Welcome back to the Wise Marketer! That is, if you've been here before! Each week, our team of editors curate a list of the latest customer loyalty, technology, and other relevant marketing news. Our goal is to make it simple for busy professionals to quickly digest important news and trending topics. Show your support by joining our mailing list to gain access to exclusive content, events, promotions, and more. Or simply enjoy today's newswire!
- Pret A Manger's new loyalty trial Pret Perks powered by Eagle Eye's Air Platform
- Gamifiera raises $1.3 million USD with plans to evolve traditional loyalty programs by incorporating elements from gaming, social networking and online communities
- American Airline's AAdvantage program joins Fuel Rewards as its first airline partner
- Global trading broker FBS announces new updates to its loyalty program
- WhatsApp launches cryptocurrency payments pilot in the US
- According to NerdWallet, Buy Now, Pay Later services became the go-to payment method for many holiday shoppers
- What can the U.S. learn from China’s implementation of its Personal Information Protection Law?
- Delta announces Basic Economy fares will no longer earn SkyMiles nor contribute toward Medallion status
LOYALTY PROGRAM NEWS
Eagle Eye Powers Pret A Manger’s Loyalty Beta Trial ‘Pret Perks’
Highlight: Eagle Eye, the global marketing technology company, is delighted to announce that Pret A Manger’s new trial loyalty scheme, Pret Perks, is powered by its Eagle Eye AIR platform. This innovative loyalty beta programme builds upon the success of Pret’s Coffee Subscription scheme and utilises more of the features and capabilities of the AIR platform. Pret Perks is currently available to Pret Coffee Subscribers during this trial phase with aims to roll out further. The Pret Perks scheme is the next step in Pret’s digital omnichannel transformation, allowing customers to earn a star every time they purchase in shop, or use Click & Collect.
Google Launchpad Alumnus Gamifiera Raises $1.3 Seed Round to Change Loyalty Programs from Bribery to Gamified Social Community
Highlight: Founded by former executives from Webhallen, a leading electronics and entertainment retailer in Sweden, Gamifiera is evolving the traditional loyalty program paradigm to build deeper relationships based on emotional and social needs and desires. In contrast to the current model which focuses on immediate, conversion-based KPIS and rewards deal-seeking behaviors detrimental to long-term goals, Gamifiera incorporates elements from gaming, social networking and online communities to create sticky experiences that inspire and motivate shoppers. “In the past 20 years, nearly everything about ‘online’ has changed except how retailers fundamentally approach loyalty. It’s all transactional. Spend is either awarded with or catalyzed by discount. That’s not loyalty, it’s more like buying friends,” said Wilhelm Sporrong, Gamifiera Co-founder & CEO.
Shell and PDI Announce AAdvantage® as a New Partner for Fuel Rewards® Program
Highlight: Shell Oil Company (Shell), the largest fuel network in the U.S., and PDI, the management software company in charge of the Fuel Rewards® program, have announced AAdvantage®, the American Airlines loyalty program, is joining the Fuel Rewards program as its first airline partner. The addition of AAdvantage® means that its members will now be able to earn two AAdvantage® miles for every gallon of fuel they purchase at Shell… “Covid has changed a lot about travel, but with some light at the end of the tunnel, we know many people are anxiously awaiting and even planning for their next trip. Shell and American wanted to partner together to help travelers make the most of that trip by allowing them to earn airline miles with every fill-up at their local Shell,” said Greg Lemen, Director Loyalty Partnerships and New Business Development for Shell Retail US.
FBS Loyalty Program is Updated with More Lux Prizes
Highlight: In the endeavor to thank clients for their devotion, FBS enhanced the prizes' value. Thus, each Loyalty Program member can simply trade and be rewarded with even more luxurious prizes like the latest iPhone, Samsung phone, MacBook Air, new Mercedes, Rolex II, and more. One of the strongest drivers of FBS is client satisfaction with broker's services and products. To meet this goal, FBS is not limited to constant product development but also rewards traders for their trust. An easy and favorable FBS Loyalty Program has been created to ensure the maximum advantage of trading.
PAYMENTS NEWS
WhatsApp launches cryptocurrency payments pilot in the US
Highlight: WhatsApp has launched a new pilot that lets a “limited number” of people in the US send and receive money from within a chat using cryptocurrency. The feature is powered by Novi, Meta’s digital wallet that launched as a pilot six weeks ago, with payments made using Pax Dollars (USDP), a stablecoin pegged to the US dollar issued by Paxos. The news was announced by Novi’s incoming head Stephane Kasriel and WhatsApp’s Will Cathcart... While WhatsApp’s US payment plans revolve around Novi and cryptocurrency, elsewhere in the world it’s already offering payments using traditional fiat currencies. The feature got a widespread rollout in India last year, and has also launched in Brazil.
Gen Zers relied on buy now, pay later during the holidays. It's time to pay up
Highlight: The wildly popular buy now, pay later services were the go-to payment option of about one in five holiday shoppers — 22% of which were Gen Zers, according to NerdWallet. Of the Gen Z respondents who've used BNPL, 43% said they missed at least one BNPL payment this past year compared to just 31% of millennials, an October report from Piplsay shows... For consumers, but especially for Gen Zers, BNPL has provided an alternative to credit cards' high-interest rates during the busiest shopping season of the year, attracting the attention of retailers who have increasingly adopted this payment option.
DATA & PRIVACY NEWS
What the U.S. Can Learn From China’s Data Privacy Regulations
Highlight: Recently, China’s new Personal Information Protection Law (PIPL) went into effect, which drastically changed the private data protection landscape in China and beyond the country’s borders. The law restricts companies but, notably, not the government, from collecting and using consumer data, which impacts companies both in and outside of China. The question now is what does this mean for the future of data protection policy, and perhaps more importantly, the lack of a comprehensive U.S. policy? While Europe has GDPR and China now has its own data privacy laws, the U.S. has yet to establish laws on a federal level. Individual states are passing their own, but this leaves a number of consumers unprotected, and can even be a headache for businesses that operate in multiple states.
TRAVEL & HOSPITALITY NEWS
Delta Air Lines Makes Big Changes to Basic Economy Fare
Highlight: Effective immediately, Delta Basic Economy Tickets will no longer earn miles toward the carrier’s SkyMiles frequent-flyer program or toward a passenger’s Medallion status. Instead, only tickets at the Main Cabin level or higher will contribute toward both of those programs. Delta is also changing its Basic Economy change policy, which had been relaxed because of the pandemic… Starting next year, changes and cancellations will no longer be allowed. Delta, however, will offer some partial credit for Basic Economy cancellations, something that was never offered prior to the pandemic. A cancellation charge will still apply.
Did you miss last week's newswire? Stay informed: Loyalty Newswire – December 6th, 2021
The Loyalty Newswire is compiled and edited by the staff at The Wise Marketer.
