In this week's Newswire you can enjoy a curated list of the latest customer loyalty, technology, payments, and other relevant marketing news. We include a spectrum of topics, all with the intention of keeping you informed and enabling you to star in your next big meeting.
The Loyalty Newswire makes it simple for busy professionals (e.g. YOU) to quickly digest important industry news and trending topics. Keep reading!
If you haven't taken advantage of a free subscription to our weekly Newsletter each Thursday, please do it today! You'll unlock access to exclusive content, events, promotions, and more.
Stay. Loyal. Always.
- South Korean retailer Lotte Mart launches Snow Points
- Don’t forget! CLMP™ (Certified Loyalty Marketing Professional™) Training in Amsterdam – Early bird ends 28 February
- According to new research from PwC, Trust is the new currency for business
- Last Chance to Register for the Loyalty Academy’s Dubai Workshop
- TravelCenters of America to be Acquired by BP for approximately $1.3 Billion
- UnitedHealthcare launches rewards program with focus on wearables
- Fiji Revenue and Customs Service recognizes and rewards its employees
- KLM Pins $756M Profit on Customer Loyalty
- Caesars to expand rewards program to New York in a bid for a casino license
- Swisscom customer loyalty brings results
- Helpful Resource of the Week - All you need to know about Cybercrime
South Korean retailer Lotte Mart launches Snow Points
Lotte Mart is a South Korean hypermarket that sells a variety of groceries, clothing, toys, electronics, and other goods, with headquarters in Seoul. Lotte Mart is a division of the Lotte Co., Ltd. And has nearly 200 locations covering South Korea, Indonesia and Vietnam. Lotte Mart has launched its Snow Point loyalty program, a program that rewards for in-store purchasing only. Customers must register for the Lotte Mart Go mobile app to access the program.
Don’t forget! CLMP™ (Certified Loyalty Marketing Professional™) Training in Amsterdam – Early bird ends 28 February
The Loyalty Academy™ is working with The Loyalty People to deliver the Certified Loyalty Marketing Professional™ (CLMP) training courses across continental Europe. The first workshop will take place in Amsterdam on March 21st - 23rd and you have UNTIL TOMORROW to SAVE $250 with the EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT. The offer ends on the 28th of February.
In this course you will cover loyalty best practice, the latest sector trends, operational business success, innovative strategy design and how to build an effective and profitable program. Currently there are 540 loyalty and customer professionals from 41 countries that are CLMPs. Don’t miss the opportunity to gain your certification and join this active global group of Loyalty Marketing professionals.
According to new research from PwC, Trust is the new currency for business
In May 2022, PwC conducted a survey of 503 business executives, 2,508 consumers and 2,002 employees in the United States. Building on our previous Trust in US Business Survey, this survey explores what moves the needle on trust for both consumers and employees and how much, as well as the impact of gaining or losing that trust on the bottom line.
Last Chance to Register for the Loyalty Academy’s Dubai Workshop
The Loyalty Academy is hosting its annual Certified Loyalty Marketing Professional™ workshop in the MENA region next week in Dubai. Conducted in collaboration with our regional partners at Quick Brown Fox Consulting, this workshop will enable all attendees to earn their CLMP™ credential and join the more than 90 loyalty professionals throughout the MENA region who carry the distinction. Details and registration information are available here. This workshop is sponsored by Gratifii, one of the leading providers of loyalty technology solutions in the region. Gratifii will also host the upcoming certification workshop in Melbourne Australia in May.
TravelCenters of America to be Acquired by BP for approximately $1.3 Billion
TravelCenters of America Inc. (Nasdaq: TA), the nationwide operator and franchisor of the TA, Petro Stopping Centers and TA Express travel center brands, announced that it has entered into a merger agreement with BP p.l.c. (NYSE: BP), pursuant to which BP will acquire all of the outstanding shares of TA common stock for $86.00 per share in cash. The sale price represents an 84% premium to the average trading price of the 30 days ended February 15, 2023 of $46.68. The total equity value is approximately $1.3 billion. Delivering on its brand promise to “return every traveler to the road better than they came", TA has been on a publicly documented journey of digital transformation for the past several years, including retooling the guest experience and associated benefits of its loyalty program, Ultra One. It seems that focusing on the customer yields a big return on investment.
