Loyalty Wired

Loyalty marketing only works because humans don’t behave like machines. In this episode, Rory Sutherland and behavioural scientist Jordan Buck unpack the seemingly irrational behaviour we see in real loyalty programmes — and explain the psychology that makes it predictable, repeatable, and commercially useful. If you design rewards, communications, or loyalty strategy, this episode will change how you think about what really drives response.

It is time for the annual Predictions Show on The Loyalty Podcast. In this light-hearted but insightful episode, our expert panel shares their predictions for what will shape the loyalty industry in 2026. From technology and data to customer expectations and program design, we explore the trends they believe will define the year ahead. And, of course, we will be revisiting these predictions at the end of the year to see who got it right. Featuring predictions from Stuart Melim, Caroline Papadatos, Pavel Los, Adam Posner, Phil Gunter and Iain Pringle, with a special guest appearance from Max Kenkel. Sponsored by ITA Group.

Our favourite episode of the year is back! The Loyalty Wired panel reviews last year’s loyalty predictions, debates who got it right (and wrong), and awards the title of Loyalty Predictions Champion for 2025. This year’s contenders include Stuart Melim, Caroline Papadatos, Pavel Los, Adam Posner and Iain Pringle — with Phil Gunter serving as guest judge. Proudly sponsored by Capillary Technologies.

Loyalty in financial services is big business, touching millions of customers and billions in spend every day. But it is also one of the most competitive sectors in loyalty. With open banking, rapid fintech innovation, and rising digital expectations, financial services brands must work harder than ever to earn trust, engagement, and long-term loyalty. In this episode, we bring together a panel of leaders from some of the world’s most successful financial services programmes. Johan Moolman, now at Sanlam Bank and formerly of eBucks in South Africa, shares his experience from a market widely regarded as a global leader in financial services loyalty. Nceba Hene from African Bank discusses the team’s award-winning approach, having been recognised as Team of the Year at the International Loyalty Awards. And JP Lips, former CEO of Nectar in the UK and now President for Europe at Capillary Technologies, adds a broader global perspective on what success looks like. Together, they explore the challenges of building loyalty in financial services, how these challenges differ across markets, what sets top-performing programmes apart, and the essential advice they would give to anyone new to the sector. Sponsored by Capillary Technologies.

As IAG Loyalty posts record profits, we explore how engaged collectors turn everyday earning into premium travel — and what their behaviours can teach loyalty managers about value, engagement, and the future of loyalty.

We convene our Loyalty Roundtable to break down the latest in the premium card wars. Are Chase and Amex reaching new heights - or have they already peaked?

Hotel loyalty isn’t just about free nights anymore. From lifestyle partnerships and sustainability to digital innovation and personal recognition, loyalty is transforming the hospitality landscape. In this episode of The Loyalty Podcast on LoyaltyWired, host Ian Pringle is joined by Emilie Couton (CEO, Accor Plus), Andrew Cleary (VP, Global CRM & Customer Strategy, Mandarin Oriental), and Vicky Elliott (hotel and loyalty expert, New World Loyalty) to unpack the future of hotel loyalty. They explore what’s changed, what’s next, and what every hospitality leader should be doing right now to stay ahead of the curve — plus a few loyalty “sins” and lessons learned along the way.

Loyalty isn’t just for big brands anymore. Discover how digital-first companies build loyalty from scratch — and what lessons established players can take away.

Summer may be in full swing, but loyalty never really takes a holiday! In this sunny episode of The Loyalty Podcast on LoyaltyWired, host Iain Pringle is joined by regular contributors Anja Jones, Dave Canty, Allie Ferguson, Vicky Elliott, and David Feldman for a globe-spanning chat from LA to Barcelona. From the dreaded “Shark Tank of Q3” to clever ways of cashing in points, they swap travel tales, holiday tips, and candid thoughts on keeping loyalty programs thriving through the summer slowdown. Expect laughs, insights, and maybe a book recommendation or two for your beach bag.

Rick Ferguson takes a two-part deep dive into the connections between employee engagement and customer loyalty.