Let's Talk Loyalty

Today we review learnings from Skywards and how Emirates' loyalty team increased its focus on personalisation, partnerships, and new propositions to create even more compelling experiences for customers throughout the COVID pandemic.

In this episode, I summarise what Dr Nejib Ben Khedher shared in his October 2021 interview with us, and how Skywards focuses on key loyalty drivers, going back to basics to support the airline as it recovered from the effects of the pandemic.

We also discuss Skywards+, the latest addition to the Skywards proposition, as well as the gamification approach that was proving increasingly popular, allowing members to compete to claim tickets for unique Skywards Experiences through Emirates-sponsored events

Show Notes:

1) Nejib Ben-Khedher

2) Emirates Skywards

3) Skywards Plus

4) LTL Episode 155: Emirates Skywards - Driving Success Through Personalisation, Partners & New Propositions

Today we discuss the launch of a brand-new high-profile loyalty program in the UK and Ireland, in the quick-service restaurant sector.

Kentucky Fried Chicken operates over 20,000 restaurants in 135 countries, so given their global brand, we were super excited to meet Ruby Huang, the CRM & Loyalty Lead at KFC UK & Ireland, to share their new program and its incredible early results.

As this new programme uses gamification as its core mechanic, it is called the "Rewards Arcade" - a name which plays on the history of arcade games in the UK and allows KFC a way to celebrate the fun factor and their vision for engaging with their diners with a fabulous range of games over time.

Show Notes:

1) Kentucky Fried Chicken

2) Rewards Arcade

3) Ruby Huang - CRM & Loyalty Lead at KFC UK & Ireland

4) KFC gamifies loyalty with Rewards Arcade scheme

5) Digital Driving Growth in KFC China - By Paula Thomas

6) Don't Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability, 2nd Edition: Book

Cécile Henry is the IBL Group Loyalty Manager. She manages their home country loyalty programme in Mauritius called Wiiv rewards.

Wiiv Rewards is a multi-award winning loyalty programme, despite only being 3 years old, having launched in 2019. However, today’s show is not about the programme per se nor its awards, but it is about how Cécile and her team turned around an immediate crisis of technology provider insolvency, with less than 24 hours' notice.

It is a remarkable insight into loyalty leadership, putting customers first, the power of communicating and customer service, and the courage to tackle such a crisis head-on.

Show Notes:

1) Wiiv Rewards

2) IBL Group

3) Cécile Henry, IBL Group Loyalty Manager

New Zealand is a small country punching WAY above its weight in the loyalty industry, with over 95% of Kiwi consumers enrolled in at least one programme, so it was incredibly exciting to meet one of the country's leading loyalty experts in 2021 - Phil Devlin.

In this short summary show, I review his fascinating career which includes Air New Zealand, Qantas, and Countdown Supermarkets as well as some of the key lessons I learnt from our conversation.

Across his entire loyalty career, Phil has created clear and compelling loyalty concepts both independently and with partners, with a focus on simplicity, transparency, and integrity, so listen to learn his latest ideas on what was important to consumers in 2021 and remains true today.

Show Notes:

1) Phil Devlin

2) Countdown New Zealand

3) LTL Episode 153: New Zealand Loyalty Expert Shares Exciting Airline & Grocery Loyalty Insights

Have you ever wondered about Crypto Rewards for your loyalty program? Would they inspire your members even more than your current rewards catalogue?

Today, we are delighted to welcome back Mike Capizzi, the Dean of The Loyalty Academy, to share the latest Delphi Report on this topic, created in partnership with Bakkt, and it's entitled “The Future of Crypto Rewards”.

This report seeks to capture the insights and expertise of a global panel of loyalty industry experts on this key topic.

Listen to hear this loyalty panel's conclusions around the future potential for crypto rewards, the use cases it best suits, the industries, and demographics it is most relevant for, as well as some fascinating geographic differences in the interest and adoption of this emerging asset class.

Listen to learn insights from this global study with insights from 54 loyalty industry professionals on the future of crypto rewards.

