Loyalty Newswire – February 15th, 2021

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By: Wise Marketer Staff |

Posted on February 15, 2021

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  • McDonald's rolls outs its loyalty program called MyMcDonald's Rewards in five US markets
  • New Sam's Club Mastercard Rewards program designed by Synchrony was recently announced
  • Brands are starting to realize the importance of creative product packaging
  • Pandemic forces Japanese retail supermarkets to narrow down their product portfolios as consumers spend less time shopping in-store
  • Crypocurrency payment platform Bitpay announces upcoming support for Google Pay and Samsung Pay
  • LogMeIn demonstrates ongoing commitment to data privacy by obtaining TRUSTe "Certified Privacy" certification
  • Is the hotel industry ready to take on the digital savvy consumer?
  • Investors are gauging hard-hit travel and hospitality companies in an attempt to figure out which companies are in the best financial health

LOYALTY PROGRAM NEWS:

Can I Have Rewards With That?

Quotable: “Now, for the first time, parts of the US has a full serving of loyalty with a program known as MyMcDonald’s Rewards, with national rollout soon to come. What features can we expect from program? How will it change the customer experience overall? And is it able to march in step with the latest trends and innovations quickly shaping the space?”

New Sam’s Club Mastercard Rewards Program By Synchrony Unlocks Additional Value On Sam’s Club Purchases

Quotable: “Sam’s Club, a leading membership warehouse club, Synchrony, a premier consumer financial services company, and Mastercard, (NYSE: MA) a global technology company in the payments industry, announced today a new Sam’s Club Mastercard rewards program that provides additional value for cardholders – from expanded rewards to digital enhancements. The card program is an essential tool for all Sam’s Club Plus members that helps maximize savings and delivers on the evolving consumer shopping habits.”

RETAIL NEWS:

Luxury Retail: Why a Customer Should Love Your Packaging First, and Then Your Product

Quotable: “More and more, brands are beginning to see the value of their packaging in influencing consumers’ purchasing decisions. But much less often do they understand the true potential of their outer and additional elements in driving brand engagement, increasing loyalty and enhancing the overall customer experience – and it’s by doing the latter, you can really make consumers fall in love with not only your products, but your brand and business too.”

Pandemic sparks transformation in Japan's retail marketing

Quotable: “Nikkei analyzed the data of Nikkei POS, a database of retail prices and sold volumes at stores in Japan, and learned that in 2020, the number of products decreased in about 70% of the food and everyday items. Amid the pandemic, customers are spending less time at supermarkets and have decided what to buy before they shop, which is making signature products from well-known brands perform better than before. As a result, retailers and manufacturers have narrowed down their product portfolio.”

PAYMENTS NEWS:

You can soon use cryptocurrency for payments in Google Pay, Samsung Pay

Quotable: “BitPay’s wallet app supports Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, and Ether, as well as several dollar-pegged cryptocurrencies (namely USD Coin, Gemini Dollar, Paxos Standard and Binance USD). The BitPay Card allows users to convert their cryptocurrency into traditional currency, with customers able to use this card wherever Mastercard debit payments are accepted. 'Support for Google Pay and Samsung Pay is planned for later this quarter,' BitPay noted in a press release, without providing a specific launch date. The service has just hit Apple Pay too, so hopefully it’s a case of sooner rather than later.”

DATA & PRIVACY NEWS:

LogMeIn Furthers Commitment to Data Privacy with TRUSTe Enterprise Privacy Certification

Quotable: “This certification demonstrates LogMeIn’s ongoing commitment to data privacy and places the company among a select group of leading and world-class organizations who have demonstrated that their privacy policies and data processing practices are consistent with current regulatory expectations and external standards for privacy accountability. The TRUSTe “Certified Privacy” certification and seal are secured through a set of privacy assurance programs that enable companies that collect and/or process personal information to demonstrate responsible, ethical, and legally-compliant data collection and processing practices. ”

TRAVEL & HOSPITALITY NEWS:

Is hospitality ready to service the digitally savvy travel consumer?

Quotable: “With the explosion of the “digital way of life,” the customer journey has turned into a digital customer journey that is becoming increasingly complex, forcing hoteliers to overhaul their technology stack, corporate and marketing strategies in order to engage, acquire, service and retain these digitally savvy travel consumers across multiple digital touch points and across all digital channels and devices. Unfortunately, our industry is vastly unprepared for this new digital reality.”

Investors Eye Hard-Hit Travel Companies for Bargains

Quotable: “Next week’s numbers, however, may offer clues on which companies are in the best financial health and would benefit the most from economic reopening, while also allowing investors to better gauge where companies should be valued. 'The results across the board are going to be bad, but it’s really going to be about who is coming back,' said Adam Trivison, a portfolio manager at Gabelli Funds. The focus on travel and leisure companies comes as investors more broadly gauge the effectiveness of the U.S. vaccination effort and the degree to which it will help the economy get back on track.”

Catch up on last week's news: Loyalty Newswire – February 9th, 2021

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