Brands are inundated with tools, touchpoints, and evolving consumer behaviors amid increasing economic uncertainty. In the current context the challenge isn't merely building loyalty, it’s operationalizing it at scale and speed. For Kyle Pretsch, President of Bambu, the solution starts with a fundamental shift in perspective: meet customers where they are, move fast, and deliver value with intent.
In this edition of Loyalty360’s Industry Voices, Pretsch shares how Bambu is redefining what it means to be “mobile-first,” why customer loyalty needs to go back to fundamentals, and how brands can build loyalty programs that are both responsive and resilient in today’s attention economy.
Loyalty Starts with Listening: “Get On My Level”
Pretsch ’s philosophy is clear: brands can’t take consumers on a journey unless they first understand where they are.
“I use a very simple acronym: GOML, Get On My Level,” he explained. “Step one is building a relationship that’s about the individual. It’s not brand-centric, it’s consumer-centric. Only then can you take them on a loyalty journey.”
For Bambu, this philosophy underpins every platform and engagement strategy the company delivers. It’s about starting from the consumer's perspective, what they need, how they behave, where they prefer to interact, and building from there.
“It’s not enough to say you’re customer-first. You have to design loyalty experiences that reflect that from the inside out,” Pretsch said.
Redefining Mobile-First: Beyond the Buzzword
While many in the industry pay lip service to “mobile-first,” Pretsch contends few actually deliver on it.
“We leaned heavily into native Apple, Google, and Samsung wallet experiences to enhance loyalty,” he said. “People talk about mobile-first, but we’re seeing too many loyalty assets still sit in an inbox, unclaimed, and expire.”
For Pretsch , the wallet isn’t just a convenience—it’s a distribution channel. “Think about airline boarding passes,” he noted. “Once the boarding pass moved into the phone, no-shows plummeted, and travel got easier. Loyalty needs that same kind of operational clarity.”
The team at Bambu is focused on creating meaningful engagement through tools consumers already use. Whether it’s rewards, offers, or branded content, the goal is to drive usage by embedding into the mobile moments that matter.
Why Some Loyalty Programs Miss the Mark
Despite the proliferation of loyalty programs, many struggle to deliver on their potential. According to Pretsch , the reasons are straightforward: brands aren’t moving fast enough, and they’re still focused on metrics that don’t matter.
“We’ve built an industry around impressions,” he said. “But impressions don’t equal effectiveness. If people aren’t opening your messages, it’s not about the algorithm—it’s about your content.”
He outlined three key imperatives for brand leaders:
1.
Data relevance: “Get the right data to personalize at scale. If you don’t know what I care about, your message won’t break through.”
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Speed to action: “Marketing teams can’t wait six months to iterate. If you can’t learn and act within a week, you’re behind.”
3.
AI as an enabler: “AI must be used to accelerate data collection, analysis, and delivery. If not, you’re playing catch-up while your competition races ahead.”
He encouraged brands to create roadmaps for personalization, data integration, gamification, and AI, noting, “If you don’t have a slide on each of those in your strategy deck, you’re not leading.”
Barriers to Innovation: Culture, Not Just Compliance
Pretsch also called out internal inertia as a top barrier to progress—particularly the tendency to over-index on risk.
“There’s always a reason not to act—legal concerns, fear of overstepping—but your competitor is already doing it,” he said. “You can mitigate risk and still deliver relevance.”
He argued that loyalty requires bold, customer-led decisions. “Let the customer choose the channel, the cadence, the interaction. Make it easy to opt out—but don’t let fear keep you from engaging those who are eager to build a relationship.”
What Loyalty Programs Get Right (and Wrong)
When asked which programs he personally admires, Pretsch pointed to the emotional and behavioral connections forged by brands like Banana Republic and convenience chains like Sheetz and Wawa.
“I’m loyal to Banana Republic—not because they’re perfect, but because I know what to expect. They send me 40–60% off offers regularly. I don’t wait for a specific discount—I just need the reminder,” he shared.
With Sheetz and Wawa, it’s about personalization, persistence, and mobile access.
“They gamify the experience, personalize communications, and crucially—they let me store offers in my wallet,” Pretsch said. “They know I don’t live on the East Coast anymore, but when I do visit, they’re top of mind.”
The Next Big Thing in Loyalty: Fundamentals + Focus
When asked what’s next for loyalty, Pretsch didn’t point to a flashy new tech trend—he pointed to discipline.
“We need to go back to fundamentals,” he said. “Simplify relationships. Trim down channels. Focus on the few brands people really love and make those relationships exceptional.”
He sees co-branded sponsorships, digital wallets, and better offer delivery as key drivers, but insists that loyalty must ultimately inform product development itself.
“When loyalty comes full circle, when brands actually change the product based on the data they collect, that’s the holy grail,” Pretsch explained. “That’s when you’ve earned not just a transaction, but a relationship.”