the highlights of my interview with the Star Alliance Group Director of Loyalty, Renato Ramos who shares some superb alliance loyalty insights, including some ideas on how airline loyalty programs might evolve in the post-pandemic world.Show Notes:1) Renato Ramos 2) Star Alliance

This episode is sponsored by Points, a Plusgrade company. Read more about their Exchange solution as a growth channel for loyalty programs here.In today’s hyper-competitive environment, telecommunications companies around the world are increasingly looking to customer loyalty mechanics to grow and succeed.Etisalat, headquartered in the UAE is the most valuable brand across all consumer categories in the Middle East and Africa, with a market valuation of over $41b.The Group recently rebranded to e& as part of its strategy for constant evolution and innovation, which includes a long and impressive history of developing propositions focused on driving customer loyalty.In today's podcast, Let's Talk Loyalty is joined by Antonio Ricciardi, SVP Consumer Intelligence & Engagement at Etisalat by e&, who's responsible for leading their Smiles Program, and he shares their learnings as they evolve from simple loyalty concepts to become a compelling consumer marketplace achieving even greater customer engagement and loyalty.Show Notes:1) Antonio Ricciardi SVP Consumer Intelligence & Engagement at e&2) Etisalat by e&3) e&4) Smiles Program

This episode is sponsored by Points, a Plusgrade company. Read more about their Exchange solution as a growth channel for loyalty programs here.Verizon is one of the largest telecommunications companies in the United States and is of course a huge company with a huge customer base to retain in an extremely competitive industry.Its loyalty program called "Verizon Up" has won multiple loyalty awards so we were joined by Lisa Routel, Verizon’s Marketing Strategy Lead to learn all about it.Lisa shares the latest propositions she’s building to keep Verizon customers engaged as well as some insights from her earlier career in loyalty with leading brands like Jaguar.Show Notes: 1) Lisa Routel2) Verizon3) Verizon Up

This episode is sponsored by Points, a Plusgrade company. Read more about their Exchange solution as a growth channel for loyalty programs here.This episode is a summary of some of my favorite ideas that have exciting potential for loyalty marketing professionals.From Whatsapp as a messaging platform, to the power of a voice marketing strategy and my all-time favourite - payment-led loyalty.This short show summarises superb insights from Lisa Brightwell, the founder of one of the UAE's top loyalty agencies, who shares how these powerful tools can be used to differentiate your brand in this era of dramatic changes in consumer behaviour.Listen to hear the power and potential of these tools that you can use to connect with your customers.Show Notes:1) Let's Talk Loyalty with Lisa Brightwell - Episode 982) Lisa Brightwell

This episode is sponsored by Points, a Plusgrade company. Read more about their Exchange solution as a growth channel for loyalty programs here.In many ways, today's loyalty landscape looks a lot like it did 40 years ago! So why is that? And how can businesses truly win over their customers' hearts and minds to excel in today’s fiercely competitive world? The answer lies in a relentless focus on consistently caring for those customers more powerfully and more authentically than ever before.Loyalty is more than just a focus on the transactional management of your relationships.It starts with companies being loyal to customers first, while also fully supporting their people and their investors as equal stakeholders through these increasingly turbulent times.This is one of the ways that the loyalty industry can become ‘unstuck’, according to today's guest. Phil Rubin, founder of Grey Space Matters, has more than 25 years’ experience driving growth for premier global brands and he joins me today to share his latest ideas that stakeholder capitalism and profitable business practices can be a force for good.Show Notes:1) Phil Rubin2) Grey Space Matters3) The Five Dysfunctions of a Team

This episode is sponsored by Points, a Plusgrade company. Read more about their Exchange solution as a growth channel for loyalty programs here.Tupperware is truly a household name with consumers around the world, famous for its innovative food storage and preparation containers.The brand has recently realised the power they can harness by investing in a professional loyalty strategy to connect with its consultants, retail partners and of course consumers.This episode of "Lets Talk Loyalty" shares the story and insights of loyalty expert Fernando Jimenez who has recently taken on this fascinating new role, designing a loyalty program for Tupperware products in Mexico.Listen to learn from his impressive loyalty background in the airline sector and his approach to this new project.Fernando is also my first guest from Mexico so I hope you enjoy listening to this exciting episode.Show Notes:Fernando JimenezTupperwareTupperware Brand México#187: Microsoft Rewards - Insights and Ideas

