There are plenty of full news stories listed on our main news page - make sure you don't miss them! Here are some of the latest news highlights...  
 · Context is now the key to mobile marketing
 · Five value-driving loyalty trends for 2010
 · Indian loyalty scheme enrols 67m in one year
 · Loyalty schemes seen as 'recession busters'
 · Chip-based Barclaycard Freedom to launch in March
 · Loyalty rewards still not engaging enough?
 · Small retailers turn to coalitions for salvation
 · Amex to help merchants with loyalty schemes

 
More: See the main news articles
 

American Airlines Cargo Division has redesigned its Business ExtrAA programme, which now allows nearly all cargo customers to earn travel awards for booking cargo shipments. For every shipment on American Airlines, regardless of the size or booking method, eligible AA Cargo customers earn points that can be redeemed for travel-related awards such as airline travel certificates, upgrades, and Admirals Club memberships or passes. Previously, the programme only rewarded customers for booking their shipments online. For every US$40,000 in eligible shipping revenue customers earn 2,000 points - the equivalent of a PlanAAhead Award for the Continental US, Canada, and Mexico in Economy Class, plus 20 bonus points for the company's express freight product, Expeditefs, and five bonus points for making their bookings online. Eligible AA Cargo customers can earn up to 200,000 points per calendar year.

Web: http://www.aacargo.com

The Baesman Group has formed a channel partnership to deliver enhanced loyalty programme capabilities to US retailers. Baesman will become a preferred channel partner and will offer the Reward Paths loyalty management system - Incentive Control - for resale in the US, while providing clients with full programme design, execution, communications, fulfillment, reporting and analytical services in connection with loyalty marketing programmes operated on the platform. Reward Paths will provide the software and technical support services, plus any platform customisation needs and web services, from its global technology centre in Auckland, New Zealand. Inventive Control is a 100% web-based tool that requires no extended client footprint other than a browser and provides complete back-end functionality to manage customer loyalty programmes, sales force and channel incentive programmes, consumer rebate processing and employee motivation or performance improvement programmes. marketplace.

Web: http://www.rewardpaths.com

Annual coupon use in the US is on the rise for the first time since 1992. Coupon distribution hit the highest level recorded since Inmar, a leading promotion transaction settlement provider, began tracking trends in 1988. For the first time in 17 years, consumers used more coupons than they did the year before, with 3.3 billion consumer packaged goods coupons redeemed, a 27% increase over the 2.6 billion redeemed in 2008. The rise in coupon use started in October 2008, coinciding with news of the US financial crisis. That has led to five consecutive quarters of double-digit growth (based on percentage change from the same period of the previous year). The increase in redemption goes hand-in-hand with an increase in distribution. Despite the tight economy, marketers invested heavily in coupons, boosting the number available to the highest level in over 30 years. Brands issued 367 billion coupons, at an average face value of US$1.44, indicating that they were committed to promotions in 2009. Online coupons also contributed to the rise in coupon distribution and redemption, with internet distribution up 92% and consumer redemption of these coupons up over 360%. However, in spite of the meteoric rise in online and digital couponing, the traditional newspaper-distributed FSI still accounts for 89% of all coupons distributed and over half of the coupons redeemed. Consumers expect to find coupons in their sunday papers, and they will continue to be there for them. As coupon numbers across the board rose in 2009, brands were forced to mitigate the cost of increased redemption by maintaining face values and keeping expiration periods in check. In 2009, face values declined by a penny, reversing a multi-year trend of increasing values. Expiration periods were shortened by 10% last year, after years of virtually no change.

Web: http://www.inmar.com

An increasing number of financial institutions are going back to offering marketing gifts as an incentive to attract and keep the nearly 25% of large-bank customers who plan to switch to local banks or credit unions this year. According to River Rock Marketing Services, a company that develops incentive-based acquisition and retention programmes that use merchandise as incentive gifts for the financial services industry, there is substantial evidence that offering branded merchandise as bank marketing gifts motivates consumers to take immediate action, spurring new accounts and increasing the ROI on what is spent to attract and keep customers. The source of cash or a gift card is quickly forgotten, and its perceived value is fixed: US$50 is US$50. It is indistinguishable from one offer to another.

