Let's Talk Loyalty

Today’s episode features one of our favourite ongoing loyalty research studies – the South African Loyalty Whitepaper from Truth and Brandmap.

Amanda Cromhout joins me to share the fascinating insights from this latest release, which is now the 7th edition of the whitepaper.

The 2022 edition represents loyalty insights from over 33,000 South African consumers and includes a new focus on the mass market in South Africa, with additional research conducted with the lower-income demographic in the country.

Listen to hear the latest high-level loyalty trends and preferences, as well as detailed specifics on just how much IMPACT consumers say that loyalty programs are having on their buying behavior.

Show Notes:

1) Amanda Cromhout

2) Truth and Brand Mapp 2022 South African Loyalty Whitepaper

Today's fascinating discussion focuses on a new industry term coined by our guest – a relative newcomer to loyalty marketing, with a fresh perspective on our industry.

Christopher Ross, President of the EMEA Region for the Collinson Group, has spent over 30 years of his career at boardroom tables, helping clients leverage both the art and science of creativity to build brand value. So he was truly disappointed when he noticed how many loyalty programmes seem disconnected from those conversations and ambitions.

Chris believes that consumers are underwhelmed, and loyalty marketers perhaps equally overwhelmed, because of a clear lack of conversation and connection with our BRANDS when it comes to creating and managing our loyalty programmes.

The result is “Bland Loyalty” rather than "brand loyalty".

Loyalty programmes have become a support act instead of the strategic tool they can and should be.

Listen to today's episode to learn how your business can achieve an “unfair advantage”, using the power of creativity and compelling campaigns throughout your loyalty programme, and move beyond this BLAND loyalty to instead create powerful insights and programmes that your customers and members will LOVE.

This episode is sponsored by Collinson.

Show Notes:

1) Christopher Ross

2) Collinson

3) BLAND Loyalty Article: The Loyalty Magazine

4) The UK Loyalty Landscape 2022: Loyalty Leaders Research

*Flying Blue* is the frequent flyer programme for Air France and KLM, with over 18 million members around the world, and it's positioned as a lifestyle programme that drives real commercial value for its partners.

In today's short episode of "Let's Talk Loyalty", I summarize some of the commercial benefits that partners of this program enjoy, as well as some of the latest innovative ideas that it offers its members.

Listen to learn what most impressed me in this interview, based on a clear understanding that only when members benefit does any loyalty programme achieve its goals.

Show Notes:

1) Gerben Sikkema - Director of Partnerships at Air France-KLM

2) Air France - KLM Website

3) Flying Blue

4) Let's Talk Loyalty Episode: #147: Flying Blue from Air France KLM Group - Loyalty & Partnerships Insights

Today's episode of Let's Talk Loyalty features an innovative loyalty program called airasia rewards.

AirAsia is a low-cost carrier, headquartered in Malaysia that created a compelling loyalty program and loyalty proposition for its guests and members, and then decided to expand it to multiple countries and across all aspects of everyday spend.

Listen to learn about this comprehensive award-winning lifestyle loyalty program with Wai Fong Ong, Chief Loyalty Officer for the airasia Super App!

Show Notes:

1.) Wai Fong Ong

2.) Air Asia Rewards Super App

3) Feedback Link

Dr. Shorful Islam is an experienced leader in data analytics and shares with the listeners of Let’s Talk Loyalty how at the end of every data point is a human.

We are dealing with humans in data science so we need humans behind the strategy, not just pure automation.

His background in psychology is artistically applied to his work and Shorful shares how insight can stretch even the most profitable customer’s spend and how to activate the inactive customers in your database.

Whether you are a data nerd or a creative marketer, Shorful shares learnings which are valuable for everyone in the world of loyalty.

Show Notes:

1.) Dr. Shorful Islam

2.) Be Data Solutions

3.) Dr. Shorful - YouTube Channel

4.) Shorful Islam - Twitter

Today our friends in Truth in South Africa launch their 2022 loyalty white paper, so it's appropriate that we in "Let's Talk Loyalty" are looking back to what we learned last year in 2021!

