Feature articles...

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MARKETING BEST PRACTICE   Improving the reuse of marketing assets By Chetan Saiya (CEO, Assetlink) (Jul 2008) A widespread lack of careful reuse of marketing assets has become a major cause of marketing inefficiency, according to Chetan Saiya of marketing operations management firm Assetlink... ... read article   Six steps to keep the brand alive when the economy slides By Gavin Johnston (VP of research and strategy, Two West Inc.) (Mar 2008) When the economy slides, most companies try to cut back on what they see as a cost centre: marketing, branding, and advertising. But there's a clear-cut way to win against the odds... ... read article   Customer satisfaction versus loyalty By Graham Tutton (Vice President of Customer Solutions, DataCo LLC) (Oct 2007) Companies have much enthusiasm for customer satisfaction. Many see it as a way of making customers happy, and others see it as a way of measuring loyalty. But how important is satisfaction in reality? ... read article   Customer centricity: Doing the right thing for the customer By Stephen Hewett (Jun 2007) The strategy of customer centricity is a well accepted method of winning customer satisfaction, loyalty and even increased profits, argues Stephen Hewett of consultancy Charteris. But where to begin? ... read article   Metrics and the Buying Pipeline By Laura Patterson (President, VisionEdge Marketing Inc.) (Nov 2006) There are metrics for everything from our heart rate to our pay rate; from earnings per share to market share. Just as in everyday life, business life metrics indicate effectiveness and impact... ... read article   A brand is what a brand does By David Williams (CEO, How to Experience, UK) (Oct 2006) A clever - and not simplistic - Forrest Gump-style view of brand marketing in the UK today: what works, what doesn't work, and why... ... read article   The marketing wheel is turning, but is it relevant? By Brian Deagan (CEO and co-founder, Knotice Ltd) (Aug 2006) In the 1960s many big retailers lost the ability to know and communicate relevantly with their customers. But the wheel continues to turn and they can now regain that ability, according to Knotice... ... read article   The impact of multiple channels on customer loyalty By Peter Clark (co-author, The Loyalty Guide) (Jul 2006) There are many more communication channels available today than there were before the rise of interactive and electronic media, but how should they be handled, and what effect will they have on customer loyalty? ... read article   Best Customer Marketing: building long-lasting customer profitability By Peter Clark (co-author, The Loyalty Guide) (Apr 2006) Best Customer Marketing is, as its name implies, all about directing the major part of your marketing efforts toward your best customers - those who bring you the most profit. Here's how to begin... ... read article   Retail Pricing Strategies: their impact on customer loyalty By Peter Clark (co-author, The Loyalty Guide) (Apr 2006) Pricing strategy is a key feature of any business - it plays a key role in customers' perceptions of any business. Here we explore all the main options, and how they impact customer loyalty... ... read article   Six lessons to maximise a limited B2B marketing budget By John Coldwell (Mar 2006) In this short discourse, John Coldwell, managing director of UK-based InfoQuest, provides six lessons in maximising the effect of a limited B2B marketing budget... ... read article   The importance of a positive customer experience By Adam Faulkner (Founding Director, Sabio) (Mar 2006) The call centre is many customers' only point of contact with a company, so how they're treated (their actual experience) is an essential part of the company's brand and its market differentiation... ... read article   Using CRM insights to improve demand generation efforts By William E. Duffy (Managing Partner for iKnowtion) (Feb 2006) In this article, William Duffy of iKnowtion explores the reasons why more marketers haven't used what they've learned about CRM to improve the effectiveness of demand generation... ... read article   How consumer insight makes or breaks a new brand By Jack Gordon (AcuPOLL); Bill Vernick and Bob Sukys (BrandMine) (Nov 2005) When developing and launching a new product, the brand marketer needs consumer insight to get the market positioning right. So how do you begin the process, and how have others succeeded in the past? ... read article   Multicultural marketing: why one size