Web: http://www.riverrocksvcs.com

Hawkins Strategic's centre for Advanced Retail Technology (CART) has partnered with RetailConnections, creators of peer-to-peer events that bring together a diverse range of retailing companies and senior management executives. The events, which provide quality education and sharing of ideas are seen to be perfectly aligned with CART's educational mission to move the industry to Retail 3.0. Retail 3.0 is the next-generation retail industry ecosystem driven by relevant marketing to the individual shopper, realtime marketing and supply chain synergies, built on the foundation of shopper-identified transaction data. RetailConnections is the ideal interactive forum through which industry members can work through their evolution to the new ecosystem together.

Web: http://www.hawkinsstrategic.com

Points.com has significantly expanded and extended its partnership with US Airways' Dividend Miles programme. Points will take a principal role and accept greater responsibility in the operation of the Buy, Gift and Transfer miles programmes used by Dividend Miles programme members. And in addition to the US Airways expansion, a number of existing leading loyalty partners recently renewed their relationships with Points. These include renewals for partners including American Airlines, Intercontinental Hotel Group, Lufthansa Airlines, Starwood Hotels, JetBlue and Hawaiian Airlines. Excluding Delta Airlines, which is no longer a material contributor to transactional activity, the overall miles and points transacted in the fourth quarter of 2009 was up 39% compared to the fourth quarter of 2008. Points International has also signed a multi-year agreement with Chase Card Services, in which Points.com's Integrate product will be used to facilitate the transfer of loyalty currencies for US cardmembers between Ultimate Rewards and its loyalty programme partners, as well as enable new loyalty partnerships.

Web: http://www.points.com

Zurich-based loyalty company, Loylogic, has launched Loylogic EarnShop and Loylogic EarnMall, both providing global online points-earning shopping. EarnMall allows members of participating loyalty programmes to earn points with online merchants that cover 241 countries. The merchant selection will be fully personalised depending on a member's defined shipping country and, if desired, offers the ability to filter out local merchants to avoid cross border shipping. The EarnMall also has international currency capabilities allowing offers to be displayed and processed in the relevant country's currency. EarnShop provides members, on a global basis, with a dedicated shop where they can earn up to 50 points per dollar spend on selected products or services.

Web: http://www.loylogic.com

The new realities of credit card economics are prompting many issuers to re-evaluate the benefits they provide to cardholders. Merchant-funded rewards are increasingly popular as a cost-effective option, and cardholders give positive marks to the concept of merchant discounts. In reality, though, very few actually use them, according to Cardbeat, a syndicated market research report published by Auriemma Consulting Group (ACG). According to ACG, the gap between consumers' positive reaction to the concept and the lukewarm reaction to the execution suggests that issuers have not found the right combination of merchant brands and offers, or haven't communicated them effectively. ACG says that consumers place the highest value on discounts based on stores where they shop and for everyday items, such as fuel and groceries, but few issuers seem to have cracked the code for how to turn the idea into a reality that actually motivates consumers the way co-branded reward programmes do.

Web: http://www.acg.net

As a result of giving Double Clubcard Points and an additional Clubcard voucher mailing in December, over the Christmas and New Year period Tesco's customers redeemed 34 million more Clubcard vouchers than in the same period last year, which contributed 0.7% to Tesco's UK like-for-like sales growth. In the UK, total sales outperformed the industry as a whole, increasing by 8.3% compared with the same period last year (8.0% excluding petrol). Like-for-like sales excluding petrol and including VAT increased by 5.1% in the period (4.9% VAT-adjusted), all of which was volume growth. This was Tesco's strongest Christmas performance for three years.

Web: http://www.tesco.com

Today's customers typically begin their selection process by using internet search engines, which provide an endless array of choices, as well as the ability to compare everything - price, delivery, product specifications - at the click of a mouse. Businesses unprepared to address this new breed of buyer are rapidly losing market share. The latest book by Jill Griffin, Taming the Search-and-Switch Customer, examines this relentless selling landscape. Griffin explains the new rules for building strong brand perception, how to build trust, and perhaps most importantly, how to be (and stay) different in the eyes of the customer. With the customer's 'Worth-It' test, companies can find out how their prospects and buyers perceive them and whether they are, in fact, considered more 'worth it' than their competitors.

