Leaders in Customer Loyalty, Powered by Loyalty360

Send us a textArtificial Intelligence (AI) has become a topic of conversation for marketers this year. With its ability to enhance personalization, tailor rewards, and make product recommendations, the technology has wide implications for customer loyalty. Even so, many marketers are struggling to wrap their heads around AI — how to define it, what it means for their brand, and the best way to implement platforms that leverage AI.Loyalty360 CEO Mark Johnson recently spoke with Andy O’Dell, Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Clutch, about the current role of AI in customer loyalty, potential uses of AI going forward, and how brands can implement the technology to reimagine the customer experience.

Send us a textFor marketers and customer loyalty professionals, creating authentic emotional connections between the brand and consumers is vital to success in today’s competitive marketplace. Consumers are seeking more value beyond the transaction, and if they don’t find it with one brand, they’ll swiftly switch to another.  Doug Zarkin is the Chief Brand Officer at Good Feet Worldwide and is an experienced marketing leader with a background spanning from advertising to fashion and beauty and now to health and wellness. His new book, MOVING YOUR BRAND OUT OF THE FRIEND ZONE, comes at a critical point for those immersed in the customer loyalty industry. Zarkin describes how brands stuck in “the friend zone” may be perceived by customers, what their value proposition should be, and how they may be able to reinvent themselves.     Mark Johnson, CEO of Loyalty360, spoke with Doug Zarkin about The Brand Value Equation, the Art of Sacrifice, and “thinking human.”  

Send us a textData leads the way in modern marketing, serving as the foundation for informed decisions at every turn. Today's customer loyalty strategies rely on an intricate network of gathered and analyzed data points. These insights are then harnessed to craft personalized communications, offers, rewards, and experiences for a brand’s loyal customers.The science of data is a passion of Michael Snyder, Senior Solution Consultant for Loyalty and Experience at Comarch. Loyalty360 recently had the opportunity to sit down with Snyder and gain insights into how Comarch is embracing data-driven customer loyalty techniques to create meaningful customer interactions and generate measurable results for clients.

Aaron Lobliner, Chief Client Officer at CataBoom, discusses gamification in customer loyalty. They explore Cataboom's platform, pricing strategies, and the role of gamification in loyalty programs. They also touch on innovative game development strategies, competitive spirit, and personal reflections on life philosophy.

Send us a textCapillary Technologies, has made waves in the loyalty industry, thanks to its recent acquisitions of two prominent companies: Brierley and Tenerity's Digital Connect Assets. Since its inception in 2012, Capillary has served companies worldwide with its customer data platform. Through the utilization of its AI-powered loyalty management platform, Capillary can enhance a brand’s loyalty program to improve the customer experience and enhance program strategies.In an exclusive interview with Loyalty360, Don Smith, the Global Consulting Officer and Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) at Brierley – Capillary, gave an inside look at Capillary's recent acquisitions. Smith also delved into the concept of generative loyalty and the potential impacts the latest technology will have on the future of the loyalty industry.

Send us a textAt Home is a retail superstore focusing on holiday, seasonal, and decorative items for the home. The company was first established in South Texas in 1979 under the name Garden Ridge Pottery. Popular in the south and southeast, the number of stores grew to 50 over the course of the next three decades. In 2012, company leadership changed, and by 2014, the name evolved to At Home.Now with 267 stores, At Home specializes in product categories ranging from furniture, rugs, curtains, wall décor, bed and bath, and more while promising customers “new thousands of lower prices storewide” every day. For Insider Perks members, the brand offers exclusive low pricing on select deals, receiptless returns, and sneak peeks for special promotions and events while adding on special gift eligibility and the opportunity to become a VIP and enjoy additional benefits.Mark Johnson, CEO of Loyalty360, spoke with Susan Rodgers, CMO of At Home, about the brand’s customer loyalty program, the importance of delivering a true value proposition, and how the co-branded Synchrony credit card affords members easy access.

Send us a textFamiliar to marketing, sales, and customer service teams globally, Salesforce supplies cloud-based solutions to support its clients’ customer loyalty and customer relationship management (CRM) strategies and programs. The company’s signature software bundle, Customer 360, provides brand teams with a shared view of customer information at every phase of the customer journey, allowing clients to enhance customer relationships, streamline sales and marketing efforts, and scale to accommodate business needs.Loyalty360 recently spoke with two Salesforce associates, James Murphy, Senior Manager – Retail Industry Advisor, and Sara Fefferman, Product Marketing Manager. They discussed how Salesforce is helping brands leverage technology to build and maintain customer loyalty

Send us a textFor the past 20 years, Bounteous has established itself as a co-innovation partner for numerous brand clients. The company’s core mission as a technology-agnostic agency is to assist clients from a wide range of industries in selecting, implementing, and optimizing their technology, as well as bring loyalty experiences to life through strategic consulting, mobile app design, website development, creative, analytics, and more.Loyalty360 CEO, Mark Johnson, spoke with Ellen Green, Vice President of Loyalty Strategy at Bounteous, to learn more about her experience in consulting and how Bounteous partners with brands to build successful customer loyalty strategies.

Send us a textThe company that would eventually become Kum & Go was founded in 1959 by Tony S. Gentle and William A. Krause in Hampton, Iowa. That first humble location in the middle of the Iowa countryside has grown to 400 locations across 13 different states in the Midwest, and today, Kum & Go brings A Fresh Perspective™ to the customers and communities it serves.The brand’s purpose to make days better for customers can be found in its broad range of products offering more than traditional convenience store fare. Whether it’s freshly brewed coffee or fresh hot food that’s made to order in each store every day, Kum & Go has created a place where customers can fuel up at the pump and fill up in-store.Kum & Go’s &Rewards program allows members to earn at the pump and in-store. Points can be converted into fuel discounts or cash. Redemption starts at 100 points. Exclusive member-only deals on food, beverages, fuel, and more offer customers additional incentives to enroll in the program through the app, via the brand’s website, or even in-store.Mark Johnson, CEO of Loyalty360, spoke with Matt Riezman, Director of Brand Marketing, Matt Anderson, Director of Digital Customer Experience, and Matt Weber, Director of Business Insights & Analytics at Kum & Go, about the brand’s &Rewards program, the impact of the electronic vehicle (EV) market on loyalty strategies, and how the pandemic forced Kum & Go’s team to become more agile in leveraging technologies.

Send us a textThirty years ago, AIR MILES® launched its Reward Program, essentially inventing the coalition loyalty concept. Over the course of three decades, the Canadian program has pulled together over 300 brands and thousands of retailers and service locations, offering collectors — the program’s members — a massive amount of choice encompassing everyday and aspirational products, travel options, events, and attractions. Today, AIR MILES is making a resurgence as brands come together to share customer relationships, data and insight, and the power of the network. It’s a perfect time to re-energize the AIR MILES brand, making the most of its assets, including its nearly 10 million collector base, a mountain of data, and most importantly, the value the program brings to Canadians.  Uniting a coalition of brands together under the auspices of AIR MILES created a powerful program not only because of how collectors can earn rewards points but also because of how they can be used. There’s real power in giving people more choices and allowing them to earn and redeem wherever they shop.  Mark Johnson, CEO of Loyalty360, spoke with Shawn Stewart, President of AIR MILES, about the recent acquisition by BMO Financial Group (BMO), changing strategies to better serve the brands utilizing the program, and leveraging data to increase personalization.