The Loyalty Newswire from The Wise Marketer
From the Editor
Air Transat and Royal Caribbean announce new loyalty programs and there is much more news to follow.
Don’t forget that coming up later in January is the Wiser Retail Insights Forum™ 2026 in Nashville, TN on January 27. Please click here to apply to attend.
We are here to help you succeed. Let us know how we can help.
Bill Hanifin, Managing Editor, The Wise Marketer
Short Takes
- EG Group Reportedly Preparing for U.S. IPO
- Ai Connect Schedules Networking Event in Miami, FL
- P2PI’s Retail Media Summit Canada, taking place Feb. 10 at the Toronto Congress Centre
- SALESmanago ramps up AI and messaging tech to redefine eCommerce marketing in 2026
- Emplifi Partners with Reddit to Fuel Actionable Industry Intelligence and Strategic Execution
- Is loyalty about what the company wants from the customer or what customers want from the company?
- Loyalty Schemes top AI as most value Grocery technology
Air Transat to create new loyalty program with Desjardins and Visa
Air Transat announced a new loyalty program to transform the experience for travel enthusiasts and reward loyalty through accessible and personalized benefits. Supported by a strategic partnership with Desjardins Group and enabled by Visa, this program will multiply benefits for its customers, offering an enriched experience at every stage of their journey. The launch is planned for the second half of 2026.
This collaboration is part of a strategy that will offer travelers an innovative loyalty program with exclusive benefits and an enhanced experience. This alliance brings together two iconic Quebec-based companies, backed by one of the world’s most trusted and secure payment networks.
Comarch Contracts with ExxonMobil to Implement Loyalty Platform in European Markets
Comarch, a global provider of advanced IT systems, announced it has signed a new contract with ExxonMobil to implement its loyalty management solutions in Europe. This agreement marks a significant expansion of the existing cooperation between the two companies.
'This expansion of our partnership with ExxonMobil into Europe is a testament to the trust they place in our technology and our global expertise,' said Wojciech Krawczyk, Sales Director at Comarch. 'We are committed to providing ExxonMobil with a modern, scalable loyalty platform that ensures technical readiness and enhances their customer engagement across critical European markets.'
Wiser Retail Insights Forum™ 2026 Coming to Nashville, TN on January 27
Presented by Exchange Solutions, Ebbo and The Wise Marketer, Wiser Forums™ is a half-day event presenting findings from a 2025 consumer research study in convenience retail and home improvement retail, the inflection point in a longitudinal study exploring the connection between brand loyalty, customer experience and programmatic loyalty. Register Here.
This powerful event is an opportunity for business leaders, marketers and decision-makers who seek a better understanding of how consumers think about their loyalty to brands. This is an opportunity for retail business leaders that want to create insights-led engagement and experiences for their customers.
Royal Caribbean Introduces Points Choice as a New Travel Loyalty Standard
Launching in January 2026, Points Choice seamlessly connects the Royal Caribbean Group loyalty programs including Royal Caribbean's Crown & Anchor Society, Celebrity Cruises' Captain's Club, and Silversea's Venetian Society.
Points Choice builds on the success of Royal Caribbean Group's Status Match program – introduced in May 2024 – which allows loyalty members from its family of brands to enjoy equivalent tier status across all three brands.
Gen Z Prioritize Everyday Perks over Interest Rates when Choosing Banks
Pay.UK, the owner and operator of the Current Account Switch Service, has commissioned new research revealing that Gen Z in the UK are more likely to judge a ‘good bank’ by everyday rewards and digital convenience than by traditional interest rates.
The study surveyed 1,004 UK adults aged between 16 and 28 and found that nearly three-quarters (72%) of Gen Z value banks that reward everyday spending rather than financial milestones.
Tips on Accounting for Loyalty Program Activity
Pitcher Partners cite that many inventory-based businesses offer customers a number of incentives to enhance customer loyalty. This article considers two common arrangements, being volume rebates and customer loyalty programs, and the accounting for such arrangements in accordance with AASB 15 Revenue from Contracts with Customers (AASB 15).
This article offers some examples of considerations for loyalty program accounting.
Publicis Groupe India launches Publicis Digital Experience
Publicis Groupe India has announced the launch of Publicis Digital Experience (PDX), a unified, client-led offering designed to address the most pressing middle-funnel and after-funnel priorities of today’s CMOs and CIOs.
The new organisation brings together the Groupe’s digital, technology and experience capabilities into a single, purpose-built model focused on driving modern business growth at scale.
Back by Popular Demand - CLMP™ Certification in Dubai – 10 – 12 February 2026!
The response has been overwhelming! Due to incredible demand from loyalty professionals across the region, QBF Consulting is hosting the next Certified Loyalty Marketing Professional™ (CLMP™) program in Dubai, so save the dates 10-12 February 2026.
Register now and secure your passport to Lifelong Learning! With Loyalty Academy Lifetime Membership, you are not just learning—you are staying ahead, always. This isn’t just a course—it’s an investment in YOU.
New India CLMP™ Workshop on Feb 12-13, 2026
Certified education partner Strategic Caravan will be hosting the India CLMP™ Loyalty Academy workshop in Delhi February 12-13. Early bird pricing is available through 13th January 2026.
Register here. This is a workshop designed and delivered by practitioners for practitioners, so expect a high level of interactive conversation, exercises, and group work. Give yourself a gift to start the new year and accelerate your career in customer loyalty and digital marketing.
Spotlight on agentic AI at Davos
AI agents are evolving quickly and, as they mature, could completely change how companies are run and generate value. How CEOs manage the pace of change will determine how well they can capture the benefits.
Although agents are still in their infancy, early lessons and experiences highlight four mindsets and actions that can position CEOs—and their companies—to prosper in the age of AI. Read The change agent - Goals, decisions, and implications for CEOs in the agentic age.
How AI agents are ushering in a new era for consumers and merchants
Agentic AI promises to radically remake the entire shopping experience. And the stakes are high: by 2030, the US B2C retail market alone could see up to $1 trillion in orchestrated revenue from agentic commerce, with global projections reaching as high as $3 trillion to $5 trillion (McKinsey).
Google said it believes in an agentic commerce future that is open, collaborative and built for everyone to succeed as it launched the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), a new open standard for agentic commerce that works across the entire shopping journey. Daniella Sampson, Head of Marketing at Pendulum commented “Brands that have invested in genuine communities, meaningful partnerships, and earned media will see those efforts compound as Generative Engine Optimization prioritizes sources that people truly trust.”
International Loyalty Awards Update
Entries for the International Loyalty Awards officially closed on December 12, 2025, but the excitement is just beginning to build. This year saw an incredible range of submissions, showcasing loyalty programmes and initiatives from across every continent. Finalists will be announced on 30th January, so stay tuned to see who made it to the next stage!
Looking ahead, 2026 promises to be a landmark year for the loyalty community. Loyalty Connect Global expands to two flagship editions: Dubai and the United States, bringing the world’s loyalty leaders together at major global hubs.
New Loyalty Role Available
Engage People has an opening for a Client Director, Client Success. Please visit this link to learn more and apply if interested.
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