This episode is sponsored by Points, a Plusgrade company. Read more about their Exchange solution as a growth channel for loyalty programs here.In this summary episode, we discuss our key learnings from our conversation in early 2021 with the CEO of IAG Loyalty Limited, the company that operates "Avios" - the loyalty currency of the five airlines of the IAG airline alliance.Adam Daniels shared some of the extraordinary changes in consumer behaviour that evolved as a result the global pandemic, with dramatic increases in non-travel engagement such as online shopping, and the success of new propositions driving emotional loyalty at this particularly challenging time for all airlines and their loyalty programmes.Show Notes:1) Adam Daniels Chief Executive Officer2) IAG Loyalty3) #96: IAG Loyalty Shares New Trends including eStore, new Banking Propositions and Employee Loyalty

This episode is sponsored by Points, a Plusgrade company. Read more about their Exchange solution as a growth channel for loyalty programs here.Sustainability is both an urgent and an important focus for businesses, and one that loyalty marketers can play an important role in supporting. But how?In today's podcast, we're joined by Isobel Finlayson, Sustainability Lead for Mando Connect to share their ideas, insights, research and suggestions on practical ways that loyalty marketers can help.We showcase some examples of global best practice in sustainability led by loyalty professionals, with examples in both retail and aviation, and we discuss eight specific tactics you can consider implementing to leverage the power of your loyalty programme to address this critical concern for both consumer and companies alike.Show Notes:Mando ConnectsIsobel FinlaysonMando Connect’s White Paper DownloadSustainability article and exclusive research for The Wise MarketerMando Connect’s Million Tree Pledge

Not enough time and attention is devoted to understand the incredible value that loyalty programmes are driving indirectly for organisations – building the brand in less obvious ways than we typically measure when we’re calculating the ROI of our initiatives. But yet, these indirect benefits can be extremely valuable in the ways they impact the buying decisions that customers make!!This is a key insights from today's conversation with Collin Larijani who has over 12 years of experience working with Epsilon, building solutions across all marketing domains. Collin joined me today to reflect on some of the top trending topics that are emerging from the “loyalty labs” that Epsilon is running across APAC, including the power of both zero party data and first party data for organisations.Collin also shares his belief that loyalty professionals are perfectly positioned to lead within their organisations – using the power of their data, customer focus, and insights to become more visible and more helpful as both the heart and mind of the business.I hope you enjoy listening to my conversation with Collin Larijani from Epsilon!Show Notes:EpsilonCollin LarijaniLet's Talk Loyalty with Epsilon: Complimentary Loyalty Lab

This episode is sponsored by Points, a Plusgrade company. Read more about their Exchange solution as a growth channel for loyalty programs here.Payback is widely respected as one of the most innovative companies in Germany, with over 80 million members in six international markets and an impressive redemption rate of over 95%!In this short show, we summarise the highlights of our interview with Payback's CEO, Bernhard Brugger, showcasing their remarkable achievements over the last 20 years.Learn how Payback grew from a simple multi-partner program to its current positioning as a global marketing technology and services company.Show Notes:PaybackBernhard Brugger#94: Global Coalition Loyalty Insights with Payback's CEO Bernhard Brugger

In the Asia Pacific region, pioneering brands lead the way for digitally-demanding consumers by personalizing their experiences using big data and artificial intelligence.Dan Cantorna, Vice President of Data, Insights, and Technology for Collinson in Asia Pacific, joins us in this episode to share his fascinating insights on some of the digital and loyalty innovations emerging from the region. With so many global brands looking to Asia to understand the consumers of the future, this conversation offers an insight on what to expect from loyalty members and the consumers of the future. This episode is sponsored by Collinson.Show Notes:Dan CantornaCollinson

This episode is sponsored by Points, a Plusgrade company. Read more about their Exchange solution as a growth channel for loyalty programs here.Yuu Rewards is a leading loyalty program launched in Hong Kong in 2020 which prides itself on its innovative digital-first strategy.Created initially as a coalition programme, Yuu Rewards has proven to be a compelling proposition for the digitally-savvy consumers that Asia is renowned for.Now two years old, I’m today joined for a second conversation about Yuu Rewards by COO Mark Sage, who explains how the programme has grown, offering compelling new services, and is now firmly established as a market-leading super-app with numerous new and exciting benefits to users – such as industry-leading ecommerce capabilities at its core.In this conversation, we also discuss the power of *collectibles* as a tool to build consumer loyalty and engagement both online and offline.Show Notes:Yuu RewardsMark SageYuu To MeYuu To Me Ad#61: Yuu Rewards, Hong Kong's New Coalition ProgrammeTime Stamps:02:29 - Mark’s favorite loyalty program05:43 - The most significant change in recent months.09:40 - Yuu Rewards' technical evolution journey over time.19:35 - Using collectibles to engage consumers both online and offline33:20 - Mark's thoughts for future industry trends

