Coming out of a holiday weekend in the US, we are pleased to see multiple announcements of new program launches and upgrades, ranging from mobile apps to payment solutions. Brand marketers' yearning to forge stronger links is evident through these announcements, and it was a theme of last week’s CRMC conference.
The spirit of communication and collaboration was on display at CRMC last week, and it was encouraging to see the industry working more closely together to achieve a common objective—to serve customers in ways that build trust and create long-term relationships.
Here’s a Roundup of this week's Loyalty and Digital Marketing News
New and updated loyalty programs from Hugo Boss, Red Robin, Long John Silver’s, RaceTrac, and more. The role of Gen Z and Community in customer loyalty.
Short Takes
- Annex Cloud Loyalty Experience Platform solution is now an SAP endorsed app
- Calgary Co-op refreshes loyalty app
- Grocery news (UK): Instant discounts are most popular loyalty card benefit
- Dentsu Singapore takes top spot as Overall Agency of the Year
- The Limits of Cashless Payments in China
- Expert warns against linking your debit card to your digital wallet
- Apple launches Tap to Pay on iPhone in Canada
- Chase (JPM) intros cardless transactions to nearly all 16,000 ATMs
- Waymark CEO compares value-based health care to loyalty programs
Hugo Boss launches new loyalty program – Hugo Boss XP.
The official press release states the first version of the new membership program will initially launch in the UK later in June. The current customer loyalty program, HUGO BOSS EXPERIENCE, will be fully upgraded by the introduction of HUGO BOSS XP over the next years, with further countries to follow. Existing members will be seamlessly transferred to the new program.
In addition to attracting new customers, HUGO BOSS XP aims to deepen and expand existing customer relationships. To facilitate the program, the company uses innovative digital and physical touchpoints and customer data to create a hyper-personalized and localized omnichannel experience.
RaceTrac Launches New Rewards App
RaceTrac launched a significant upgrade to its popular RaceTrac Rewards app, designed to enhance its “Whatever Gets You Going” brand of convenience. Guests will enjoy a completely redesigned app with improved functionality and new features further solidifying the company’s digital capabilities to prioritize loyal guests.
In the official press release, Lanna O’Connor, director of loyalty and digital marketing at RaceTrac commented “Our guests are constantly on-the-go and we’re always looking for ways to make their RaceTrac experience better … We rebuilt the RaceTrac Rewards app from the ground up, with a new look, new features, and faster speeds to enhance the rewarding experience they enjoy through RaceTrac Rewards.”
Red Robin Revamps Loyalty Program
Red Robin Gourmet Burgers has transformed its popular loyalty program, Red Robin Royalty®, making it easier for members to earn free food and perks faster than ever before. Based on an internal survey conducted in 2023, which showed clearly that guests wanted to be able to earn rewards more quickly, Red Robin updated its rewards structure to meet customer demands.
The official press release states that membership has reached more than 13-million since the program launch in 2008. Read the terms and conditions here.
Long John Silver’s launches new loyalty program “Seacret Society”
Long John Silver's announced a new mobile application, accompanied by a new loyalty program, Seacret Society. This “dynamic duo” seeks to improve how customers connect with the brand, offering unparalleled convenience and rewards.
The name "Seacret Society" is a playful nod to Long John Silver's most loyal fan base, often joked to be a secret society on social media. These individuals represent the backbone of the brand, steadfastly enjoying the classic fried fish, savory chicken, and legendary hush puppies that have made Long John Silver's a household name for generations. Official press release here.
BetConstruct launches loyalty platform LOYA
Gaming solutions provider BetConstruct has launched a new loyalty platform “LOYA.” The technology is designed to increase customer engagement in retail betting. The platform is tailored specifically for gaming operators who aim to enhance player involvement by encouraging them to place more bets.
According to a company press release, LOYA will allow businesses to gather valuable data for a deeper understanding of their customers. This data-driven approach enables the creation of a highly optimised platform which enhances overall effectiveness and customer satisfaction.
SumUp Launches New Loyalty Program
SumUp, a global financial services company, has launched SumUp Connect, a new loyalty and marketing program that helps merchants seamlessly retain customers with rewards and automated campaigns, as well as attract new consumers.
