This week's Customer Loyalty and Digital Marketing News
From the Editor
Webinar: Harnessing AI for Enhanced Customer Loyalty is taking place tomorrow, Tuesday 1 October. The Wise Marketer has assembled a group of panelists with a unique understanding of the dynamics occurring at the intersection of AI and Customer Loyalty. This roundtable discussion will provide you with an understanding of how AI is transforming customer loyalty programs and bring clarity to competing opinions about the potential impact of AI on loyalty. Register now and join the discussion.
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The Global News Roundup
- [AUS] How to future-proof your loyalty program with a ‘real-time’ strategy
- [Europe] Puma announces partnership with Israeli mobile game developer UNKJD
- [Global] Understanding the impact of influencer marketing
- [Global] 19 Benefits And Challenges Of Tokenization
- [India] UPI users revolt against proposed transaction fees
- [Kenya] Mastercard and Safaricom Partner to Enhance Digital Payments in Kenya
- [US] TurboPush Aims to Streamline Digital Loyalty Programs
- [US] Yatco revamps mobile app with Rovertown
- [US] Patron Points announces deal with Alimentation Couche-Tard to offer loyalty and scan data services to legacy franchisees of Circle K and Kangaroo Express
- [US] Visa Acquires AI Leader Featurespace for Payments Protection
- [US] You’ve heard of PAZE. How does it work? (video)
- [US] Cordial Integrates With Radar To Deliver Enhanced Geo-Location Customer Experiences
Durbin Introduces Protect Your Points Act
U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) introduced the Protect Your Points Act, legislation that would strengthen consumer protections by requiring greater transparency from airlines’ frequent flyer, points, and loyalty programs. The Protect Your Points Act will give the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) explicit authority to ensure that airlines do not bait and switch consumers by offering them an enticing rewards program, only to downgrade points or miles value without notice.
Specifically, the Protect Your Points Act would give DOT and CFPB the authority to:
- Prohibit airlines from including provisions that reserve their right to make changes at any time without notice to consumers
- Require airlines to prominently display on every page of their website a disclosure of the financial value of one point/mile, updated in real time, so that consumers may more easily compare the value of points across different airlines
- Ban junk fees related to points/miles
- Prohibit airlines from limiting the number of points/miles that can be transferred to another traveler’s account
- Prohibit accrued points/miles from expiring
Virgin Atlantic Announces Plans To Further Gut Frequent Flyer Program
Virgin Atlantic, according to View From The Wing has been eroding value from its FFP over time and often without warning to program members. In their words “Changes to the program have usually been made without any notice, making it both a low value and untrustworthy program. Here Virgin clearly knows the changes but still won’t share them -just that they are happening October 30.”
As we prepare logical defenses to the proposed legislation noted above, the criticism of Virgin Atlantic is damaging to FFP’s in general. There is an instructive lesson for marketers in this sequency of events, summed up as “to only take action with the best interest of your customers above all.”
Ascenda partners with Uber for first-of-a-kind points redemption for consumers worldwide
Ascenda, the global premium rewards network, announced it has expanded its rewards network in order to enable fintech and banking clients’ customers to redeem their reward points in partnership with Uber. These credits will appear in users’ Uber wallets and can be applied towards the cost of any of their products.
Ascenda powers the growth of financial service brands and merchants globally with premium rewards propositions that accelerate customer acquisition, increase usage, and drive retention. Its customer engagement platform is powered by a unique global network of premium content that unlocks exceptional end-user value.
Changi Airport revamps loyalty program to boost customer experience
Changi Airport Group (CAG) has refreshed its Changi Rewards loyalty program to elevate customers’ experience with new perks. The revamped program includes enhanced free parking benefits, birthday vouchers, and a new membership tier called ‘Monarch’.
All Changi Rewards members can enjoy double bonus points on their first transaction of the month, up to S$1,000. Gold and Platinum members also receive vouchers on their birthdays. ‘Monarch’ members, meanwhile, enjoy exclusive perks such as a 4% rebate on their spending, with no points cap. They also receive complimentary parking, personalized shopping services, and a birthday gift of S$60 in Changi e-Voucher Flexi. The new Monarch membership tier is available by invitation to Changi Rewards members who spend at least S$25,000 in a year at Changi Airport, iShopChangi, or Jewel.
FIS partners with Commerce Bank to launch end-to-end loyalty platform
FIS® (NYSE: FIS), a global leader in financial technology, announced it will be providing a completely end-to-end loyalty program management platform for Commerce Bank, a Midwest regional bank with over $30 billion in assets and nearly 160 years of history.
By collaborating with FIS on this strategic initiative, Commerce Bank seeks to offer faster, more flexible innovation for its loyalty program, including enabling customers to redeem loyalty points at the point of sale. “FIS is excited to manage Commerce Bank’s loyalty program and offer them capabilities that keep up with customers’ shifting expectations, closely resonate with their lifestyles, and generate impactful brand advocacy,” said Mladen Vladic, Head of Products and Services for Loyalty at FIS.
Pit Crew Loyalty Integration Supercharges Shopgenie Communications to Create an even more All-In-One Experience
Shopgenie, a leading provider of customer communication and engagement solutions for auto repair shops, today announced a groundbreaking integration with Pit Crew Loyalty, the number one cutting-edge loyalty program platform for the auto repair industry.
This integration brings powerful new capabilities to Shopgenie's suite of communication tools, enabling shops to seamlessly incorporate loyalty program information into their customer interactions. Read the press release here.
Walmart and Amazon Offer New Payment Options as Consumers Seek Flexibility
In the eCommerce sphere, 70% of consumers said the availability of their preferred payment method is highly influential in determining where they shop, per the PYMNTS Intelligence report “How Preferred Payment Availability Can Reduce Cart Abandonment.”
The definition of “preferred payment method” varies by demographic segment. PYMNTS Intelligence found that consumers experiencing financial pressures disproportionately reach for their debit cards over their credit cards. Further PYMNTS Intelligence research from the study “The Last Transaction: Examining Recent Shifts in Purchasing Behaviors,” revealed that younger generations are favoring debit more than their older counterparts.
Nisqually Markets to Release Loyalty Mobile App and Customer Rewards Programs
Washington-based Nisqually Markets has selected Liquid Barcodes to develop a loyalty mobile application that will transform and enhance the customer experience across all Nisqually Market locations.
The collaboration between Liquid Barcodes and Nisqually Markets represents a significant step forward toward enhancing customer engagement for the retailer. By integrating the Liquid Barcodes cutting-edge loyalty platform with Nisqually Markets’ existing infrastructure, this partnership aims to deliver a seamless and enhanced shopping experience for all customers.
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