This episode is sponsored by Points, a Plusgrade company. Read more about their Exchange solution as a growth channel for loyalty programs here.In January 2020, Google announced that it would no longer support third-party cookies for users of the Chrome browser.What sounded like a massive challenge for marketers who've relied on them for many years, may in fact result in incredible growth and opportunity for loyalty marketers.In today's short summary episode of Let's Talk Loyalty, we review our conversation on this huge topic with Elliott Clayton, Senior Vice President of Media for Epsilon in the UK.Elliott explained why it is such an exciting time to work in loyalty marketing, and how loyalty marketers can help their brands embrace the cookie-less future.Show Notes:EpsilonElliott Clayton#92: The Increasing Importance of Loyalty in a Changing Media Landscape with Epsilon

This episode is sponsored by Points, a Plusgrade company. Read more about their Exchange solution as a growth channel for loyalty programs here.Del Taco is the world's second-largest Mexican fast-food restaurant chain, and its loyalty program is playing a vital role in its popularity and growth.In this episode of Let’s Talk Loyalty, Erin Levzow joins us to share her industry-leading insights and ideas from their "Del Yeah!" program which has already won prestigious awards - including B2C app of the year and the Gold Award for Loyalty Strategy.Learn how Del Taco has created such a compelling mobile app featuring Del Yeah! Rewards to truly attract and retain its customers.This episode is sponsored by Cheetah Digital.Show Notes:Del TacoDel Yeah! RewardsErin LevzowTime Stamps:03:00 - Erin’s favorite Loyalty Program10:15 - Del Taco's Context11:22 - Del Taco’s Loyalty Program Concept17:30 - Membership figures for Del Taco’s programs18:34 - Pareto Principle perspectives22:40 - Erin's knowledge gained while working in Las Vegas31:03 - Replatforming Del Taco’s program34:53 - Del Yeah Rewards' future priorities40:15 - Del Yeah Rewards Perspective on Metaverse

This episode is sponsored by Points, a Plusgrade company. Read more about their Exchange solution as a growth channel for loyalty programs here.David's Bridal is a US-based retailer that specializes in wedding gowns, prom gowns and formal wear, and offers an extraordinary collection of beautiful outfits for all of life's magical moments.Already operating over 300 store locations in various countries as well as online, in 2020, David's Bridal stores created an industry first with the launch of their Diamond loyalty program, designed to leverage the buying power of the bride's family and friends to help the happy couple earn a honeymoon of their dreams!Kelly Cook, EVP, Chief Marketing and IT Officer for David's Bridal, joins us on this episode to explain this genius idea, the insights that inspired it and its incredible performance so far.Show Notes:David’s BridalDiamond LoyaltyKelly CookTime Stamps:03:55 - Kelly’s Favorite Loyalty Program06:03 - Role of Content as a Loyalty Driver09:44 - Diamond as a Crowdsource Loyalty Program11:53 - How did Kelly persuade the Senior Leadership Team to support the program?29:15 - David's Bridal Lessons Learned During the Launch of the Diamond Program

This episode is sponsored by Points, a Plusgrade company. Read more about their Exchange solution as a growth channel for loyalty programs here.As one of the most exciting loyalty markets in the world, South Africa boasts plenty of compelling concepts and innovative ideas - and this summary show discusses one of the most exciting to date!Ros Netto, Customer, CRM & Loyalty Specialist and Head of Customer Care for Real Foods Group in South Africa, shares her insights from the launch of South Africa's first restaurant and fast-casual dining subscription program for their market-leading chain called Kauai.Listen to learn some of the challenges and solutions they learned in this short summary episode of Let's Talk Loyalty.Show Notes:Ros NettoReal Foods GroupKauai#90: Subscription Innovation Driving Restaurant Loyalty in South Afric

This episode is sponsored by Points, a Plusgrade company. Read more about their Exchange solution as a growth channel for loyalty programs here.Sheetz Inc. is one of North America's fastest-growing convenience store chains, already operating over 600 locations.In this episode of Let’s Talk Loyalty, we were delighted to share the impressive role that loyalty initiatives play in Sheetz business strategy, in a conversation with Director of Brand Marketing, Nicole Auman .Nicole discusses some of the company's recent major insights and achievements, including a new subscription service, her insights on the compelling role that their app is playing as a direct digital connection to their customers and of course, their store teams who serve as ambassadors of the program with customers.This episode is packed with insights on how Sheetz is driving its business forward by leveraging technology and data to delight its members.Show Notes:SheetzNicole Auman

