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The Weekend News Digest - July 25th, 2010 Tell a friend about this issue!

Welcome to The Wise Marketer's weekend news digest, covering the period from Monday 19th July to Sunday 25th July. To read any article in full, click its 'more' link.

 
Companies not doing enough for loyalty, study finds
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     Most American consumers report that quality customer service is more important to them in today's economic environment (61%) and will spend an average of 9% more when they believe a company provides excellent service, according to research by American Express. more
 
Recession-smart shoppers redefine their loyalty
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     The recession has made it necessary for consumers to rethink and adjust their shopping patterns, which has resulted in a more strategic, informed - and even coldly calculating - approach to the 'shopping game' that has traditionally been driven by impulse, advertising responsiveness, and the fundamental attractiveness of brands, according to a joint study by Deloitte and Harrison Group. more
 
Shoppers return with a more upbeat economy
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     Despite some economists suggesting the possibility of a 'double-dip recession', many consumers are generally positive about the economy's future, according to a survey by PerkStreet Financial and Harris Interactive. more
 
Vesdia signs new reward network partners
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     Vesdia Corporation, a provider of multi-channel merchant networks and shopping incentive services, has announced the signing of several new restaurant chains to its merchant rewards network. more
 
Incentive industry increasingly optimistic in 2010
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     Incentive industry professionals believe they may be 'out of the woods' as far as the economy's negative impact on programme planning goes, but most still acknowledge that this doesn't necessarily mean incentive budget increases, according to a survey by the Incentive Research Foundation (IRF). more
 
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Nectar awards points for Yahoo shopping searches
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     In the UK, the Nectar coalition loyalty programme is extending its online offering through a new partnership with the Yahoo! UK search engine, offering Nectar collectors the chance to earn loyalty points for online searches, if they install the new Nectar Yahoo! toolbar. more
 
MLB MasterCard offers fans Priceless Perks
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     In the US, MasterCard and Major League Baseball (MLB) have teamed up to launch an online portal called Priceless Perks , offering MasterCard cardholders and MLB fans special offers and exclusive savings on premium game tickets and team merchandise, as well as access to special MLB fan experiences. more
 
Cardmobili m-loyalty app launched in North America
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     Cardmobili, a provider of mobile loyalty and member services, has announced its expansion into the North American market. more
 
Winn-Dixie adds mag-stripe to loyalty card
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     In the US, Winn-Dixie has announced that customers who shop at any of its 54 New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Lafayette-area stores using the company's new magnetic stripe-based Customer Reward Card (CRC) will earn fuel savings at participating Shell stations through the fuelperks! rewards programme network. more
 
Delta and GOL to share loyalty benefits
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     Delta Air Lines and GOL have announced an agreement to offer members of Delta's SkyMiles and GOL's SMILES frequent flyer programmes the ability to earn miles on all flights operated by each carrier. more
 
Best Western joins the Payback programme
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     The Best Western hotel group is joining the German coalition loyalty programme, Payback. more
 

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