does not fit all By Jim Stachura (of Aelera) and Meg Murphy (of Inquisite) (Oct 2005) As the general population continues to become more diverse, with ethnic Americans of African, Asian, and Hispanic descent making up 25% of the overall US population, the days of one-size-fits-all marketing are gone forever, it seems... ... read article   The face of pharmaceutical brand promotion: The Passikoff interview By Robert K. Passikoff (Founder and President, Brand Keys Inc.) (Jul 2005) Robert Passikoff recently explained to a group of Japanese drug manufacturers how customer loyalty metrics can help improve corporate reputation in order to better handle consumer crisis situations... ... read article   Six steps to better marketing operations management By Chetan Saiya (CEO, Assetlink Corporation) (Jun 2005) A number of factors conspire against marketers these days, making it hard to execute, monitor, and measure marketing operations manually. Here, Assetlink details six steps to aid the troubled CMO... ... read article   Acquire the good quality customers, not just anyone By Belinda Neal (Client Services Director, Crazy Horse) (Jun 2005) Many direct marketers focus on acquiring new customers in droves and pay less attention to quality, or on driving new customers toward profitability. Here we present a much more profitable strategy... ... read article   If the loyalty scheme erodes corporate values, fix it! By Tony Clarke (Director of ICLP) (May 2005) Many CRM and loyalty programmes never engage the whole company or the customer, damaging both customer relationships and corporate values. Tony Clarke of ICLP explains how to fix the problem... ... read article   Direct Marketing delivers results - but only if you know the secrets By Michael Fassnacht & Tod Frincke (May 2005) Direct marketing can deliver fantastic results - we've all seen it happen - but what are the secrets of its success? Loyalty Matrix explains it in 4 easy steps, and 2 case studies... ... read article   Hosted CRM - to subscribe or not to subscribe? By Michael Meltzer (Managing Partner, AMT Europe) (Apr 2005) While confusion exists about how to tell a successful CRM system from a failure, ASP's have been expanding their offerings. So what are the benefits of the hosted approach, and what are the pitfalls? ... read article   Access Pricing - The Fourth Way By Brian Woolf (Apr 2005) Pricing strategy has long depended on three key techniques: HI-LO, EDLP, or PUF (profit up front). But now a new Fourth Way, 'Access Pricing', is making an appearance. Brian Woolf explains what it's all about, and how it works so well.. ... read article   Crazy Prices... and more By Brian Woolf (Apr 2005) How can supermarket operators differentiate themselves from behemoth discounters, with their low costs and prices? High quality meat and produce? A great bakery? Superior service? Yes! Yes! Yes! But there's far more to it - and here's how... ... read article   The new truth about mystery shoppers By Jacquie Collins and Helen Turner (Mar 2005) Mystery shoppers have got themselves a bad reputation in the eyes of many marketing executives, it seems. But there's a new breed, with a new ethics-driven approach. Synovate explains how it works... ... read article   How to keep your market research relevant and effective By Alison Drury (Managing Director, London's Talking) (Mar 2005) While we all know that good quality market research is an excellent source of insight, it is critical that the research is fresh, relevant, and that its quality is constantly reviewed... ... read article   Why isn't Brand Mapping useful any more? By Louise Steele (Associate Director, Evo Research) (Mar 2005) Louise Steele of Evo Research explains why brand mapping is becoming both over-simplified (from a consumer point of view) and over-complex (from a marketer's point of view)... ... read article   Loyalty isn't just about rewarding gross spend By Tony Clarke (Director, ICLP) (Feb 2005) Tony Clarke of ICLP explains why loyalty is all about identifying and profiling customers, enhancing profits from them, and then retaining them, and not about simply rewarding gross spend... ... read article   Multi-channel retail: making or breaking a loyal customer By Michael Peirce (principal multi-channel consultant, Paul Mason Consulting) (Dec 2004) Multi-channel retailing has the power to inform or confuse, and make or break a sale. Mike Peirce of PMC explains the huge effect of a well planned and consistent multi-channel message... ... read article   Rediscovering the customer