This episode is sponsored by Points, a Plusgrade company. Read more about their Exchange solution as a growth channel for loyalty programs here.Etihad Guest is a world-leader in airline loyalty, renowned for delivering innovative ideas that delight members in unexpected ways!In today's episode, Let's Talk Loyalty is joined once again by Kim Hardaker, Managing Director of the Etihad Guest Programme, who shares the latest ideas and insights from one of the travel industry's leading reward programs.Their recent campaigns include a proposition to support the airlines sustainability goals, and a "world-first" idea that celebrated the reopening of Australia's borders post-pandemic.Listen to enjoy another episode jam-packed full of thoughtfulness and innovation.Show Notes:Etihad GuestKim HardakerEtihad Guest MilesMiles On the GoConscious Choices

This episode is sponsored by Points, a Plusgrade company. Read more about their Exchange solution as a growth channel for loyalty programs here.The global Covid crisis challenged many businesses to the brink of survival, especially in the travel industry.Across airlines, hotels, hospitality and duty free, with global travel volumes almost non-existent, these travel companies were challenged to innovate in ways they may never have imagined before.Lagardère Travel Retail saw the pandemic as an incredible opportunity to create compelling new channel with their customers, creating an entirely new sales and marketing approach that their customers loved!In this short episode, we summarise what we learned from Chief Executive Officer Eudes Farbe, and Chief Information Officer, Adam McCarthy to understand their unique, world-class solution in the absence of duty free customers in their airports across China.Listen to learn how Lagardère created such significant value using their loyalty program and leveraged China's unique digital eco-system to achieve a profitable new route to market that has proven to be pandemic-proof.Show Notes:Lagardère Travel RetailEudes FarbeAdam McCarthy

This episode is sponsored by Points, a Plusgrade company. Read more about their Exchange solution as a growth channel for loyalty programs here.Sonder Media is a consulting firm that specializes in identifying, valuing, and optimizing the media value of loyalty programs, and in today’s episode, Jonathan Hopkins and Angus Frazer, co-founders of Sonder Media, share their expertise and insights on this high margin opportunity.We discussed the power and potential profitability of using the unique assets, permissions and insights from your loyalty program as a media business, an increasingly popular idea being considered by program owners in order to increase their returns on their loyalty program investment.Join us for a discussion about both the challenges and the potential of this big idea, and how you can explore building a media business in a way that continues to meet the needs of your members and your brand and potentially also with advertising partners.Show notes:Sonder MediaJonathan HopkinsAngus FrazerTime Stamps:02:46 - Favorite Loyalty Program05:12 - How does owned media can measure and obviously increase the return on investment of loyalty programs.11:38 - How to Identify the best way to monetize owned media without compromising core business objectives14:41 - What are the particular loyalty programs or sectors and categories that are working for this opportunity with owned media?18:30 - Brands Sonder Media worked with20:35 - Understanding the Value of Owned Media25:12 - What other types of opportunities for value and attention should we consider?27:20 - The Opportunity of Brands for Media

This episode is sponsored by Points, a Plusgrade company. Read more about their Exchange solution as a growth channel for loyalty programs here.When it comes to loyalty programmes in the UK, the gold standard programme that consumers say they love the most is often the Boots Advantage Program.2022 marks the 25th anniversary of this iconic programme, so "Let's Talk Loyalty" was delighted to be joined by Hollie McLellan, Head of Customer Marketing and Loyalty for Boots UK, to discuss the company's latest innovations and initiatives.Join us to hear this masterclass in loyalty marketing, showcasing their new "Beauty Club" which features content marketing as a new loyalty driver, as well as their new "Price Advantage" proposition, and their exciting tests with gamification and subscription strategies.Boots UK is truly an iconic retail brand so don't miss this exclusive opportunity to learn how their Advantage Program is changing and innovating for the future.Show Notes:Boots UKBoots Advantage ProgramMy BeautyBoots XHollie McLellanTime Stamps:03:26 - Hollie’s Favorite Loyalty Program07:18 - History of the Advantage Program10:07 - Approximate numbers of members of Boots Advantage Program in the UK11:12 - Points reward elements12:52 - How staff embrace and execute the program very well14:39 - My Beauty17:58 - Contents as a big part of the future24:19 - Price Advantage Proposition35:18 - What we can expect coming up next with Boots

