Loyalty360 Reads: March 22nd, 2019

Customer Experience
 
Walmart, Jetblack, and AI in Shopping
Walmart has launched a personal shopping service, Jetblack, that loses money but is aimed to give physical stores a leg up in the competition against Amazon. “Walmart is using Jetblack’s army of human agents to train an artificial intelligence system that could someday power an automated personal shopping service, preparing Walmart for a time when the search bar disappears and more shopping is done through voice-activated devices.” This could be a new level of friction reduction in the customer experience.
 
Coors Light Launches Robot Beer-Tap
Bud Light ads have been on the offensive lately. Coors Light has answered with a generous and innovative rebuttal. The brand has launched a special beer tap that listens for Bud Light ads. When it hears them, it glows and pours a free beer. This move is creative and is likely to create emotional connections for the brand.
 
Can You Succeed in Retail with No Online Sales In 2019?
That’s the question Cally Russell explores in a Forbes article. He highlights Primark, “the UK’s largest retailer by volume and third largest retailer by value—currently behind only M&S and Next.” He says, “They take a very singular approach, focusing purely on the high street and totally avoiding any online sales presence, although they have harnessed the power of social media with active accounts across all main channels.” We cannot, in good faith, recommend that brands abstain from online sales, but Primark is an interesting case and a reminder that CX is more than digital convenience.
 
Programs
 
Burger King’s Subscription Can Win the Breakfast Wars
By joining a subscription service, consumers can spend only five dollars to get coffee for a month. It is the first restaurant chain to use such a service. “The battle between fast food restaurants, from McDonald’s to Dunkin’, to get customers through their doors in the early morning has been ramping up over the last few years, but Burger King is the first to turn to subscriptions.” Five bucks a month for coffee is one of the most enticing offers we’ve come across; if Burger King can get the word out, they’ll see a growth in loyalty.
 
Consumer Behavior
 
The Marie-Kondo Effect
People are giving up their junk so much that brands like Goodwill are experiencing frustration. “A number of Goodwill markets saw a year-over-year spike in donations that they attribute directly to the show,” says Lauren Lawson-Zilai, Senior Director of Public Relations at Goodwill Industries International. Brands should look into this urge to simplify and de-clutter. Junk is out and space is in.
 

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