In many ways, today's loyalty landscape looks a lot like it did 40 years ago! So why is that? And how can businesses truly win over their customers' hearts and minds to excel in today’s fiercely competitive world? The answer lies in a relentless focus on consistently caring for those customers more powerfully and more authentically than ever before. Loyalty is more than just a focus on the transactional management of your relationships. It starts with companies being loyal to customers first, wh...
Jul 06, 2022•45 min•Season 1Ep. 246
Tupperware is truly a household name with consumers around the world, famous for its innovative food storage and preparation containers. The brand has recently realised the power they can harness by investing in a professional loyalty strategy to connect with its consultants, retail partners and of course consumers. This episode of "Lets Talk Loyalty" shares the story and insights of loyalty expert Fernando Jimenez who has recently taken on this fascinating new role, designing a loyalty program ...
Jul 05, 2022•41 min•Season 1Ep. 245
In this summary episode, we discuss our key learnings from our conversation in early 2021 with the CEO of IAG Loyalty Limited , the company that operates "Avios" - the loyalty currency of the five airlines of the IAG airline alliance. Adam Daniels shared some of the extraordinary changes in consumer behaviour that evolved as a result the global pandemic, with dramatic increases in non-travel engagement such as online shopping, and the success of new propositions driving emotional loyalty at this...
Jul 04, 2022•7 min•Season 1Ep. 244
Sustainability is both an urgent and an important focus for businesses, and one that loyalty marketers can play an important role in supporting. But how? In today's podcast, we're joined by Isobel Finlayson , Sustainability Lead for Mando Connect to share their ideas, insights, research and suggestions on practical ways that loyalty marketers can help. We showcase some examples of global best practice in sustainability led by loyalty professionals, with examples in both retail and aviation, and ...
Jun 29, 2022•44 min•Season 1Ep. 243
Not enough time and attention is devoted to understand the incredible value that loyalty programmes are driving indirectly for organisations – building the brand in less obvious ways than we typically measure when we’re calculating the ROI of our initiatives. But yet, these indirect benefits can be extremely valuable in the ways they impact the buying decisions that customers make!! This is a key insights from today's conversation with Collin Larijani who has over 12 years of experience working ...
Jun 28, 2022•41 min•Season 1Ep. 242
Payback is widely respected as one of the most innovative companies in Germany, with over 80 million members in six international markets and an impressive redemption rate of over 95%! In this short show, we summarise the highlights of our interview with Payback's CEO, Bernhard Brugger , showcasing their remarkable achievements over the last 20 years. Learn how Payback grew from a simple multi-partner program to its current positioning as a global marketing technology and services company. Show ...
Jun 27, 2022•7 min•Season 1Ep. 241
In the Asia Pacific region, pioneering brands lead the way for digitally-demanding consumers by personalizing their experiences using big data and artificial intelligence. Dan Cantorna , Vice President of Data, Insights, and Technology for Collinson in Asia Pacific, joins us in this episode to share his fascinating insights on some of the digital and loyalty innovations emerging from the region. With so many global brands looking to Asia to understand the consumers of the future, this conversati...
Jun 22, 2022•40 min•Season 1Ep. 240
Yuu Rewards is a leading loyalty program launched in Hong Kong in 2020 which prides itself on its innovative digital-first strategy. Created initially as a coalition programme, Yuu Rewards has proven to be a compelling proposition for the digitally-savvy consumers that Asia is renowned for. Now two years old, I’m today joined for a second conversation about Yuu Rewards by COO Mark Sage, who explains how the programme has grown, offering compelling new services, and is now firmly established as a...
Jun 21, 2022•36 min•Season 1Ep. 239
In January 2020, Google announced that it would no longer support third-party cookies for users of the Chrome browser. What sounded like a massive challenge for marketers who've relied on them for many years, may in fact result in incredible growth and opportunity for loyalty marketers. In today's short summary episode of Let's Talk Loyalty , we review our conversation on this huge topic with Elliott Clayton , Senior Vice President of Media for Epsilon in the UK. Elliott explained why it is such...
Jun 20, 2022•6 min•Season 1Ep. 238
Del Taco is the world's second-largest Mexican fast-food restaurant chain, and its loyalty program is playing a vital role in its popularity and growth. In this episode of Let’s Talk Loyalty , Erin Levzow joins us to share her industry-leading insights and ideas from their "Del Yeah!" program which has already won prestigious awards - including B2C app of the year and the Gold Award for Loyalty Strategy. Learn how Del Taco has created such a compelling mobile app featuring Del Yeah! Rewards to t...