This episode is sponsored by Points, a Plusgrade company. Read more about their Exchange solution as a growth channel for loyalty programs here.“To make the customer fall in love with the brands.” This is how Alejandro Gonzalez Saul, CEO of Puntos Columbia described the purpose and goal of this market-leading loyalty program operating as a coalition in Colombia.In this short summary show, "Let’s Talk Loyalty" looks back on a fascinating conversation with the true loyalty market leader in Colombia to understand its impressive proposition and performance.Listen to learn some of the secrets that Alejandro shared that drive the incredible success of "Puntos Colombia" in the South American market.Show Notes:Alejandro Gonzalez SaulPuntos Columbia#86: Coalition Loyalty In Columbia with Puntos Columbia

This episode is sponsored by Points, a Plusgrade company. Read more about their Exchange solution as a growth channel for loyalty programs here.The International Airline Group is one of the world's largest airline groups, formed by the merger of British Airways and the Spanish Airline Iberia. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, it flew to 279 destinations and carried approximately 118 million passengers per year.IAG created a new unified loyalty currency called Avios, as well as a dedicated loyalty division that has been operating in various forms for over 30 years.In this episode, we are joined by the Chief Product Officer of IAG Loyalty, Stephen Scott as we look at some of the big ideas that are engaging members right now, how they are evolving how they earn and spend their Avios, such as card linking and e-commerce, before moving on to emerging concepts that we're all starting to think about, such as NFTs.Stephen explains how the pandemic impacted customers all over the world and changed their behaviour and use of technology and how IAG Loyalty has focused on achieving a complete digital transformation to support them.There’s much more on the way as IAG Loyalty continues to expand.Listen to this conversation and learn what the future holds for the loyalty division of the International Airlines Group.This episode is sponsored by Collinson.Show Notes:The International Airlines Group (IAG)Stephen ScottAviosTime Stamps:02:42 - Stephen Scott’s Favorite Loyalty Program06:43 - Consumer's Behavior of loyalty currency with e-stores12:16 - Avios Card Linking Proposition13: 57 - Brands with card linking15:39 - Where is the IAG Loyalty at now?22:41 - Scott’s Experience with Digital Transformation25:31 - Avios Digital Transformation journey28:42 - Cultural Challenge31:30 - Does the pandemic accelerate the digital transformation?33:08 - IAG: Hangar 51 insight36:39 - NFTs in the world of Loyalty

How do you measure and prove the value of your investment in loyalty marketing?In this episode, we are joined by Brad Macdonald, Vice President of Loyalty Strategy at Epsilon, who shares their approach to assessing the value of brands' investment in their loyalty marketing initiatives with an "a value led approach".We also announce a partnership with Epsilon together with Let’s Talk Loyalty launching a unique, personalized, and private "Loyalty Lab" every month for one lucky listener to have a chance to have the opportunity to work with Epsilon's experts for an independent review of your loyalty program and come away with some concrete ideas to help it perform better.Listen to this episode for more information on how to measure and multiply the value of your loyalty program.Show Notes:Brad MacdonaldEpsilon Loyalty LabTime Stamps:03:12 - Brad’s Favorite Loyalty Program07:35 - The current landscape for loyalty marketers11:07 - How Epsilon measures the value of the loyalty program26:49 - Epsilon Loyalty Lab

This episode is sponsored by Points, a Plusgrade company. Read more about their Exchange solution as a growth channel for loyalty programs here.In today’s short summary episode of Let’s Talk Loyalty, Paula Thomas looked back on her conversation with Virgin Reds Chief Marketing Officer, Kelly Best who shared exactly how Virgin is prioritising its customers throughout their new Virgin Red Program.Virgin realised that customers really dislike when their loyalty points expire, so they created a programme where that would never happen!Another key principle is how Virgin Red ensured its program is accessible to all of its members, creating an affordable and appealing partnerships with dozens of small businesses, supporting them while ensuring rewards were easy to reach for its members.Listen to this show to learn more about how iconic brand is truly prioritising its customers in its group-wide loyalty program.Show Notes:Virgin RedKelly Best#84: Virgin Red Loyalty Programme Launches in the UK#195: Virgin Red - The Red Thread Connecting the Virgin Brand Globally