Web: http://www.loyaltysolutions.com

Groupe Aeroplan has announced a new partnership with Offsetters that will bring new green projects and initiatives as well as an interactive/engagement component to its members, employees and partners worldwide. To mark the partnership, Groupe Aeroplan is contributing 2,010,000 Aeroplan Miles for carbon offsets, equivalent to reducing 853 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions or removing 163 cars from the road. Offsetters creates permanent emissions reductions through carbon offsets that promote the adoption of new, low emissions or renewable energy technology. To date, Aeroplan Canada and its members have redeemed more than 56 million Aeroplan Miles for carbon credits.

Web: http://www.aeroplan.com

Over some three years TXU Energy has rewarded its loyal customers with more than US$27 million through its cash back loyalty rewards programme. Customers receive three percent cash back on their annual electricity purchases in the form of a Visa prepaid card that they can spend as they choose. They are being paid more than US$15 million in 2010 alone, based on their 2009 usage. The plans include 10% renewable energy.

Web: http://www.txu.com

US Bank's FlexPerks Travel Rewards Visa Signature credit card has been named the 'Best Credit Card if You Want Travel Perks' by Kiplinger's Personal Finance in its December 2009 Best List issue. The card allows holders to earn points toward free flights (they can be redeemed with as few as 20,000 FlexPoints for airline tickets valued up to US$400) on over 150 airlines with no blackout dates, capacity controls or award e-ticket redemption fees, plus baggage allowances. Cardholders earn one FlexPoint for each dollar spent. Double points can be earned automatically for fuel, groceries or airline purchases: whichever is highest for the customer during the month. ­In addition to travel, customers can earn cash back, merchandise or gift cards.

Web: http://www.usbank.com

Aeroplan has committed a million Aeroplan Miles to the Canadian Red Cross, to support the emergency relief efforts in the aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti. An additional million miles will be given to Aeroplan's Beyond Miles partner Médecins Sans Frontières which operates both a maternity and a surgical hospital in Haiti. Aeroplan is also inviting its members who wish to support the Haitian community to donate Aeroplan Miles to either of these Canadian emergency relief organisations online at Aeroplan's web site.

Web: http://www.aeroplan.com

In addition to earning standard points and miles, members of Hiilton's HHonors loyalty programme can earn one free night for every four stays at any of the hotels within the Hilton Worldwide portfolio of brands between 7th January and 31st March this year. They can redeem their free night certificate (with no blackout dates and no capacity controls) for up to one year after it is issued, at any Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Hilton, Doubletree, Embassy Suites Hotels, Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton Inn & Suites, Homewood Suites by Hilton, Home2 Suites by Hilton and Hilton Grand Vacations. Members can earn both HHonors points and airmiles for the same stay. They can redeem their points for free nights, as well as for merchandise, vacation packages, and unique experience rewards .

Web: http://www.hiltonworldwide.com

Source Technologies, a provider of transactional and interactive self-service kiosks, has added a layaway option to its existing bill payment kiosks, allowing shoppers to browse available products (including those that may not be in inventory at their current store location), select an item, place it on layaway and make payments toward it all from a single kiosk located within the store. This eliminates the need for shoppers to search the aisles for products or wait in line to make a deposit or payment toward their layaway selections. It also allows retailers to accommodate layaway shoppers' product selections while reserving inventory items for purchasers, freeing up retail floor space and providing a forecasting tool. The kiosk, powered by the new PilotPoint 5-Series Plus transactional kiosk, also offers shoppers the ability to purchase without relying on credit cards.

Web: http://www.sourcetech.com

In the film, Up in the Air, George Clooney plays a frequent flier and mileage-obsessed "career transition counselor." He spends his days traveling around the US firing people and collecting miles with the goal of logging 10 million American Airlines AAdvantage miles. According to Points.com, they could help him. Through them, he could exchange miles with fellow frequent travelers, track miles from multiple programmes in one spot, and check to see if his preferred programme is offering specials or limited time offers that will make earning more miles faster and easier. But then that would make the film too short, wouldn't it?