in the modern world By Eugene Tan (Business Development Manager, CSA MSC Malaysia) (Nov 2004) Every marketer's first love should be the humble customer. In this insightful look at rediscovering customer value, Eugene Tan of CSA MSC reminds us that profit still comes from that first love... ... read article   Using Business Intelligence to find the 'segment of one' By Michael Meltzer (Managing Partner, AMT Europe) (Oct 2004) Perhaps Business Intelligence and Data Mining aren't exactly interchangeable terms, but here Michael Meltzer explains how they can get you closer to truly understanding your customers, even on a one-to-one basis... ... read article   How financial services loyalty tactics must change By Stephen Schwab (SVP of Professional Services, Loyalty Matrix) (Jul 2004) Customer retention costs a lot in the financial services sector, and that calls for deeper relationships to help keep customers loyal over time. Stephen Schwab of Loyalty Matrix explains how FSI loyalty tactics need to change - again... ... read article   7 steps to knowing what today's consumer wants By Michael Fassnacht (CEO & President, Loyalty Matrix Inc.) (Mar 2004) Staying in touch with 'what customers want' is difficult - but not impossible. And marketing departments that are keeping track of changing customer attitudes are outpacing the competition, says Michael Fassnacht of Loyalty Matrix... ... read article   Are mobile phones the only true one-to-one marketing tool? By Lisa Modisette (Info Insight, UK) (Feb 2004) Like the variety of media that has come before it (billboards, radio, direct mail, broadcasting and internet), the mobile phone has been transformed into yet another marketing channel. But Lisa Modisette believes it is more than that... ... read article   Customer retention - a simpler approach By Terri Schepps (President, Integrity For You Inc.) (Jan 2004) Customer retention has business leaders' attention and many wonder how to approach this often-complex business function. Terri Schepps provides a seven-step 'how to' for effective retention... ... read article   How to grow a known and trusted brand By Steven Van Yoder (President, Get The Word Out Communications) (Jan 2004) Every company has a reputation. Everyone you meet will form an opinion about your company, even if they have not done business with you yet. Steven Van Yoder looks at ways of making a positive impact to build your brand. ... read article   What every marketer should know about Sarbanes-Oxley By Chris Eldredge, Director of CRM Solution Strategy for SAP (Dec 2003) While most discussion about the Sarbanes-Oxley Act focuses on financial management, it is becoming clear that marketing professionals must focus on how the legislation will extend to marketing and customer-facing functions... ... read article   The Bathtub Report By Brian Woolf (Oct 2002) Any company armed with a deep understanding of both its cash and customer flows (both in and out) has a competitive advantage over those who do not - and that's what The Bathtub Report is here to give you. ... read article   Corporate fraud: examining dysfunctional strengths By Adrian Savage, President of PNA, Inc. (Jul 2002) Why do intelligent, experienced executives engage in behaviour that will inevitably cause major embarrassment? ... read article   The Essentials of CRM Architecture and Engineering By Michael Lowenstein (Dec 2001) What Good Is A Beautifully-Designed Building If It Has A Weak Foundation and Lousy Plumbing? ... read article   MANAGING LOYALTY   Toward a stronger rewards catalogue: The final steps By N. Ramasubramani (Regional Director, SurfGold) (Dec 2007) In a follow up to two earlier articles on successful rewards catalogues, N. Ramasubramani of SurfGold explains how to segment and allocate reward options based on members and points balances... ... read article   The three key factors for a strong loyalty rewards catalogue By N. Ramasubramani, SurfGold (Nov 2007) In a follow up to the earlier article on 'maximum impact rewards', SurfGold examines three key factors in building a stronger rewards catalogue... ... read article   Inside the mind of the loyal client By Abhay Padgaonkar (president, Innovative Solutions Consulting LLC) (Jul 2006) Are your clients truly engaged or just satisfied? Personalised, in-depth and conversational third party reviews are one key way to find out how emotionally engaged they really are... ... read article   An overview of supermarket & grocery loyalty programmes around the world By Peter Clark (co-author, The