This episode is sponsored by Points, a Plusgrade company. Read more about their Exchange solution as a growth channel for loyalty programs here.In this episode, Łukasz Słoniewski of Comarch joins Let's Talk Loyalty to discuss the "2022 Global Report on Loyalty Marketing & Rewards Programs," a research report performed by Forrester Consulting in Q1 2022 with 549 loyalty marketing leaders from around the world.Łukasz shared some of his key learnings from the report, such as understanding the significant difficulties we as loyalty marketers face, the most popular loyalty program benefits being offered in 2022, and their ambitions for the next five years.Listen to learn from this interesting research on the loyalty marketing business, and how these global experts expect our programs to change in the coming months and years.This episode is sponsored by Comarch.Show Notes:"2022 Global Report on Loyalty Marketing & Rewards Programs.”Łukasz SłoniewskiComarch

This episode is sponsored by Points, a Plusgrade company. Read more about their Exchange solution as a growth channel for loyalty programs here.The winners of the 2022 "Freddie Awards" have just been announced, the awards created to recognise the gold standard in travel loyalty programs worldwide.The winners of the Freddie Awards are chosen by their members, with millions of customers voting for their favourite programs.In today's episode of "Let's Talk Loyalty", we are joined today by the founder of the Freddie Awards, Randy Petersen, to learn all about the origins of these awards, who was "Freddie" and of course which airlines, hotels and credit cards were honored with the top awards in 2022.Show Notes:2022 Freddie Awards WinnerRandy PetersenFreddie Awards

This episode is sponsored by Points, a Plusgrade company. Read more about their Exchange solution as a growth channel for loyalty programs here.The Loyalty Academy is the world's leading loyalty marketing training platform, run by and for loyalty marketers.Let's Talk Loyalty is the world's leading podcast for loyalty marketing professionals, with over 200 episodes and over 100,000 plays.To celebrate the return of the in-person certification workshops in four fantastic locations around the world, Let's Talk Loyalty and The Loyalty Academy teamed up to give one lucky listener the opportunity to attend and win a full scholarship for a Loyalty Academy workshop and become a "Certified Loyalty Marketing Professional" which has already certified over 300 professionals in 29 markets worldwide.In today's episode of "Let's Talk Loyalty", we're thrilled to reveal the lucky listener who has won this prize.Show Notes:The Loyalty AcademyMichael Capizzi

This episode is sponsored by Points, a Plusgrade company. Read more about their Exchange solution as a growth channel for loyalty programs here.Albertsons is one of the largest food and drug retailers in the United States.In today’s episode, "Let's Talk Loyalty" meets Matthew Stevens, Albertson’s Director of Loyalty Programs and Strategy, who shared how their loyalty program is supporting the dramatic transformation of their business, in direct response to changing consumer behaviours and expectations.Boasting almost 2,300 retail stores in the United States across multiple brands including Albertsons, Safeway, Shaw’s, Randalls and United Supermarkets among others, this interview with Albertsons showcases a masterclass in retail loyalty strategy and success.Show Notes:1) Matthew Stevens2) Albertsons Companies3) Safeway 4 U\

This episode is sponsored by Points, a Plusgrade company. Read more about their Exchange solution as a growth channel for loyalty programs here.In today’s episode, Paula was joined by fellow podcaster Iain Pringle, to share what we've each learned in our combined five years of podcasting about our industry.Like many loyalty professionals, Iain and Paula both love the opportunity to make customers happy, by rewarding them in ways that are also profitable for business.Listen to learn all about Iain's loyalty background and the role of his podcast as another source of knowledge for loyalty marketing professionals worldwide.Show Notes:1) The Loyalty Podcast2) Iain Pringle

This episode is sponsored by Points, a Plusgrade company. Read more about their Exchange solution as a growth channel for loyalty programs here.In this short summary episode, Paula Thomas looks back on a fascinating conversation with Evert de Boer, Managing Partner of On Point Loyalty, who discussed how the aviation sector has earned such huge profits from their loyalty programs over the years.And how their importance grew even further in importance through the global pandemic, offering airlines a stable, recurring source of revenue even though customers were unable to travel, and even challenged the widely-held view that redemption seats are an expense for airlines.Listen to this short summary to hear the highlights of our discussion with this airline loyalty industry thought-leader.Show Notes:1) Evert de Boer2) On Point Loyalty3) "Top 100 Most Valuable Airline Loyalty Programs"4) #82: Global Airline Loyalty Programme Insights with Evert de Boer

This episode is sponsored by Points, a Plusgrade company. Read more about their Exchange solution as a growth channel for loyalty programs here.In this episode, Adam Posner, joins us to talk about his hugely popular "For Love or Money™ Australia" research report and insights for 2022.Adam explains key insights from his research and discusses what compels consumers to join a loyalty programme and the "3 Bs" of loyalty: behaviour, belief and belonging. We also talked about generational differences in loyalty preferences, rewards and even currency types.Whether you are working in loyalty marketing in Australia or elsewhere, these consumer insights offer invaluable ideas to reflect on.Show Notes:1) Adam Posner, CEO and Founder, The Point of Loyalty2) For Love or Money™ 2022 Australia 3) The Point of Loyalty website