Listen to hear our insights from Amanda Cromhout, who shared some fascinating insights on some seismic changes in consumer behaviour that emerged as a result of the global pandemic.

In this summary of the 2021 Truth/Brandmapp research, Paula shares some of the incredible growth in the South African loyalty market, which will inspire loyalty professionals around the world.

Enjoy this short explanation of how the loyalty industry evolved in South Africa in 2021, and make sure to look out for the 2022 white paper as it now launches also.

Show Notes:

1) Amanda Cromhout

2) Truth South Africa

3) Let's Talk Loyalty Episode: 145 South African Consumer Loyalty Insights 2021

The “Epsilon Loyalty Index” is a superb new loyalty study from our friends in Epsilon, showcasing a holistic new way to measure the relative loyalty of consumers for leading brands in Australia.

Eugene Yap, Head of Consulting, Strategy, and Analytics at Epsilon shares the fascinating findings of the first edition of this proprietary work.

We discuss their key findings in each of the four categories Epsilon has researched – beauty, apparel, grocery retail, and the banking sector and discuss the key drivers of loyalty and what matters to customers in each of these verticals.

Listen to hear Epsilon's perspective and the exciting insights from this Australian consumer research which will serve as a benchmark for Australian loyalty marketers in the years to come.

Show Notes:

1) Eugene Yap

2) Epsilon Loyalty Index

Today's consumers are conscious and connected, and their expectations of brands continues to grow.

As loyalty marketers, we face the complex challenge of creating emotional loyalty with these highly informed members, and also increasing expectations on finding ways to build powerful environment, sustainability, and governance propositions for our brands, without being accused of greenwashing.

My guest today to help tackle some of these industry challenges is Dr Chris Arnold, former Creative Director and Board member for Saatchi & Saatchi, with strategic expertise working with many of the UK’s top 100 brands.

Dr Chris highlights the role of community in creating loyalty, as well as the incredibly important opportunities available to brands if they consider truly diverse perspectives.

He shares some astounding insights on the critical role played by people with dyslexia in both entrepreneurial and scientific organisations, and how channelling neuro-diversity is one of the greatest unexplored opportunities for us as marketers and brands in 2022.

Show Notes:

1) Dr Chris Arnold

2) UN Sustainable Development Goals

3) YouGov Website

4) Dyversity Lab

5) Connect 2 Website

6) IKEA

As editor of the UK's most popular frequent flyer website Head for Points, Rob Burgess brings a unique and highly informed perspective on what loyalty propositions are working for the travel industry.

With paid loyalty programmes becoming an increasingly popular strategy, Rob shared his insights on the key success factors for a paid loyalty programme, and it was a masterclass on how to "wow" your members with a proposition they are willing to pay for.

Listen to enjoy my short summary of Rob's views on what makes *paid* loyalty propositions work.

Show Notes:

1) Rob Burgess

2) Head for Points

3) Interview with Rob Burgess - Let's Talk Loyalty Episode 143

Loyalty programs share some incredible similarities but also some noticeable differences in western markets, compared with Asian countries like Malaysia, Thailand, and The Philippines.

Today, Let's Talk Loyalty meets Jaroslaw (Jarek) Wludyka, who is currently Comarch’s Managing Director for Australia and New Zealand, who shares his fascinating career creating huge loyalty programs for enterprise clients in South East Asia.

Jarek explains some of the fascinating comparisons and contrasts, showcasing what works for loyalty programs in different cultures and for different industries such as utility brands, airlines and coalition programs.

Please enjoy Jarek's insights and perspective on how loyalty programs are helping brands to connect with their members in such different ways across these fascinating countries, courtesy of Comarch.

This episode is sponsored by Comarch.

Show Notes:

1) Comarch

2) Jaroslaw (Jarek) Wludyka