UnitedHealthcare launches rewards program with focus on wearables
UnitedHealthcare is launching a rewards program that will leverage wearables to pay up to $1,000 per year to eligible members who complete health goals. Wellness programs have increasingly been offered to employees as an incentive for recruitment and retention, although employee engagement in these programs can be difficult to obtain. UnitedHealthcare is touting its rewards program as a way to change that by including daily incentives and integration directly into its app as well as "expanding the definition of wellness." Under UnitedHealthcare Rewards, members who are active for 15 minutes or more daily, track their sleep for 14 nights and walk 5,000 steps or more per day receive compensation via a prepaid debit card or with payment in a health savings account. The rewards program is available to select employers with fully insured plans at the start of their plan year. The company aims to make the rewards program purchasable by self-funded customers in 2024.
Fiji Revenue and Customs Service recognizes and rewards its employees
This new program recognizes and rewards staff members, underscoring its position as an employer of choice in the country. According to the FRCS chief executive officer Mark Dixon the program aligns with the Service’s philosophy that a motivated and engaged workforce translates into an exceptional customer experience. “The Employee Recognition Programme fully engages our employees with our customer-centric values, motivating our staff to achieve even higher levels of performance,” Mr Dixon said. Mr. Dixon said appreciating their staff frequently, even for their small achievements, gave them a reason to stay connected to FRCS thus assisting them in retaining our best talents and building a better work culture within FRCS.
KLM Pins $756M Profit on Customer Loyalty
Dutch flag carrier KLM recently posted an operating profit of approximately €706 million ($756.58 million) on revenues of €10.7 billion ($11.46 billion) in 2022. This incredibly successful year did not come easily, and the airline attributed some of its strength in recovery to its customer loyalty efforts. The flag carrier welcomed an estimated 25.8 million passengers onboard, which saw its load factor rise to 84%. Noting the significance of customer loyalty, Chief Executive Officer Marjan Rintel commented:
"We have achieved these results thanks to the loyalty of our customers and the commitment of all colleagues. We are indebted to our customers and our dedicated employees for this, and we will continue to invest in customer products and services in the years ahead, with an emphasis on sustainability. This is how we can prepare KLM for the future and offer our customers memorable experiences.”
Caesars to expand rewards program to New York in a bid for a casino license
Caesars Entertainment has joined up with investment group SL Green in a joint bid with hip-hop mogul Jay-Z’s Roc Nation entertainment group in a bid for a casino in Times Square. As part of its push to win this new license, Caesars has announced that it would expand its Caesars Rewards partnership with businesses in greater New York City. Rewards members are able to redeem their credits by converting them into ‘gift cards’, which are valid within Caesars’ network of ‘hotels, restaurants, retailers, comedy clubs, entertainment venues and more across New York’. The merchant recruitment effort by Caesars is tagged as creating a ‘Coalition for A Better Times Square’. Don’t bet against loyalty!
Swisscom customer loyalty brings results
Swisscom, Switzerland’s leading telecoms company and one of its leading IT companies, is headquartered in Ittigen, close to the capital city Berne. Outside Switzerland, Swisscom has a presence on the Italian market in the guise of Fastweb. 2022 over 19,000 employees generated sales of CHF 11,112 million. It is 51% Confederation-owned and is one of Switzerland’s most sustainable and innovative companies. Swisscom reported strong financial results for 2022 and credited its consumer business for much of the increase. At the end of 2022, 1.93 million customers in the private customer segment used blue travel plans. The blue segment accounts for 46% of all mobile subscriptions and 80% of fixed broadband connections.
Helpful Resource of the Week - All you need to know about Cybercrime
Most everyone is on pins and needles about cybersecurity these days. Cybercrime is more costly than ever as companies lose billions of dollars every year due to cybercrime losses, prevention, and recovery. This great resource was shared with Wise Marketer and it contains a list of the latest cybersecurity statistics from the most trusted publications available. The topics include Cybercrime by industry and region, with associated costs along with data on Malware, Phishing and Data breaches.