This episode is sponsored by Points, a Plusgrade company. Read more about their Exchange solution as a growth channel for loyalty programs here.The Global Hotel Alliance (GHA) is the world's largest alliance of independent hotel brands, supporting 35 hotel brands with more than 500 hotels across 85 countries, each leveraging the DISCOVERY guest recognition programme to drive loyalty with guests.This alliance allows small and independent hotels compete with global hospitality brands, while still operating independently and giving consumers the opportunity to earn rewards across their many brands.In this episode of "Let's Talk Loyalty", we are joined by Kristi Gole, VP, Head of Product at Global Hotel Alliance to hear how this model works and benefits both the brands and consumer members.Learn how GHA evolved just prior to the global pandemic, and how they responded to the pandemic with "Live Local" offers as well as finding more ways to reward travellers.Show Notes:1) Kristi Gole, VP, Head of Product at Global Hotel Alliance2) GHA's DISCOVERY guest recognition programme

This episode is sponsored by Points, a Plusgrade company. Read more about their Exchange solution as a growth channel for loyalty programs here.In this short summary episode of "Let's Talk Loyalty", we looked back on an episode from early 2021 when we talked about loyalty programmes as they evolved during the global pandemic, in an insightful conversation with Ashish Sinha, Managing Director of Epsilon APAC & MEA.While some brands did their utmost to be extraordinarily helpful to consumers in that particularly difficult time, others overloaded their members with offers and deals that they didn't want or couldn't afford to redeem.Listen to enjoy some unique Epsilon insights on how true customer loyalty can be earned.Show Notes:1) Episode #80: Loyalty Trends in APAC by Epsilon's Ashish Sinha2) Ashish Sinha, Managing Director - Epsilon APAC & MEA

This episode is sponsored by Points, a Plusgrade company. Read more about their Exchange solution as a growth channel for loyalty programs here.In this episode, James Berry, Commercial Director, Valuedynamx at Collinson shares game-changing concepts he believes are becoming pivotal for loyalty professionals.James and his team work with brands to create loyalty programmes that are engaging, relevant and increasingly valuable to customers.In this episode, we discuss the dramatic changes in consumer behaviour, and some of the innovative ways that Collinson have found to connect programs, consumers and merchants in order to ensure loyalty programmes become even more relevant in everyday lives.We also talk about opportunities working with emerging technologies like NFTs and cryptocurrencies.This episode will help you understand the latest innovative strategies for post-pandemic consumers.This episode is sponsored by Valuedynamx ( Part of Collinson Group)Show Notes:1) James Berry, Commercial Director, Valuedynamx at Collinson on LinkedIn2) Collinson

This episode is sponsored by Points, a Plusgrade company. Read more about their Exchange solution as a growth channel for loyalty programs here.Today's episode of "Let's Talk Loyalty", features LInkedIn loyalty guru and independent loyalty consultant, Henry Christian.Henry has many years of experience guiding brands and managing loyalty programmes throughout Asia and talked with us about some of the valuable lessons he has learned over the years.He shared his insights on the importance of speaking like a CEO, leveraging customer data and how A/B testing can prove valuable instead of making assumptions for members versus nonmembers.Henry shared strategies for membership retention and acquisition and we also found out a surprising 'favourite loyalty programme' that has never been mentioned before!Henry also shared a very important principle that loyalty is not a program, it is an outcome to expect from your customers.Show Notes:1) Henry Christian, Independent Consultant with HC Loyalty Advisory on LinkedIn2) LinkedIn Loyalty Post - Speak Like a CEO

This episode is sponsored by Points, a Plusgrade company. Read more about their Exchange solution as a growth channel for loyalty programs here.In today's short summary show, "Let's Talk Loyalty" looks back on an interview with Suri Singh, Head of Loyalty for Emirates National Oil Company (ENOC) about their digital-only loyalty program that works across their convenience stores, car washes, food and beverage brands, and even their car registration business.We talked about how ENOC has managed to connect with it's customers given the unique consumer culture in the UAE, and how their loyalty programme has created compelling opportunities for cross-selling across brands, with the power of the customer data they collect.If you work in loyalty marketing, particularly in retail, and particularly if your brand is thinking of starting a loyalty program, then this episode is definitely a must listen.Show Notes:1) Episode #78: Yes Rewards from ENOC - Fuel, Food & Convenience Loyalty in UAE2) Sury Singh, Head of Loyalty from Emirates National Oil Company (ENOC)