Loyalty Guide - www.theloyaltyguide.com) (Jul 2006) Supermarkets face intense competition, not only from other supermarkets but also from warehouse clubs, supercentres (like Wal-Mart) and convenience stores. Here we report on what the big chains are doing to stay ahead... ... read article   Five steps to designing CRM-supporting online surveys By Paul Squires (President, AS&K) and Arturo Coto (CEO, Inquisite) (Jul 2005) In today's consumer markets, we must often move quickly to adapt to new consumer needs. But how do we know what's needed? That's easy if we have the technology and the desire to know our customers... ... read article   Maximum-impact loyalty reward catalogues: how to plan them By N. Ramasubramani, SurfGold (May 2005) A loyalty scheme's rewards catalogue is crucial to its success, so why do so many fail by offering the unattainable or the uninspiring? Happily, the problem can be fixed with a little research... ... read article   What kind of consumer buy-in can triple loyalty results? By Ned Barnett (Jul 2004) Successful corporate loyalty programmes try to create in the consumer a kind of self-generated identification with the company, eventually leading to loyalty. So why do some fail, and what can be done to help them succeed? ... read article   Four keys to building loyalty in the hospitality industry By Joe Sullivan (President of Loyalty Management at UniFocus) (May 2004) With customers focusing on location and cost in their hotel choice stays, and since a hotel property's location is fixed, building guest loyalty is crucial, according to Joe Sullivan of UniFocus - but how can it be achieved? ... read article   Targeting - The Achilles' heel of frequent flyer programmes By Philip Charlton (Managing Director, Trident Loyalty Systems) (Feb 2004) Targeting profitable customers for inclusion in an airline's loyalty programme is a problem that has been around as long as there have been frequent flyer programmes. But TLS has unveiled a unique solution to wasted acquisition costs... ... read article   The retention of the most profitable customers By Michael Meltzer (Managing Partner, AMT) (Nov 2003) Michael Meltzer looks at the methods and motivations behind customer retention, CRM, segmentation and data warehousing, customer lifetime value calculation, and getting a good ROI out of it... ... read article   Setting up a loyalty programme in a franchise environment By Malcolm Fowler (Vice President & General Manager, Ernex) (Sep 2003) Malcolm Fowler examines the issues and challenges of setting up and running a loyalty programme in a franchise environment. ... read article   Do you know what your customers are really thinking? By Terri Schepps (President, Integrity For You, Inc.) (Aug 2003) Terri Schepps examines the use of 'proactive customer analysis' to find out what customers think... ... read article   Five more critical success factors for running a loyalty programme By Malcolm Fowler (Vice President & General Manager, Ernex) (Jul 2003) The final five success factors for customer loyalty, from the third year of your programme onward ... read article   Twelve Laws of Loyalty By Jill Griffin (Jun 2003) Proven principles for turning non-customers into loyal advocates ... read article   Five critical success factors for planning and launching a loyalty programme By Malcolm Fowler (Vice President & General Manager, Ernex) (Jan 2003) Five success factors for planning your new customer loyalty programme, and five more for launching it ... read article   Realising the full potential of loyalty marketing: Ensuring success by gaining & using valuable information By Robin Clark (Oct 2002) A transcript of a presentation given by Robin Clark, Editor of The Wise Marketer, at the CREDO 2002 customer loyalty conference in Paris, France, on October 24th, 2002. ... read article   How does customer service see the customer's world? By Michael Lowenstein, CPCM (Aug 2002) The implications of customer-staff perceptual gaps ... read article   What is Loyalty? By Brian Woolf (Jul 2002) A critique of the Harvard Business Review article, 'The Mismanagement of Customer Loyalty' ... read article   Why and how a major supermarket dropped its loyalty programme By Robin Clark (Jul 2002) A major supermarket chain in the Czech Republic has recently dropped its loyalty programme. Its marketing director, Miguel van Bussel, explains why the decision was taken, how the withdrawal was accomplished, and what the impact has been. ... read article

