Loyalty Newswire – November 1st, 2021

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By: Wise Marketer Staff |

Posted on November 1, 2021

Happy Monday, and 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, marketing, and other relevant 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, and promotions. Or you could just follow us on social media!

  • Burger King and Robinhood team up to promote BK Royal Perks via cryptocurrency sweepstakes
  • Giant Eagle launches myPerks loyalty program after positive feedback from pilot run
  • Marathon selected Stuzo's Open Commerce® product suite to power new e-commerce solution
  • Bed Bath & Beyond partners with Uber to deliver baby products
  • Wharton business school now accepting crypto payments for six-week blockchain program
  • California, Arizona, and Utah become the latest states to implement genetic data privacy laws
  • Starting next year, American AAdvantage elite status will be determined by the amount of loyalty points earned

LOYALTY PROGRAM NEWS

Burger King partners with Robinhood to serve up millions in crypto prizes

Highlight: The battle of the burger giants’ rewards programs just got more interesting. Burger King, which was the last major burger chain to offer a national customer loyalty program, is looking to leapfrog the competition with the help of an unlikely source: cryptocurrency. This month, BK Royal Perks and Robinhood Crypto members can win up to 20 bitcoins (valued at $1.25m) and more. Crypto is now the hottest item on the menu for Burger King. Or at least that’s Burger King’s hope as the No. 3 burger chain looks to kickstart its nascent BK Royal Perks rewards program.

myPerks: Giant Eagle launches new rewards program for shoppers

Highlight: On Monday, grocery and fuel retailer, Giant Eagle announced a new loyalty program - myPerks for their shoppers. The new rewards program is customized to give guests the power of choice and will compliment Giant Eagle’s current fuelperks+ program… “Our world has changed dramatically during the past 18 months. Consumers are looking for personalized shopping experiences to meet their needs,” said Jannah Jablonowski, Giant Eagle spokesperson. “For our company, myPerks represents a major step forward in pushing beyond a ‘loyalty program’ to deliver a robust, meaningful value platform that resonates with guests today and that will evolve alongside them in months to come.”

RETAIL NEWS

Stuzo to Power Marathon Petroleum Corporation E-Commerce and Cross-Channel Consumer Experience Program

Highlight: Stuzo announced today that its Open Commerce® product suite has been selected by Marathon Petroleum Corporation to bring to market an e-commerce solution across its Marathon branded sites.

Bed Bath & Beyond partners with Uber to deliver baby essentials

Highlight: As Bed Bath & Beyond works to turn its business around, it continues to build out its offerings to become an "omni-always" retailer. The latest tie-up with Uber builds on Bed Bath & Beyonds existing partnerships with Roadie, DoorDash, Instacart and Shipt for delivery. “This partnership with Uber is a terrific way we are reaching new customers and the fact that BuyBuy Baby was chosen to help launch Uber's baby and kids delivery vertical reflects the brand's leadership in welcoming customers to parenthood," Rafeh Masood, Bed Bath & Beyond's chief digital and interim chief brand officer, said in a statement. “We are excited to begin this journey with Uber and look forward to having their innovative services market and deliver products from Bed Bath & Beyond and BuyBuy Baby right to customers' doorsteps.”

PAYMENTS NEWS

Wharton accepts crypto payments for blockchain program tuition fees

Highlight: Crypto adoption scores another win with the Ivy League University of Pennsylvania, but there’s a catch. The Wharton School, one of the premier business schools in the United States, will accept Bitcoin (BTC) and other forms of cryptocurrencies for tuition fees, Bloomberg reported. However, the adoption is limited to its new online blockchain and digital assets program scheduled to start in January. Titled “Economics of Blockchain and Digital Assets,” the six-week program costs $3,800, and the university expects to attract thousands of students each year. The Wharton School will use Coinbase Commerce, the e-commerce platform of the U.S.-based crypto exchange, to accept crypto payments.

DATA & PRIVACY NEWS

Growing Number of States Enact New Genetic Data Privacy Laws

Highlight: A growing number of states are enacting new genetic data privacy laws to protect patients from misuse of data and to hold private companies accountable for proper data governance practices. HIPAA holds providers to certain security standards when it comes to collecting genetic data, but private companies are not required to follow the same rules. Companies like 23andMe and Ancestry, which provide genetic testing kits delivered to the customer’s door, fall in a gray area in terms of regulations. Genetic data is deeply personal and can provide insights about ethnicity, family history, and one’s likelihood of developing certain diseases. A few states, including Nevada and Alaska, already have laws protecting genetic information. More states have been producing legislation and regulations surrounding genetic data use in recent months and years.

TRAVEL & HOSPITALITY NEWS

American AAdvantage Unveils Loyalty Points, Changes How Status Is Earned

Highlight: Starting in 2022, American AAdvantage elite status will be based exclusively on how many Loyalty Points you earn… Note that with this new program, status will be earned between March and February of a given year, and will then be valid through March 31 of the following year. That means status is no longer based on the traditional calendar year. Of course the major question is what miles qualify as Loyalty Points. Yes, spending $200,000 on a credit card would earn you Executive Platinum status, but buying 200,000 AAdvantage miles wouldn’t earn you Executive Platinum status.

Did you miss last week's newswire? Stay informed: Loyalty Newswire – October 25th, 2021

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