This Week's News
The weekly Loyalty Newswire from The Wise Marketer delivers a curated list of the latest news and announcements from around the globe on all topics related to customer loyalty.
- We share news on a spectrum of topics, all with the intention of giving you an “info boost” to start your week.
- The Loyalty Newswire makes it simple for busy professionals (that means YOU) to quickly digest important industry news and to *maybe even* enable you to star in your next big meeting.
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- Refreshed Hudson's Bay Rewards adds tiers and new options at both Hudson's Bay and Zellers
- How National Payments Corp of India’s UPI is changing the digital payments landscape in India
- Wise Marketer Exclusive: Mando-Connect previews findings from “What the Brits Want from Loyalty Programmes” research
- Earn your Certified Loyalty Marketing Professional™ designation in London, 19-21 September
- Scarcity Tactics can drive engagement, but why?
- Altria Loyalty Programs promote tobacco sales with strong results
- Submit your nomination for the 2023 Golden Loyalty Awards
- Merkle Launches UK’s Largest and First AI-Enabled Google Technology Practice
- Mastercard to Buy Stake in MTN’s $5.2 Billion Fintech Unit
- Short News Takes
- Job Opportunity
Refreshed Hudson's Bay Rewards adds tiers and new options at both Hudson's Bay and Zellers
Hudson’s Bay has refreshed its Hudson’s Bay Rewards (yes, that’s the name) loyalty program, The Hudson's Bay Rewards app delivers exclusive offers personalized to members based on preferences and shopping habits, in-app 'Quests' that take members on a journey for higher returns, access to special events, and other perks. Members can earn rewards points by shopping in store or online at Hudson's Bay and Zellers, as well as by using their Hudson's Bay Mastercard anywhere Mastercard is accepted. The official press release shared comments from Kevin Parry, Hudson’s Bay’s vice-president of credit and loyalty; “Hudson’s Bay was one of the first to introduce a rewards program in Canada, and since then we have seen tremendous change in how people are shopping, how they are prioritizing their purchases, and what they are looking for in a loyalty program. We wanted to level up our rewards game.”
How National Payments Corp of India’s UPI is changing the digital payments landscape in India
National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) is an umbrella organization for operating retail payments and settlement systems in India and is an initiative of Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and Indian Banks’ Association (IBA). One of its products, UPI is a system that powers multiple bank accounts into a single mobile application and powers a market leading “Peer to Peer” payment system. In July, the number of UPI transactions reached 9.96 billion. This is more than ten times what credit cards achieved in over 30 years. NPCI is now targeting one billion transactions a day, three times what it is doing now, a milestone that seems to be only a couple of years away at the current annual growth rate of over 40 percent.
Wise Marketer Exclusive: Mando-Connect previews findings from “What the Brits Want from Loyalty Programmes” research
Leading up the Loyalty Academy™ CLMP™ workshop in London 19-21 September, Mando-Connect is sharing updates from the Mando-Connect and YouGov research project “What the Brits Want From Loyalty Programmes” exclusively with The Wise Marketer. Data indicates that 74% of Brits think loyalty programmes are a great way for brands to reward their customers, up 4% from the 2022 report. Additionally, 53% think all brands should offer loyalty programmes, also up 4% from 2022. Upwards data trends appear to align with the inflationary environment and often challenging economic conditions prevalent in the UK in 2023. To get the full set of results, register for the London Workshop and check out Mando Connect for more great white papers and loyalty insight on the British and European markets.
Earn your Certified Loyalty Marketing Professional™ designation in London, 19-21 September
The Loyalty Academy™ and Zenith Marketing are hosting the first CLMP™ workshop in the UK, scheduled 19-21 September in London. Epsilon is the premier sponsor for the event. Mike Capizzi, Dean of the Loyalty Academy, will be leading the workshop. Don’t miss the opportunity to network with your peers as you earn this valuable certification to accelerate your career in loyalty and digital marketing. Epsilon is a dedicated supporter of professional loyalty marketing education and has more CLMP™s on staff than any other company in the world. For more information visit Epsilon here and go here to register for the workshop.
Scarcity Tactics can drive engagement, but why?