LOYALTY MARKETING   The technology of one-to-one marketing, two years on By Jesse Quatse (Research Director, Pay By Touch) (Sep 2007) Following an August 2005 article, Jesse Quatse of Pay By Touch updates us on the 'statistical inference' technology behind SmartShop, and how grocers are benefiting from the new kiosk marketing system... ... read article   The 6 key factors that influence customer loyalty By Peter Clark (Co-author, The Loyalty Guide reports) (Aug 2007) Customer loyalty is widely accepted as being worth nurturing, but what are the main business factors that directly influence the loyalty of your customers? ... read article   The 22 major factors that will shape the future of customer loyalty By Peter Clark (co-author, The Loyalty Guide) (Jun 2006) While we must look into the past to find out why customers defect, stay loyal, or advocate a brand, we also need to see changes coming. Here we detail the 22 major factors that are set to shape the future of customer loyalty programmes around the world... ... read article   Coalition Loyalty Programmes: the who, why, and how big? By By Peter Clark (co-author, The Loyalty Guide) (Apr 2006) There are two types of multi-partner programme: true coalitions and in-house programmes that have partners. Here we explore the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of true coalitions... ... read article   The 30 major factors behind a successful customer loyalty programme By Peter Clark (co-author, The Loyalty Guide) (Mar 2006) A good loyalty programme has the power to transform a business into a customer-centric profit machine. Here, we offer a thirty-point list of the major factors that directly impact the success and profitability of a customer loyalty programme... ... read article   Marketing budgets aren't very stretchy - or are they? By Peter Clark (Co-Editor, The Wise Marketer) (Nov 2005) When do your marketing dollars bring you the least ROI? It's not a trick question... it's simply when they're aimed at the wrong people. But how often do we revisit such basic ideas? ... read article   The Beeper Greeter: loyalty through sheer innovation By Brian Woolf (Sep 2005) We all want more high-spending customers, right? So did New York-based Katz Foodtown. While many companies say they're customer-centric, Foodtown really is. So what makes this retailer different? ... read article   The technology of one-to-one marketing By Jesse Quatse (VP Product Operations at 7th Street Software) (Aug 2005) There's an awful lot of technology behind true one-to-one marketing, and it's all aimed at refined targeting. But what are those technologies, and what does the future hold? Jesse Quatse explains... ... read article   Simple steps to make your loyalty scheme into a 'growalition' By Malcolm Fowler (Vice President & General Manager, Ernex) (Jul 2005) In this thought-leading article Malcolm Fowler of Ernex explains how a company running its own loyalty programme can partner with like-minded and related businesses to grow into a loyalty coalition... ... read article   Why CRM's benefits don't always materialise on cue By Michael Meltzer (Managing Partner, AMT Europe) (Jul 2005) After many years of examining CRM solutions, it seems that much money has been wasted on simple yet fundamental problems. Michael Meltzer of AMT Europe explains the problems and the answers... ... read article   How to build excitement around a gift card programme By Malcolm Fowler (Vice President & General Manager, Ernex) (May 2005) Many specialty retailers and restaurants offer stored value gift cards, but differentiating one programme from the next is increasingly hard. Or is it? ... read article   The trouble with loyalty schemes... By Belinda Neal (Client Services Director, Crazy Horse) (Apr 2005) Most loyalty schemes don't really work, says Belinda Neal of brand marketing agency Crazy Horse. Bold but true. So what makes them fail - but more importantly, what makes them successful? ... read article   Loyalty is pointless - or is it? By Robert Kenley (Director, CardsConsult Ltd) (Mar 2005) Robert Kenley provides valuable insight into the key issues facing stakeholders in the loyalty card market, along with a vision for the future evolution of loyalty cards and programmes... ... read article   When it comes to B2B, is 'client loyalty' an oxymoron? By Michael McLaughlin (Publisher, Guerrilla Consulting) (Feb 2005) In the business-to-business world, the loyalty of your clients is getting harder to earn than ever. Michael McLaughlin of Guerrilla Consulting explains five strategies for keeping B2B clients... ... read