We’re not sure if this is a seasonal phenomenon, but there is a lot of loyalty research being released right now. The good news is that we’re seeing and covering a good portion of it for you. The even-better news is that a lot of it is insightful and actionable. Here is what we’re following in loyalty news this week ...
AI
Levi's Hires Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer
This isn’t really newsy in and of itself but it is noteworthy that a traditionally “low-tech” brand is investing itself into AI. Expect to see more investments of this type from unexpected spheres of commerce.
4 Observations from Recent Surveys About the State of AI
Spoiler Alert: There is a substantial disconnect between corporate AI aspirations and consumer AI fears. Dig a little deeper into this disparity and there is a huge opportunity for brands who understand how to communicate well to leap ahead of those who are ignoring customer anxieties.
PROGRAMS
Convenience Store Loyalty Program Awards
As we’ve noted before on the Newswire, the C-Store space is one of the hotbeds of loyalty innovation. It’s good to see some of those innovators being recognized and acknowledged.
GasBuddy Reveals Consumers Can’t Break Money-Wasting Habits
We remember GasBuddy as the life-saver it became during some of the past weather events in the U.S. (hurricanes, snow storms, etc.), but they’re much more than a gas-station app. Pay attention to GasBuddy for their eye on customer data and trends as well.
CUSTOMER INTELLIGENCE
Australians value the human touch when it comes to CX
Question: What is the most important for Australian consumers? A) Customer Service B) Price C) Product / Service offering. Answer: They were each rated equally important in a recent ZenDesk survey. Unfortunately, that same survey revealed that Australian corporations are largely failing to keep up with those expectations.
Survey reveals the best perks to build consumer loyalty
Another spoiler alert: Free stuff. HelloWorld’s “2019 Loyalty Barometer Report” reinforces the importance of providing free or discounted items of value in exchange for customer loyalty.
CONSUMER DATA
Landmark Vermont law nudges over 120 data brokers out of the shadows
The state of Vermont just passed a law requiring every company that buys, sells, rents, or trades customer data to register with the state in order to do so. Are we inching closer to a data tax?
Goldman-Apple credit card will yield game-changing consumer data
Several years ago, one of the U.S. presidential elections yielded this gem as campaign mantra, “It’s the economy, stupid”. That was then, this is now. Today’s version of that same mantra might read, “It’s the data, stupid”. It’s always about the data.
Website Users Willing to Exchange Privacy for Better CX
You would think this is a story about excellence in CX, and you would be partially right. But the more important item, buried deep here, is that consumers are willing to part with their own data – and the use of it – for good better experience.
TECHNOLOGY
IHG to add dynamic pricing to hotel rewards bookings by the end of 2019
This should either scare you or fascinate you. Or both. If you’re familiar with Uber’s dynamic pricing (higher demand = higher prices), then it’s easy to understand the draw of this kind of pricing for hospitality brands.
Basic Attention Token Now Redeemable at Over 250,000 Brands
We’ve spent a considerable amount of virtual ink over the past year covering and commenting on the blockchain phenomenon and the opportunities it presents within the world of loyalty. The pace of innovation in this space is dizzying but we haven’t seen any one entity gain enough traction that it might be a genuine breakout. Until now.
AIRLINES
Star Alliance Explores a Broader Loyalty Proposition Beyond Airlines
That pile of Star Alliance miles might someday be useful for rewards beyond airline travel. The initiative kicked off just about one year ago; however, sources are saying it could be awhile before this becomes a reality.
Qantas Frequent Flyer launches pop-up store
Tip of the hat to Qantas for their outside-the-box thinking. A branded pop-up store is an inexpensive, high visibility way to engage members in a whole new way.
Frequent Flier Rewards We’d Actually Like to See
We’re really not sure what to say here – maybe we’ll just let this piece speak for itself.
The Loyalty Newswire is compiled and edited by the staff at The Wise Marketer.
