Canadian-based loyalty program operator Aimia, a global leader in loyalty management, has acquired a 25% stake in Travel Club, Spain’s largest coalition loyalty program. Aimia, which operates loyalty programs in more than 20 countries, becomes a joint owner of Travel Club alongside Iberia, Repsol, and Eroski.
Travel Club has 6 million members, 30 business partners, and generated revenue of €40 million in 2013.
Aimia’s expertise includes growing Nectar, the U.K.’s leading coalition loyalty program, from a startup company to a multi-national business in the space of 10 years. Today, Nectar has a U.K. membership base of 19 million−more than 50% of U.K. households. Aimia has also built a significant presence in the Italian customer loyalty market through Nectar Italia.
Aimia’s wider coalition portfolio includes Aeroplan in Canada, as well as investments in Air Miles Middle East, Club Premier in Mexico, and China’s first coalition loyalty program, China Rewards.
Marc Allsop, Senior Vice President, Head of Global Business Development, Aimia participated in an engaging Q&A with Loyalty360 to discuss the company’s recent acquisition.
What factors prompted Aimia to invest in Travel Club, Spain’s largest coalition loyalty program?
Travel Club is an excellent program with around 6 million members and partnerships with over 30 companies, making it the largest coalition loyalty program in Spain. Travel Club is a great fit for Aimia in EMEA. Our experience of running large loyalty programs across the globe, both as an owner, and also on behalf of other major companies, means that there are great synergies and experience that we can apply to Travel Club.
Secondly, this investment fits in with our global strategy of identifying local opportunities to develop and expand our global footprint.
What specific enhancements to the program can Aimia bring to spark even more customer engagement/customer loyalty?
Members of the original Nectar team will work closely with the local Travel Club team to share best practices based on our Nectar experiences, where we launched and grew this successful coalition to achieve 19 million cardholders and 50% of U.K. household penetration. This will include deploying our leading-edge analytics expertise and building true one-to-one marketing initiatives in partnership with the team at Travel Club.
What are your goals for the program?
It is early days yet. We look forward to working with the local team to grow this already successful program.
How important is it for Aimia to enhance its European portfolio?
We are always looking at the right opportunities to grow Aimia’s presence in key markets, be it in Europe or beyond. As the fifth-largest economy in the Eurozone, Spain represents a significant market. The combination of the existing Travel Club program, its strong fit with Nectar, and the green shoots of recovery in Spain means that this is the right time and the right opportunity for Aimia.
What is involved with Travel Club’s new strategic plan?
Growing partner relationships into new sectors; creating deeper relationships with both customers and partners; delivering data-driven loyalty analytics; innovating in customer communication will all form part of the growth plan.