Web: http://www.points.com

When the economy is contracting, organisations that keep their attention focused on their employees will be better positioned for recovery, according to findings from the 2010 Best Employers in Canada study, conducted by human resources consulting and outsourcing company, Hewitt Associates. According to the study, the 50 organisations that appear on the 2010 list of the Best Employers in Canada faced the same challenges confronting virtually all employers, yet managed to maintain high employee productivity and commitment to organisational success. Now that the economy is starting to recover and the demand for talent is increasing, these employers will be able to retain key people, thanks to their focus on sustaining and improving high employee engagement. The study also revealed that average employee engagement across all study participants is higher than it was a year ago - 69% versus 65%. The three behaviours used in the survey were: whether employees intend to stay; how positively they speak about their employers to others; and how motivated they are to go "above and beyond". If they respond positively to all three factors, they are seen as being engaged.

Web: http://www.hewitt.com/canada

Marriott Rewards' MegaMiles promotion is giving away triple air miles on members' choice of more than two dozen airline frequent flier programmes beginning with their second stay in February, March and April this year. For instance, a member who would normally earn 400 miles for a stay will earn 1,200 miles for that same stay with MegaMiles. During the promotion, members can earn 6 points per US$1 spent on qualifying charges at Marriott Hotels & Resorts, JW Marriott Hotels & Resorts, Renaissance Hotels, Marriott Vacation Club and Grand Residences by Marriott, and three miles per dollar spent on room rate only at Courtyard by Marriott, Residence Inn by Marriott, Fairfield Inn by Marriott, TownePlace Suites by Marriott and SpringHill Suites by Marriott.

Web: http://www.marriott.com

Office Depot has launched its customer loyalty programmes in Puerto Rico. From this month local residents can join the Worklife Rewards programme and get a range of benefits, including 10% back in Rewards on ink, toner and paper purchases and Copy and Print Depot services; and 1% back in Rewards on almost everything else. Star Teacher programme members receive 10% back in Rewards on ink, toner and paper; a 15% instant discount on Copy & Print Depot services; 1% back in Rewards on almost everything else; and invitations to teacher appreciation events throughout the year. The is no limit to the amount of rewards members can earn, which are paid quarterly in the form of an Office Depot Reward Card when US$10 has been earned. If members don't earn US$10 in rewards during a calendar quarter, reward balances carry over from quarter to quarter during the calendar year.

Web: http://www.officedepot.com

Discover card has launched a national sweepstakes called It Pays to Discover Everyday Giveaway. With each purchase made with a Discover card from now until the end of 2010, Discover card members will be automatically entered for a chance to win thousands of dollars in daily prizes, leading up to a grand prize of US$1 million. Through the year, cardmembers will automatically earn extra sweepstakes entries when they use their Discover card in targeted categories including restaurants, salons & spas, and dry cleaners. Every day in 2010, 75 winners will be chosen to receive a Discover Gift Card valued between US$25 and US$500. There will be one US$500 winner, four US$100 winners, and 70 US$25 winners, which equates to over 25,000 winners in total. In January 2011, one winner will be chosen for the grand prize of US$1 million in cash. Daily winners will be notified by regular mail and will receive a gift card, sweepstakes terms and conditions, and congratulatory note.

Web: http://www.discoverfinancial.com

The airline TAP Portugal recently ran a frequent flyer programme promotion with help from loyalty agency ICLP, with the aim of encouraging the rapid redemption of members' accumulated loyalty mileage. Until 15th December 2009, Victoria members were invited to spend their miles and get free tickets to any destination operated by the airline. The campaign was called '0% miles, 100% emotions' and guaranteed 300,000 seats for half the usual required miles. To take advantage of the campaign, customers could opt to purchase a ticket in TAP Classic or TAP Plus class, upgrade to TAP Executive, or to buy extra miles if their account balance was not sufficient.