This episode is sponsored by Points, a Plusgrade company. Read more about their Exchange solution as a growth channel for loyalty programs here.In today's episode, "Let's Talk Loyalty" talks with Kevin Siew, Vice President and Head of Shangri-La Circle, the latest innovation from the Shangri-La International premium global hotel management group.Shangri-La recently transformed their beloved Golden Circle loyalty program as a powerful direct-to-consumer platform, to include digital marketing, mobile and e-direct capabilities, social media and content development, rewards marketing operations and global brand partnerships.Hear how they have crafted their latest proposition to further enrich their appeal to travellers of all ages and backgrounds, and allow for greater freedom and flexibility, including iconic lifestyle partnerships.Show Notes:1) Kevin Siew, Vice President and Head of Shangri-La Circle2) Shangri-La Circle

This episode is sponsored by Points, a Plusgrade company. Read more about their Exchange solution as a growth channel for loyalty programs here.This episode of "Let's Talk Loyalty" features a conversation with Eadaoin Keane, Head of Marketing for Circle K Ireland who won the "Best Loyalty Programme 2021" from the Irish Loyalty Awards for their "Play or Park" programme.Circle K Ireland is a highly successful and well-known fuel convenience retail brand in Ireland, the market leader for food, fuel and convenience retail.Having inherited the "PLAY or PARK" loyalty programme from the previous business owner, Circle K has continued the programme and further invested in the proposition.That strategy has ensured that this award-winning programme, featuring gamification, rewards and charitable contributions, benefits the members and business in equal measure.Listen to hear how Eadaoin and her team continue to build new campaigns within "PLAY or PARK" to support Irish Olympic athletes, connecting with customers through local community activations, growing the programme's membership and ultimately winning the hearts of Irish customers.Show Notes:1) Eadaoin Keane, Head of Marketing for Circle K Ireland 2) Circle K "PLAY or PARK" programme\

This episode is sponsored by Points, a Plusgrade company. Read more about their Exchange solution as a growth channel for loyalty programs here.In this short summary show, "Let's Talk Loyalty" revisited an episode with Len Llaguno, founder of Kyros Insights. Len uses his professional training as an actuary to assess loyalty programmes not in terms of liability, but profitability and possibility.We talked about why redemptions are such a signal of a strong programme and an investment in the company's long-term success.Len also shared how brands should employ a "customer-first" mentality and also segment their customers to maximize the effectiveness of their loyalty programmes.Show Notes:1) Episode #76: Loyalty Programme Liability Management - Len Llaguno, Founder of Kyros Insights2) Len Llaguno, founder of Kyros Insights

Cheetah Digital's 2022 Digital Consumer Trends Index was recently released and reveals what consumers expect from the brands they do business with. "Let's Talk Loyalty" was joined by Tim Glomb, VP Content & Data with Cheetah Digital, to learn about the latest research, which features insights from over 5,000 consumers across seven countries.Tim highlighted the findings that he found most fascinating, including increased consumer desire for personalization at every stage of the customer lifecycle. We also heard about consumer privacy concerns and communication preferences by age groups.Tim reminded us that even the biggest brands are constantly reviewing and evolving their strategies and reminded us that we can learn and grow from each other when we're up to date and informed by clear understanding of key consumer priorities. This episode is sponsored by Cheetah Digital.Show Notes:1) Tim Glomb, VP Content & Data with Cheetah Digital2) Cheetah Digital's 2022 Digital Consumer Trends Index

This episode is sponsored by Points, a Plusgrade company. Read more about their Exchange solution as a growth channel for loyalty programs here.The Loyalty & Awards Conference is the largest international loyalty conference for the travel industry.In this episode of "Let's Talk Loyalty", we are joined by Ravindra Bhagwanani, Chairman of Loyalty & Awards, all about the exciting plans for this year’s event taking place in October in Madrid.Ravindra shares his extensive loyalty industry experience and his love of airline loyalty marketing, and how the conference came to life almost 18 years ago.Listen to hear what you can expect from this year's event - THE premier place to be for travel loyalty experts, offering superb opportunities to learn from exceptional industry leaders and connect with your loyalty industry colleagues.Show Notes:1) Ravindra Bhagwanani, Managing Director at Global Flight and Chairman of Loyalty & Awards2) Loyalty & Awards conference website