With almost two years away from large in-person conventions, many professionals have felt the sting of not connecting or sharing knowledge with like-minded people in their industry.
Jillian Dimoff, Strategic Account Executive for Cheetah Digital, felt the loss as well, but like all attendees Loyalty360 has talked to, she felt the connection again at the 2021 Loyalty Expo.
“It was invigorating to be back,” Dimoff admits. “I know that sounds a little bit much, but it has been almost two years since we all congregated together and did some knowledge share.”
Dimoff recently spoke with Loyalty360 CEO Mark Johnson for a “Loyalty Live” and did some knowledge share of her own, discussing her and Erin Levzow’s session panel, digital transformation, and the topics and trends she thinks will impact the loyalty industry.
“Del Taco is Spicing Up Fast Food Loyalty”
Dimoff was quite busy during the 2021 Loyalty Expo, taking part in Day 1’s “State of Customer Loyalty” panel, emceeing Day 2’s Kickoff, but perhaps most importantly, was a part of Day 3’s panel with Erin Levzow focused on Del Taco’s digital transformation with the “Del Yeah!” loyalty program.
Recounting the panel experience, Dimoff spoke highly of her co-host, Erin Levzow, saying attendees appreciated the transparency and honest approach to loyalty that Levzow displayed. This straightforward attitude lends itself to Levzow’s ability not to fear change, inspiring several guests to dive into the unknown regarding loyalty for their brands.
Dimoff knows that launching a successful and engaging loyalty program depends on finding a partner that can fill in the gaps to create a personalized, multitiered, and experiential program that isn’t just transactional, but overall, a part of their everyday life.
“We’re additive to their lifestyle,” explains Dimoff. “We’ve built something together – Cheetah and Del Taco collaboratively – to create something highly personalized.”
Overall, the panel was an exciting experience for both Dimoff and Levzow. They look forward to tracking the customer journey as they find Del Taco to be supplemental to their overall lifestyle.
Digital Transformation
As the panel’s focus, Dimoff had a lot to say about digital transformation and its role for brands looking to improve their loyalty strategy.
Amongst a plethora of insightful advice, she emphasizes the importance of thoughtfulness in the program. The key to setting your brand apart from others in a similar sector is diversifying rewards and giving customers opportunities to participate in the program at their own pace.
“To give you the shorter answer, make sure your personalized approach isn’t just scratching the surface,” Dimoff recommends. “[Make sure] you’re using the data in a meaningful way to create something that feels like it’s made specifically for your loyalty members.”
Timely Trends & Topics
Similarly, if one thing stood out to Dimoff, it was the effort from brands.
Citing The North Face as an example, she highlights their gradual shift from transactional to experiential rewards as an excellent example of creating relevant benefits to customers. Knowing customers is vital, and The North Face’s commitment to providing rewards to the customers living an adventurous lifestyle, such as checking in online when at a national monument, speaks to the quality of the brand’s program.
Summing it up, Dimoff eloquently says that the best program will feel like it “is made for you as the customer and what you think is really important.”