Show Notes:

1) Michael Capizzi: Director of Education for The Loyalty Academy

2) The Loyalty Academy

3) 2022 Delphi Report™: The Future of Crypto Rewards

4) Bakkt

5) LTL Episode #281: Sweatcoin Rewards Walking - Driving Health and Wealth Through Loyalty

6) Share your feedback with us!

There are fundamental differences between monetary and non-monetary rewards that loyalty industry professionals really need to understand. And that's exactly what this episode of Let's Talk Loyalty explains.

Professor Yuping Liu-Thompkins joins us today to explain the key differences between these two types of rewards, and when you might use one form of reward versus the other in your loyalty program.

Yuping is the Founder and Director of the Loyalty Science Lab, and she is extremely passionate about identifying and researching key topics around customer loyalty to help support and guide our industry in creating compelling and effective programs.

I really hope you enjoy today’s conversation with Dr Yuping Liu-Thompkins, discussing the key differences between monetary and non-monetary rewards.

Show Notes:

1) Professor Yuping Liu-Thompkins

2) Loyalty Science Lab - LinkedIn page

3) Loyalty Science Lab Medium website

4) LTL Episode #122: Loyalty Science Lab Insight

With consumer trust at an all-time low, marketers are increasingly exploring how they can use gamification and fun to capture data and create profiles of customers in ways they enjoy, rather than avoid.

Cheetah Digital's platform is entirely based on this approach, leveraging experience-led loyalty mechanics in ways that are meaningful and engaging.

Customer's values have changed, and in this short summary episode, I summarize the insights I learned in 2021 from chatting with Richard Jones, the Chief Marketing Officer at Cheetah Digital.

Listen to learn these insights on how marketing etiquette is evolving based on the need for more interactive and engaging relationships with customers.

Show Notes:

1) Richard Jones - Chief Marketing Officer at Cheetah Digital

2) Cheetah Digital

3) Signals 22 - The Award Winning Content Series

4) LTL Episode 151: Connecting with Customers through Compelling Content & Experiences

Steven Allmen is passionate about cultivating loyalty and has been a key pillar of the Canadian loyalty community for over 20 years.

With a career that includes advising some of the leading loyalty players in Canada such as Aeroplan and Air Miles, Steve is now working with the Canadian Automobile Association.

In today's interview, he shares how the CAA is creating member engagement, such as their latest partnership strategy which is driving exponential growth, as well as how their overall proposition is evolving to continually delight customers.

Listen and enjoy learning about loyalty in Canada from my conversation with Steve Allmen, EVP, Strategy and Partnerships with the Canadian Automobile Association.

Show Notes:

1) Steven Allmen

2) Canadian Automobile Association

3) CAA Rewards

This episode features some fascinating research that was conducted with US consumers in early 2022, to understand how consumers motivators have changed as we slowly emerge from the global pandemic.

Listen to learn why we buy, why we advocate for brands, and of course why we stay – with a particular focus on some critical differences between the expectations of emotionally-connected customers, compared with NON emotionally connected customers.

Joining me to share these learnings is Martha Cohen, Vice President of Client Services at Kobie Marketing.

Show Notes:

1) Kobie Marketing

2) Martha Cohen

3) Kobie Marketing Previews 2022 Consumer Research Findings

Airline loyalty professionals are increasingly exploring new models - from subscription loyalty, to prepaid fares or even in perhaps an "unlimited" option for flights.

This short show summarises my conversation with Piotr Kozlowski, who advises some of the world's largest airline and airport loyalty programmes.

We share ideas that will allow loyalty marketers to inspire their customers to fly again as the world emerges from the dramatic effects of the pandemic.

Listen to hear some creative concepts that loyalty marketers should consider, the reasons they may make sense, and some of the criteria for success.

Show Notes:

1) Piotr Kozlowski

2) Let's Talk Loyalty Episode #149: Creative Airline Loyalty Concepts from Comarch - Prepaid, Subscription, or Unlimited Travel?