Here is what we’re following in loyalty news - Publicis buys Epsilon, Brexit informs consumer choices, Tim Horton’s rewards comes to the U.S., Free shipping is no longer a given, Retailers finding renewed value in bricks-and-mortar, Another company apologizes for misusing customer data, Blockchain may someday allow us to buy a beer from a vending machine, and Weed loyalty may have hit a snag.
DEALS
Publicis to Buy Alliance Data's Epsilon for $4.4 Billion
Quotable: “The owner of agencies Saatchi & Saatchi and Leo Burnett Worldwide is focusing more on data analytics as consumer giants rely less on TV commercials and billboards and shift spending online.” “This deal, along with IPG’s acquisition of Acxiom, seems to confirm that consumer data will underlie all the decisions your company makes. We believe you can have all the data and tech in the world, but if the message you’re delivering has no impact, you won’t sell anything.”
CONSUMER INSIGHTS
Next-Generation Consumer Segmentation Tool for the Financial Services
Quotable: “The single largest asset of the average American household is the equity in their home, providing a strong correlation between home value and net worth. The inclusion of this data allows a more precise use of property value as a predictor of wealth and financial behaviors.”
Fiserv Survey Shows Digital Services Key to Customer Loyalty
Quotable: “more than half (54 percent) of all respondents said they would be more likely to use added services from their current financial services provider if they could sign up and manage them easily online.”
Spending Power in the Attention Economy Brings New Age of Brand Loyalty into Focus
Quotable: “Emergence of Values-Based Culture and Activism Consumers are beginning to shift away from traditional wallet economy purchasing priorities, such as utility and durability, to less tangible factors, such as brand engagement on social media and involvement in social issues. Younger generations are looking for brands that align with their values as individuals and contribute to the cultural conversation.”
Britain, Brexit And Brand Loyalty
Quotable: “Just like in politics, there are two tribes of consumers that brands need to recognise and fully understand in order to succeed and grow. When faced with a challenging commercial experience, the Loyal tribe are 43% more likely to give companies a longer period of time in which to fix a consistently bad customer experience; while the Disconnected are more likely to switch brands across 8 categories of good and services in the next year. This shows that Britain is divided into those who will give brands a second chance (the Loyal), and those who will take their loyalty away (the Disconnected).”
LOYALTY PROGRAM LAUNCHES & RE-LAUNCHES
Tim Hortons Launches Rewards Program in U.S.
Quotable: “Tim Hortons, has launched its Tim’s Rewards loyalty program in the U.S., offering a free cup of coffee, hot tea or baked goods after every seventh store visit, a news release said. The offer doesn't, however, include free Timbits or bagels.”
Vitamin Shoppe Goes Live with Revamped Loyalty Program
Quotable: “With over 90 percent of the company’s sales coming from Healthy Awards members, we are delighted to launch our new loyalty program as the first step in having a much more meaningful relationship with our customers.”
KUDOS
CrowdTwist is Named a Leader in Loyalty Technology Platforms
Quotable: "Congratulations to the CrowdTwist team on this incredible achievement," said Stephanie Urban, Vice President, Digital Marketing & eCommerce at Tarte Cosmetics.”
C-STORE
Welcome to the New C-Store Innovation Game
Quotable: “43 percent of high-income millennials would be more likely to visit a gas station if its app offered convenience, loyalty and savings.” And, “half of those high-income millennials said that about 74 percent of their gas purchases were made via mobile apps that encourage them to keep using apps to buy gas.”
LOYALTY STRATEGY
Shinola President Reveals How Customer Insights Shape Evolving Loyalty Strategy
Quotable: “Our objective was to conduct one-hour interviews with 30+ Shinola customers to see what was important to them. [We wanted to know] what were the basic necessities they would want, as well as what they would not want from a brand like Shinola.”
H&M limits free deliveries for low-spending loyalty club members
Quotable: “H&M's move to rein in free deliveries for scheme members comes after German online clothing marketplace Zalando recently introduced a minimum order threshold in Italy to increase orders.”
What’s driving retailers’ investments in 2019
Quotable: “The latest results from the 2019 State of Retailing Online report are in, and the findings showcase how modern retailers think about meeting the demands of today’s multichannel consumer. Notably, for many retailers it includes focusing on expanding their physical footprint in 2019 to better meet shoppers’ needs.”
Ulta’s Recipe for Beauty Retail Success
Quotable: “The rewards program has 31.8 million active members and grew 14.4% in the past year and has recently been enhanced by a new Elite Diamond Tier. Their reward program is sticky. Ulta has reported their loyalty program customers make up 90% of sales.”
DATA & PRIVACY
Pregnancy club fined £400,000 for illegally sharing members’ data
Quotable: “It included information on “potentially vulnerable” new mothers and children and appears “to have been motivated by financial gain”, the regulator added. “Bounty were not open or transparent to the millions of people that their personal data may be passed on to such large number of organisations,” said Steve Eckersley, ICO director of investigations.”
LOYALTY TECHNOLOGY
Bringing Loyalty Programs to the Self-Serve Crowd
Quotable: “A recent project from blockchain-based identity startup Civic aims to keep alcoholic beverages sold through unattended retail out of underage hands. Customers must pay using a cryptocurrency app, which requires them to first undergo identity verification.”
UH OH
City weed stores' loyalty-points program may not be legal
Quotable: “That legal language doesn't explicitly mention loyalty programs, but lawyer Matt Maurer thinks Garden Variety's rewards initiative could be construed as a violation of the law. "If you're providing points, which is something, and that's being provided as an inducement to buy cannabis, then arguably you've got a problem …"”
BIG SCREEN LOYALTY
‘Sheetz vs. Wawa’ Coming to a Cinema Near You
Quotable: “Stories range from date nights at the stores, to friendships made with employees, to people whose first stop after flying home to Philadelphia is at a Wawa for coffee. This is not just a film about the rivalry. This is a film about human beings. There is a story here. Sheetz is like my brother, who I know everything about. Wawa is the interesting new person, fun to hang out with,” he says diplomatically.”
The Loyalty Newswire is compiled and edited by the staff at The Wise Marketer.