Jun 15, 2022•45 min•Season 1Ep. 237
David's Bridal is a US-based retailer that specializes in wedding gowns, prom gowns and formal wear, and offers an extraordinary collection of beautiful outfits for all of life's magical moments. Already operating over 300 store locations in various countries as well as online, in 2020, David's Bridal stores created an industry first with the launch of their Diamond loyalty program, designed to leverage the buying power of the bride's family and friends to help the happy couple earn a honeymoon ...
Jun 14, 2022•45 min•Season 1Ep. 236
As one of the most exciting loyalty markets in the world, South Africa boasts plenty of compelling concepts and innovative ideas - and this summary show discusses one of the most exciting to date! Ros Netto , Customer, CRM & Loyalty Specialist and Head of Customer Care for Real Foods Group in South Africa, shares her insights from the launch of South Africa's first restaurant and fast-casual dining subscription program for their market-leading chain called Kauai . Listen to learn some of the...
Jun 13, 2022•6 min•Season 1Ep. 235
Sheetz Inc. is one of North America's fastest-growing convenience store chains, already operating over 600 locations. In this episode of Let’s Talk Loyalty , we were delighted to share the impressive role that loyalty initiatives play in Sheetz business strategy, in a conversation with Director of Brand Marketing, Nicole Auman . Nicole discusses some of the company's recent major insights and achievements, including a new subscription service, her insights on the compelling role that their app i...
Jun 08, 2022•41 min•Season 1Ep. 234
Etihad Guest is a world-leader in airline loyalty, renowned for delivering innovative ideas that delight members in unexpected ways! In today's episode, Let's Talk Loyalty is joined once again by Kim Hardaker , Managing Director of the Etihad Guest Programme, who shares the latest ideas and insights from one of the travel industry's leading reward programs. Their recent campaigns include a proposition to support the airlines sustainability goals, and a "world-first" idea that celebrated the reop...
Jun 07, 2022•50 min•Season 1Ep. 233
The global Covid crisis challenged many businesses to the brink of survival, especially in the travel industry. Across airlines, hotels, hospitality and duty free, with global travel volumes almost non-existent, these travel companies were challenged to innovate in ways they may never have imagined before. Lagardère Travel Retail saw the pandemic as an incredible opportunity to create compelling new channel with their customers, creating an entirely new sales and marketing approach that their cu...
Jun 06, 2022•6 min•Season 1Ep. 232
Sonder Media is a consulting firm that specializes in identifying, valuing, and optimizing the media value of loyalty programs, and in today’s episode, Jonathan Hopkins and Angus Frazer , co-founders of Sonder Media, share their expertise and insights on this high margin opportunity. We discussed the power and potential profitability of using the unique assets, permissions and insights from your loyalty program as a media business, an increasingly popular idea being considered by program owners ...
Jun 01, 2022•38 min•Season 1Ep. 231
When it comes to loyalty programmes in the UK, the gold standard programme that consumers say they love the most is often the Boots Advantage Program . 2022 marks the 25th anniversary of this iconic programme, so "Let's Talk Loyalty" was delighted to be joined by Hollie McLellan , Head of Customer Marketing and Loyalty for Boots UK, to discuss the company's latest innovations and initiatives. Join us to hear this masterclass in loyalty marketing, showcasing their new "Beauty Club" which features...
May 31, 2022•45 min•Season 1Ep. 230
“To make the customer fall in love with the brands.” This is how Alejandro Gonzalez Saul , CEO of Puntos Columbia described the purpose and goal of this market-leading loyalty program operating as a coalition in Colombia. In this short summary show, "Let’s Talk Loyalty" looks back on a fascinating conversation with the true loyalty market leader in Colombia to understand its impressive proposition and performance. Listen to learn some of the secrets that Alejandro shared that drive the incredibl...
May 30, 2022•6 min•Season 1Ep. 229
The International Airline Group is one of the world's largest airline groups, formed by the merger of British Airways and the Spanish Airline Iberia . Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, it flew to 279 destinations and carried approximately 118 million passengers per year. IAG created a new unified loyalty currency called Avios , as well as a dedicated loyalty division that has been operating in various forms for over 30 years. In this episode, we are joined by the Chief Product Officer of IAG Loyal...
May 25, 2022•45 min•Season 1Ep. 228
How do you measure and prove the value of your investment in loyalty marketing? In this episode, we are joined by Brad Macdonald , Vice President of Loyalty Strategy at Epsilon , who shares their approach to assessing the value of brands' investment in their loyalty marketing initiatives with an "a value led approach". We also announce a partnership with Epsilon together with Let’s Talk Loyalty launching a unique, personalized, and private "Loyalty Lab" every month for one lucky listener to have...