Our research into the Psychology of Loyalty has resonated with many people in the customer loyalty industry. We believe that further investment in the understanding of how people tick, and discovery of the intersections of human behavior theory and loyalty marketing will yield results that will bridge the gap between transactional and emotional loyalty. We share an article from Antavo "What to Do (And Not to Do) When It Comes to Using Scarcity Tactics to Increase Profit" as yet another illustration of how marketing tactics can be tied to behavior theory to validate their efficacy. This is an excellent read. Enjoy.
Altria Loyalty Programs promote tobacco sales with strong results
Tobacco promotions are driven by data. Altria's loyalty program allows retailers to offer discounts and rewards to customers using digital loyalty solutions. The program is part of the Altria Group Distribution Company (AGDC) 2022 Digital Trade Program (DTP). DTP allows retailers to earn extra funds by providing discounts and rewards to their customers. Altria's mission is to lead the industry in operating responsibly and preventing underage use of adult products. Personalization Plus (P+) includes multi-unit and loyalty offers, electronic age and identify verification (EAIV), and branded Altria product offers. In recent news, Patron Points announced that over the first 4 weeks of Altria’s AGDC Personalization Plus (P+) program it processed nearly 34,000 Altria P+ discounts to consumers and saved consumers at high volume locations nearly $200 during this first period.
Submit your nomination for the 2023 Golden Loyalty Awards
The Loyalty and Awards event is scheduled for 9-11 October in Rio de Janeiro. Not only is this the premier event for the travel loyalty industry, but it is the site of the Golden Loyalty Awards. The gala ceremony will be on 10 October, and you can submit your nominations until 1 September 2023.
This is a fantastic opportunity to associate your company with the best in the business globally at the Gala Dinner. Submit nominations here and please visit here for registration information. Award sponsorships are still available, giving you the potential to get on-stage exposure.
Merkle Launches UK’s Largest and First AI-Enabled Google Technology Practice
Merkle, dentsu’s leading customer experience management (CXM) company, has created the UK’s largest Google Technology Practice by integrating Google Marketing Platform and Google Cloud Platform teams across the dentsu group. This launch addresses the pressing need for seamless integration of capabilities in digital analytics, ad tech, data engineering, AI, and data strategy, fulfilling marketers' evolving demands for comprehensive customer experience solutions, and privacy-centric measurement. The new practice will also see the launch of Accelerator, a new leading technology built natively in the Google environment. Accelerator will deliver unparalleled time-to-value by automating configuration, deployment, and activation of advanced marketing analytics solutions.
Mastercard to Buy Stake in MTN’s $5.2 Billion Fintech Unit
Mastercard has agreed to acquire a minority stake in the fintech division of MTN Group Ltd., a South African telecommunications company. The deal values MTN's fintech business at $5.2 billion. The investment will help Mastercard expand its presence in digital payments in Africa. MTN has invested heavily in financial technology and has a mobile banking license in Nigeria. MTN separated its fintech subsidiary from its main telecom business to maximize development in the division.
Short News Takes
- The reasons behind why Latin American consumers are embracing Alternative Payment Methods
- Men’s Wearhouse offers additional lifehacks beyond Perfect Fit Rewards
- Midwest convenience store chain Kum & Go launched a new mobile app and rewards offering with support from Orium
- Reddit has launched the Mod Helper Program, an initiative aimed at extending recognition and rewards to moderators. This move comes against a backdrop of persistent tensions that have marred the relationship between Reddit and its community managers.
Job Opportunity
A large financial services provider in the US is seeking a Loyalty Strategy Contractor for 20-30 hours a week. The person will be part of the team to create the development and optimization of customer loyalty, rewards and engagement strategies for clients and prospects. The candidate should be prepared to provide customer and industry insights, rewards best practices, thought leadership and expertise to clients to support and lead the development of comprehensive loyalty strategies supporting credit and non-credit loyalty programs. A bachelor’s degree is required or, in lieu of a degree, a high school diploma and 8+ years of work experience in business strategy development, loyalty strategy or customer experience.
Interested parties should contact BillH@TheWiseMarketer.com for more information.