Web: http://www.iclployalty.com

Now that the holiday season is over, retailers and consumer product manufacturers are facing up to US$200 billion worth of product returns, according to web-based video sales firm ShowUhow. The company warns that customers' excitement quickly turns into frustration when they can't easily configure products, or if products don't meet their expectations (particularly in categories that require set-up or assembly, such as electronics and appliances). ShowUhow suggests that retailers can avoid many returns by setting realistic expectations through pre-sales support, providing excellent after-sales support, by calling the customer the day after a purchase to see if the product is satisfactory, by clearly setting out what is included in the product's box, and by educating shoppers about the product, its set-up, and its usage using multimedia presentations (such as online video guides).

Web: http://www.showuhowinc.com

In Canada, the Hornby IT Group has unveiled its new mobile framework for mobile prepaid and loyalty platforms. The framework provides an application for the Apple iPhone, current Blackberry devices, and other mobile web browsers that allows providers of prepaid cards, reloadable cards, or loyalty points programmes to extend their web infrastructure to mobile devices. The platform is multi-lingual and supports all mobile networks. Through the new application, mobile users can: view their points balance and account statements; receive geographically and demographically targeted special offer; receive 'push' offers; geo-locate participating merchants or sponsors (with a GPS-enabled handset); browse a merchandise catalogue; redeem loyalty points (or points plus cash); and top-up prepaid/gift cards. A hosted administration system allows programme administrators to create new promotions, change graphic content, and monitor the operation of the platform in real time, allowing for member data and geo-data to be integrated into an existing CRM application.

Web: http://www.hitgroup.ca

Social media web sites make up at least half of the top 20 sites in most regions of the world, according to SAS UK, which argues that the technique of 'Sentiment Analysis', although still in its infancy, provides a new science that can not only help companies react to reduce damage from negative comments but also to monitor customer sentiment as part of an ongoing brand management strategy. "We've seen the blunders that some big companies have made by not monitoring and, more importantly, not reacting intelligently and quickly to social upheaval in the digital space," said Jennifer Major, a business development manager for SAS UK. "Through blogs, message boards, fan pages and the like, the internet is rebalancing the relationship between customers and companies, while social media networks such as YouTube and Twitter are giving consumers instant and sometimes very powerful ways to strike back and make their voices heard."

Web: http://www.sas.com

American Airlines and Brazil's GOL Airlines have recently announced that they are enhancing their partnership with a codeshare agreement that places American's AA code on GOL's network of flights within Brazil, as soon as all necessary government approvals are received. In addition, the two airlines are also strengthening their partnership for members of both frequent flyer programmes (American's AAdvantage and GOL's Smiles).In August 2009, the airlines added the ability for AAdvantage and Smiles members to earn frequent flyer mileage credit on both airlines, but the next step (in early 2010) will allow members of American's AAdvantage programme to redeem travel awards on GOL flights.

Web: http://www.aa.com

In cooperation with the online charitable donations platform, BetterPlace.org, Payback has introduced a new way of donating loyalty points that is customised, transparent and direct. Thanks to the newly created Payback donations initiative, millions of Payback members can donate the value of their points to help various charitable projects, choosing the projects themselves and tracking their progress online. Whether the project is based in the local area, elsewhere in Germany, or in one of the world's trouble hotspots, members making donations can see for themselves how their points are being converted into aid without red tape and deductions. Members who want to make a donation can also go online to find out how much money or how many points are still needed for a particular project, and send questions to the people in charge.

Web: http://www.payback.de/spendenwelt

The promotions and rebate fulfillment provider Skybridge Marketing has launched a new Consumer's Choice rebate programme to help marketers improve brand engagement with customers. The programme simplifies the giving of product rebates and helps marketers focus more on the customer relationship than on the mechanics of issuing a rebate. The company says the programme was created to enhance the consumer's overall experience with a company's brand by providing a fast and easy service. Rebates issued through the platform take 6 - 8 days to be delivered to the consumer. Skybridge says that the programme is suited to a variety of product categories including food and beverages, health and beauty, household goods, electronics and apparel.

Web: http://www.skybridgemg.com