May 24, 2022•36 min•Season 1Ep. 227
In today’s short summary episode of Let’s Talk Loyalty, Paula Thomas looked back on her conversation with Virgin Reds Chief Marketing Officer, Kelly Best who shared exactly how Virgin is prioritising its customers throughout their new Virgin Red Program. Virgin realised that customers really dislike when their loyalty points expire, so they created a programme where that would never happen! Another key principle is how Virgin Red ensured its program is accessible to all of its members, creating ...
May 23, 2022•7 min•Season 1Ep. 226
In this episode, Łukasz Słoniewski of Comarch joins Let's Talk Loyalty to discuss the "2022 Global Report on Loyalty Marketing & Rewards Programs," a research report performed by Forrester Consulting in Q1 2022 with 549 loyalty marketing leaders from around the world. Łukasz shared some of his key learnings from the report, such as understanding the significant difficulties we as loyalty marketers face, the most popular loyalty program benefits being offered in 2022, and their ambitions for ...
May 18, 2022•55 min•Season 1Ep. 225
The winners of the 2022 "Freddie Awards" have just been announced, the awards created to recognise the gold standard in travel loyalty programs worldwide. The winners of the Freddie Awards are chosen by their members, with millions of customers voting for their favourite programs. In today's episode of "Let's Talk Loyalty", we are joined today by the founder of the Freddie Awards, Randy Petersen, to learn all about the origins of these awards, who was "Freddie" and of course which airlines, hote...
May 17, 2022•51 min•Season 1Ep. 224
The Loyalty Academy is the world's leading loyalty marketing training platform, run by and for loyalty marketers. Let's Talk Loyalty is the world's leading podcast for loyalty marketing professionals, with over 200 episodes and over 100,000 plays. To celebrate the return of the in-person certification workshops in four fantastic locations around the world, Let's Talk Loyalty and The Loyalty Academy teamed up to give one lucky listener the opportunity to attend and win a full scholarship for a Lo...
May 16, 2022•5 min•Season 1Ep. 223
Albertsons is one of the largest food and drug retailers in the United States. In today’s episode, "Let's Talk Loyalty" meets Matthew Stevens , Albertson’s Director of Loyalty Programs and Strategy, who shared how their loyalty program is supporting the dramatic transformation of their business, in direct response to changing consumer behaviours and expectations. Boasting almost 2,300 retail stores in the United States across multiple brands including Albertsons, Safeway, Shaw’s, Randalls and Un...
May 11, 2022•35 min•Season 1Ep. 222
In today’s episode, Paula was joined by fellow podcaster Iain Pringle , to share what we've each learned in our combined five years of podcasting about our industry. Like many loyalty professionals, Iain and Paula both love the opportunity to make customers happy, by rewarding them in ways that are also profitable for business. Listen to learn all about Iain's loyalty background and the role of his podcast as another source of knowledge for loyalty marketing professionals worldwide. Show Notes: ...
May 10, 2022•40 min•Season 1Ep. 221
In this short summary episode, Paula Thomas looks back on a fascinating conversation with Evert de Boer , Managing Partner of On Point Loyalty , who discussed how the aviation sector has earned such huge profits from their loyalty programs over the years. And how their importance grew even further in importance through the global pandemic, offering airlines a stable, recurring source of revenue even though customers were unable to travel, and even challenged the widely-held view that redemption ...
May 09, 2022•9 min•Season 1Ep. 220
In this episode, Adam Posner , joins us to talk about his hugely popular " For Love or Money™ Australia " research report and insights for 2022. Adam explains key insights from his research and discusses what compels consumers to join a loyalty programme and the "3 Bs" of loyalty: behaviour, belief and belonging. We also talked about generational differences in loyalty preferences, rewards and even currency types. Whether you are working in loyalty marketing in Australia or elsewhere, these cons...
May 04, 2022•45 min•Season 1Ep. 219
The Global Hotel Alliance (GHA) is the world's largest alliance of independent hotel brands, supporting 35 hotel brands with more than 500 hotels across 85 countries, each leveraging the DISCOVERY guest recognition programme to drive loyalty with guests. This alliance allows small and independent hotels compete with global hospitality brands, while still operating independently and giving consumers the opportunity to earn rewards across their many brands. In this episode of "Let's Talk Loyalty" ...
May 03, 2022•40 min•Season 1Ep. 218
In this short summary episode of "Let's Talk Loyalty" , we looked back on an episode from early 2021 when we talked about loyalty programmes as they evolved during the global pandemic, in an insightful conversation with Ashish Sinha, Managing Director of Epsilon APAC & MEA . While some brands did their utmost to be extraordinarily helpful to consumers in that particularly difficult time, others overloaded their members with offers and deals that they didn't want or couldn't afford to redeem....
May 02, 2022•6 min•Season 1Ep. 217