article   Why consumer trust is the key to repeat business By Amanda Vickers and Jackie Smith (Directors, Speak First) (Jan 2005) One of the main reasons customers defect is that they do not trust the company, according to staff training consultancy Speak First, which specialises first in customer relationship management... ... read article   Creating and growing a loyalty scheme - what to find out, and how - Updated February 2008 By Peter Clark (co-author, The Loyalty Guide) (Apr 2004) Practical findings from 'The Loyalty Guide Volume II' report, summarising how loyalty programmes are set up, managed, measured, perceived and justified - whether B2B or B2C, in any industry sector... ... read article   Loyalty is about relationships, not transactions By Michael Fassnacht (President & CEO, Loyalty Matrix Inc.) (Feb 2004) Customer relationships aren't just about transactions any more, with major players such as Microsoft and Starbucks moving their customers into subscription-based relationships. Michael Fassnacht of Loyalty Matrix explains why - and how... ... read article   Loyalty to North American cinema chains could improve By Kelly Shermach (Feb 2004) Movie theatre chains in the United States and Canada are behind their international counterparts as well as other consumer-facing businesses on their own turf in North America. But why? Kelly Shermach investigates the industry's loyalty initiatives... ... read article   Loyalty from cause-related marketing By Steven Van Yoder (President, Get The Word Out Communications) (Nov 2003) Are responsibility, philanthropy, and altruism the real reasons for cause-related marketing, asks Steven Van Yoder, or should the real business-oriented goal be to build brand loyalty through such campaigns? ... read article   Thinking globally - applying locally By Kolapo Ademola (CEO, Loyalty Solutions Ltd) (Oct 2003) Are single-city, multi-sector, multi-partner coalition programmes the answer in developing countries? Kolapo Ademola, CEO of Lagos-based Loyalty Solutions Ltd uses his knowledge of the Nigerian market to provide a 'from the ground' perspective ... read article   Rewards differ from Loyalty By Tony Clarke, Director, ICLP (International Customer Loyalty Programmes) (Oct 2003) Tony Clarke examines the difference between 'loyalty' and 'rewards', and how many companies are failing to differentiate between the two. ... read article   Relationships make loyal customers By Dr Sandro Cassar, PRISM (www.prism.ch) (Jul 2003) In search of the common good: Understanding customers' feelings through CRM and building better customer-employee relationships ... read article   Nectar... details of the UK coalition loyalty programme By Peter Clark (co-author, The Loyalty Guide) (Sep 2002) Originally published by The Wise Marketer in September 2002 and updated in 2004, this description of Nectar and its operator has been continually updated in The Loyalty Guide reports (see www.theloyaltyguide.com) ... read article   Interview with Brian Woolf - the Godfather of retail loyalty marketing By Neil Raphel of Raphel Marketing (Jul 2002) Brian Woolf talks about the evolution of loyalty marketing in the supermarket industry ... read article   Achieving 977% ROI using only basic CRM principles By Lawrence Stroud (Jun 2002) Charities are just like businesses - they need to meet CRM head-on ... read article   Customer satisfaction mindsets and metrics By Michael Lowenstein (Nov 2001) Addressing major impediments to CRM effectiveness ... read article   Report: The issues involved in CRM By Thomas Bodenberg of The Conference Board (Sep 2001) CRM: New Ways of Keeping The Customer Satisfied ... read article   COMMERCE & THE INTERNET   Communicating with frequent flyers in the digital channel By Bill Hanifin (Dec 2007) This study by Customer Growth LLC tracked frequent flyer email from 5 airlines over 6 months, and quantified the usage and impact of the email channel in enhancing member loyalty... ... read article   Customer data drives business intelligence: Take airlines, for example By Pascal Burg (Mar 2007) In this case study on the airline industry, Pascal Burg of management consultancy Edgar Dunn & Company explains how customer data should drive not only profits but also true business intelligence... ... read article   The true impact of customer-centric metrics By Martin Green (managing director, Satmetrix EMEA) (Jun 2006) In this article Martin Green, managing director for Satmetrix (EMEA), examines not only how customer-centric metrics impact business but als