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Loyalty Newswire – April 27th, 2020

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By: Wise Marketer Staff |

Posted on April 27, 2020

Small-business relief restarts — and then crashes. A few vaccines are moving into next-phase trials. States and countries are weighing the importance of health versus economy. And here is your loyalty-related news for today:

  • Preferred Hotels & Resorts conducted a global survey on future travel plans post-crisis
  • Marriott Bonvoy launches promotion to aide local restaurants
  • Starbucks mobile app already prepared customers for a future of social distancing
  • Fidelity announces loyalty program for mutual fund investors
  • Reddit may introduce new "Community Points" program backed by Ethereum-based crypto rewards
  • South Korean travel company Yanolja integrates with blockchain enabling rewards tokens to be exchanged for cryptocurrency
  • Retail-to-go debut in Dallas doesn't fill the parking lot
  • Seattle mayor caps third-party delivery app fees at 15%
  • See what airlines are doing the most — and the least for your elite status

LOYALTY PROGRAM NEWS:

Preferred Hotels Surveys Loyalty Program Members on Future Travel Plans

Quotable: “This month, Preferred Hotels & Resorts conducted a global future travel survey with members of the brand's loyalty program - I Prefer Hotel Rewards - inviting them to share their aspirations and plans for future travel when restrictions are lifted or eased.”

Marriott Bonvoy Rewards Program Teams With Eateries

Quotable: “As social-distancing rules take a huge bite out of revenue, restaurants are scrounging to come up with plans to beef up their takeout businesses and make enough to pay the rent. The hotel industry is struggling as well. Now, Marriott Bonvoy — the rewards program for the Marriott and the Ritz-Carlton, among other hotel chains — is putting both industries together in a new promotion.”

MARKETING STRATEGY NEWS:

Starbucks’ Digital Strategy Will Win in a Social Distancing World

Quotable: “As soon as Starbucks reopens its stores nationwide, I’ll be resuming my habit. The company’s outstanding coffee is only one of the reasons why. Technology is the other reason. I’m as addicted to the Starbucks mobile app as I am to its coffee. I just open the app, click on 'Favorites,' hit 'triple espresso,' and walk into the local store five minutes later to pick it up. This mode of commerce utilized 'social distancing' before that even became a thing.”

A loyalty program for mutual funds? Fidelity tries something new

Quoteable: “'Loyalty programs are familiar in many consumer experiences, from video rentals to pedicures to hotel stays, but a new notion for funds,' said Todd Rosenbluth, head of ETF and mutual fund research for CFRA. 'In a perfect world, a mutual fund that keeps end investors content enough to leave money in it is a win-win,' he said.”

CRYPTO NEWS:

Reddit Joins Hands with ETH for Community Rewards Program

Quotable: “According to a recent user post, Reddit is looking to introduce a new program known as “Community Points” in which the top users of certain subreddits are rewarded with digital benefits.”

Korean travel unicorn Yanolja adding crypto rewards program

Quotable: “Yanolja, a South Korean travel company that’s valued at $1 billion, is integrating with a blockchain platform that will enable its rewards tokens to be exchanged for cryptocurrency. The deal with blockchain rewards platform MiL.k will enable the forthcoming Yanolja Coin, a (non-crypto) rewards currency, to be exchanged for Milk Coin—a bona fide cryptocurrency that can be traded on crypto exchanges.”

RETAIL NEWS:

‘Retail-to-go’ debuts in Dallas without the crowds you’d expect for graduation and Mother’s Day season

Quotable: “Retailers and shoppers who bought into Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s retail-to-go phase of reopening the state’s economy Friday said it’s a start. Shoppers liked the idea of being able to pull up and have their purchases put in the trunk vs. the uncertainty of waiting for deliveries. Stores and shopping centers said it’s great to see customers again, but it’s not going to pay the rent.”

Seattle Issues Emergency Order to Cap Delivery App Fees for Restaurants at 15 Percent

Quotable: “On Friday afternoon, Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan, along with city council president M. Lorena González and council member Lisa Herbold, announced an emergency order intended to help restaurants during the COVID-19 crisis: third-party delivery apps can now only charge restaurants up to a 15 percent fee.”

AIRLINES NEWS:

See which airlines are doing the most — and the least — to protect your elite status

Quoteable: “Frequent fliers — many who exercise extreme loyalty to their chosen airline — are now finding out if the love affair is a reciprocal relationship. While some airlines have chosen to remain mum, many major carriers are making moves to protect their best customers.”

See: Loyalty Newswire – April 20th, 2020

The Loyalty Newswire is compiled and edited by the staff at The Wise Marketer.