SumUp Connect works best natively within SumUp's Point of Sale system. However, it can integrate with many third-party POS systems to help businesses with their loyalty and rewards programs. When customers visit a merchant for the first time, they are prompted to sign up for the store's rewards program using their phone number. From then on, whenever this customer comes back, they can sign up to review and redeem rewards.
True Religion pursues loyalty in a challenging business cycle
True Religion, known for disrupting the jeans industry in the early 2000s, has survived two bankruptcies and is now said to be on the selling block as Farmstead Capital Management, a private equity firm and True Religion’s owner, has hired Baird to run a sale process. Amidst the turmoil, the retailer continues to operate its customer loyalty program True Fam.
When the program was launched in March 2023, the press release highlighted the importance of customer retention as a top priority noting that “loyal customers spend 67% more on average than new ones”. True Fam allows members to earn and redeem points across all consumer touchpoints, including in-store, online, and through the brand’s mobile app. You’ll be interested to read the program T&C’s here.
Salesforce report updates adoption of AI by Indian Marketers
A just released report from Salesforce reports that 79% of Marketers in India are already experimenting with or have fully implemented AI into their workflows. The report covers the latest trends on how marketers are evaluating and implementing AI into their operations; approaching data acquisition, maintenance, and application strategies.
This article adds that over half of marketers globally say they currently use predictive and generative AI and that nearly all marketers plan to use both types within the next 18 months. You can download the report here.
Influencer marketing evolves in Dubai through RFM/Following collaboration
RFM Loyalty Co. is a Dubai firm specializing in merchant services and offers innovative solutions that enhance the commercial success of its clients through technology. RFM has partnered with Following, an innovative social media influencers platform, to introduce a new era of influencer marketing.
The collaboration enables RFM's merchants to create customized campaigns effortlessly, directly impacting retail foot traffic and content quality through social media influencers. Merchants can now define campaign specifics such as location, audience, and content directly on Following's platform, ensuring precise targeting and effective budget use. Read the press release.
Visa partners with MoMo, VNPAY, and ZaloPay to enhance digital payments in Vietnam
Visa has announced a new partnership with three of the most popular e-wallets in Vietnam: MoMo, VNPAY, and ZaloPay. The partnership aims to drive Vietnam’s transition to a cashless society by offering innovative, contactless, and cashless digital payment solutions that benefit both businesses and consumers. Hopes are for a more convenient payment experience for Visa cardholders at participating small and medium enterprises.
First Abu Dhabi Bank awarded Best Eco-Loyalty Initiative by the International Loyalty Awards
First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) has been awarded the Best Eco-Loyalty Initiative by the coveted International Loyalty Awards 2024 for its purpose-driven loyalty programme powered by Collinson Group, a global leader in the provision of airport experiences, loyalty and customer-engagement solutions.
If you want to read about all the winners from the recently concluded International Loyalty Awards, navigate here.
Role of Community in building brand loyalty cannot be ignored
As Dipashree Das, a marketer from Amazon APAC, commented, “Communities in the digital age have transformed into active participants in brand and culture building, with a profound impact on pop culture in real-time.” According to this report, customers no longer passively observe but actively shape cultural norms and trends, challenging conventions and driving cultural shifts.
With the massive memberships stewarded by brand marketers in their loyalty programs, there is an opportunity to engage more tightly with community members that can serve to inform and shape the future of the brand in the way they like it best. Maybe we should begin to think about loyalty program “members” as our “loyalty community”. Is this a big idea building towards 2025?
Gen Z wants to be the boss. Here’s what you need to know.
The average CEO age is still about 54. But the number of Gen Z CEOs is on the rise, according to McKinsey & Co. According to this report, Gen Z is more than twice as likely to want to be CEO compared with Gen X (38% versus 18%, respectively). That’s compared to 21% of baby boomers and 31% of millennials who say they’d want to be a CEO.
As the progression of Gen Z’ers to the C-Suite continues, the issues of remote work, flexible working hours and adoption of innovative meeting protocols will become center stage and shape a new workplace. Read this overview.
