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 industry 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!
- IHOP announces new loyalty program dubbed the International Bank of Pancakes
- Choice Hotels reintroduces “Stay Twice This Spring, Get a Free Night” promotion
- BP and Comarch demonstrate benefits of long-term partnership with the recent launch of BP Rewards in Australia
- Yotpo's annual State of Brand Loyalty survey reveals global consumer expectations, and much more
- New study by Adobe predicts U.S. consumers will spend $1 trillion via online shopping in 2022
- African blockchain payments provider Basqet launches cryptocurrency gateway
LOYALTY PROGRAM NEWS
IHOP launches loyalty program
Highlight: Here's how the loyalty program works: Customers who want to participate in the program have to make an account online or through the IHOP app (all app users have to sign up for the program). They earn one PanCoin for every $5 spent, and can redeem those PanCoins for pancakes — one coin per pancake — or save up for other rewards, which they can find in the app's Stack Market. The program opens to the public in April, but customers can pre-register this month for extra perks. In November, IHOP president Jay Johns said during an analyst call that "consumers are generally more tech savvy now than ever before," adding that IHOP plans "to place a greater emphasis on digital marketing." One way to do that? A "very creative and fun loyalty program."
Choice Privileges Brings Back Member-favorite Promotion This Spring
Highlight: “Choice Privileges is all about helping our more than 52 million members receive the most value from their travel experience, whether they're racking up points through frequent business trips or applying rewards to their favorite restaurants and retailers during the occasional weekend getaway,” said Jamie Russo, Vice President, Loyalty Programs and Customer Engagement. “Our Stay Twice, Get a Free Night promotion is a true guest favorite and we're pleased to bring it back as travelers plan to hit the road this spring season. That way, we can deliver even more exceptional member value for their next getaway.”
bp Launches a New Loyalty Program in Australia Powered by Comarch Technology
Highlight: Rarely do you hear about a business partnership as long-lasting and successful as the one that bp and Comarch have. Over a span of almost two decades, the two companies have launched several highly popular loyalty programs in various parts of the world, including the UK, Germany, France, Spain, and Portugal. Many of these initiatives are now considered leading examples of customer engagement done right, but that doesn’t stop bp and Comarch from developing new and exciting ways of encouraging customers to interact with the brand.
REPORTS
The New Reality of Loyalty: Consumers Want Brands To Earn It
Highlight: Amid ever-rising consumer expectations, supply chain disruptions, and less access to third-party data, Yotpo's annual State of Brand Loyalty survey reveals just how hard brands have to work to earn loyalty that drives positive business outcomes. Nearly 40% of global shoppers said they'd need to buy from a brand five or more times before they would consider themselves loyal — an 11% increase YoY. Additional findings further prove that today's consumers want to feel valued every time they shop, and they expect their relationships with brands to go far beyond the transaction.
RETAIL NEWS
U.S. Online Retail Sales to Hit $1 Trillion in 2022, Study Says
Highlight: U.S. consumers will spend $1 trillion in online shopping in 2022, the highest level ever, according to a new study by Adobe. The software company’s study, part of its ongoing Adobe Digital Economy Index series, found that U.S. consumers spent $1.7 trillion online in the first two years since the start of the pandemic, from March 2020 through February 2022. That was almost triple the online sales in 2018 and 2019 combined of $609 billion.
PAYMENTS NEWS
African Crypto Startup, Basqet Launches Payment Gateway to enable Businesses to Accept Bitcoin
Highlight: Recently, blockchain payments startup Basqet announced the launch of its cryptocurrency payments gateway which will allow businesses to accept Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies as payment. Basqet said it is launching a public beta and will be going live with 118 businesses already signed up to start accepting payments in Bitcoin and several other cryptocurrencies… According to Bunmi Eleshin, Senior Product Manager at Basqet, “We are creating a missing link between people who hold cryptocurrency and businesses who want to accept crypto as a means of payment. And we are doing it without merchants having to experience a loss due to crypto's price volatility.”
Did you miss the previous newswire? Stay informed: Loyalty Newswire – March 7th, 2022
The Loyalty Newswire is compiled and edited by the staff at The Wise Marketer.
