Mark Johnson

 The world of customer loyalty, rewards, and gamification may be skewed toward a younger audience, but in the case of AARP, their members are holding their own quite well, thank you. Once known as the American Association of Retired Persons...Read More

  The irony is not lost on Urban Air Adventure Park’s Chief Marketing Officer Jessica Correa that her brand’s attempt to pull kids away from their devices and screens and into exercise and play often starts on the devices...Read More

  At the recent 2020 Loyalty360 Awards, Verizon Wireless came away as big winners. They took home the Platinum Award in the Program Partnership category, won the Gold in the Loyalty Program Design category, and won the Bronze Award in the...Read More

  No one knows that commerce is global more than Evolving Systems’ Adhish Kulkarni, the Senior Vice President and General Manager of their Digital Engagement and Loyalty Solutions. Not only has Kulkarni implemented consumer engagement...Read More

  Andras Szocs is the Senior Director and Head of Customer Programs and Center of Excellence for Salling Group, the largest retailer in Denmark, which serves over 11 million customers a week through its grocery store chains, coffee shops...Read More

 In the fast-moving world of consumer marketing, it’s important to continually evolve to meet the needs of the customer. And no one knows that better than Julia Russell and Carrie Mastropaolo of Verizon. The two are part of a larger...Read More

  Andras Szocs uses a very simple test to see how effective the features on Salling Group's new loyalty and rewards app are going to be with customers: his grandmother. “I really believe in simplicity,” says Szocs, the...Read More

Amy Barnett is Senior Director of CRM, Loyalty, and Insights at Famous Footwear, a national retailer that offers athletic and casual shoes for the active family from hundreds of brands, including Nike, Converse, Adidas, Puma, Vans, Birkenstock, Dr...Read More

Much like Jake and Elwood in the Blues Brothers movie, Famous Footwear’s Amy Barnett is on a mission. “We’re on a personalization mission,” says Barnett, the Senior Director of CRM, Loyalty, and Insights at Famous Footwear...Read More

For Aneesh Reddy, today’s customer loyalty and engagement is very much like comparing the days when we all drove without the use of Google maps as our co-pilot.  Reddy, the co-founder and CEO at India-based Capillary Technologies that...Read More

 Just like their customers who come into their restaurant and ‘build’ their unique order, Chipotle Mexican Grill also set out to build its loyalty and reward program from the bottom up. In Summer 2016, Chipotle tested a limited...Read More

  Megan Audette, Director of Advertising at Ally Financial, a leading digital financial-services company with $180 billion in assets. They are one of the largest full-service automotive finance operations in the country and offer a wide...Read More

  Jamie Russo is Vice President of Loyalty Programs and Customer Engagement at Choice Hotels International, one of the largest and most successful lodging franchisors in the world. Choice franchises 13 distinct brands that count more than 7...Read More

Tim Glomb has some very simple advice for brand marketers who want to know what is at the core of personalization when it comes to customer engagement and loyalty. “If you’re going to invite a new neighbor over for dinner and you ask,...Read More

  The marketing team at Ally Financial had two major hurdles to climb over the past few years: convince the public that they were more than just a bank and do it without the big budget of many of its competitors. When the dust cleared at...Read More

  With the hotel industry facing huge odds over the past year and travel often being a risky proposition, it made complete sense for Choice Hotels International when they announced their new strategic partner: Penn National Gaming. The...Read More

  Ashley Leger leads the 2Chance program for Atlantic Lottery, an organization that operates lottery games in Atlantic Canada and is owned jointly by the four Atlantic provincial governments: New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia,...Read More

  Checkers and Rally’s recently developed a new mobile application and loyalty program for its restaurants, working in partnership with Paytonix. Mark Johnson, CEO of Loyalty360, spoke about the program with Josh Buchmann, the Senior...Read More

  Raja Rajamannar is the Chief Marketing and Communications Officer for Mastercard, but he has a warning for anyone else working who has the same CMO title as he. Rajamannar, who has authored a new book called Quantum Marketing...Read More

  There are very few second chances in life, which is why Canada’s Atlantic Lottery decided to call their loyalty program 2Chance to show how far they wanted to extend their customer’s play experience. “It’s about...Read More

When quick-service restaurant consumers began quickly changing their buying habits in early 2020, many of them scrambled to come up with ideas to meet customer requirements of contactless interactions and faster service. But at Checkers and...Read More

  For decades, the slogan for Hannaford Supermarkets was ‘no cards, no games, no gimmicks.’ Hannaford is a 189-store supermarket chain based in Maine that operates stores in New England and New York. They recently won a Platinum...Read More

  Cecilie Balfour is the Senior Market Manager at TELUS, which is Canada’s fastest-growing national telecommunications company. TELUS recently won two awards at the annual Loyalty360 awards program, including a Gold in the Innovation...Read More

  For decades, the slogan for Hannaford Supermarkets was ‘no cards, no games, no gimmicks.’ So when they set out to launch the first My Hannaford Rewards loyalty program, they knew they had to meet the challenge of living up to...Read More

  When TELUS was looking for a creative way to give a visual inspiration for the TELUS Rewards campaign, it looked at several different “critters” that it uses in its marketing campaign. “Our look and feel really revolves...Read More

  Wyndham Hotels & Resorts won the Platinum in the 360-Degree category for overall excellence at the 2020 Loyalty360 Awards, as well as three other awards at the event. The brand also captured a Platinum in the Customer Insights &...Read More

    Matt Goldberg is the Director Of Pro Strategy And Loyalty at Floor & Decor, which won three awards during the recent Loyalty 360 Award presentation, including a Platinum in the B2B Customer Loyalty category, a Gold in the...Read More

  In a year where travel and tourism marketing was the most challenging ever, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts came through with flying colors to take home the prestigious 360-Degree top brand award at the 2020 Loyalty360 Awards. The New...Read More

  Air Canada is Canada’s largest domestic and international airline. Canada’s flag carrier is among the 20 largest airlines in the world and in 2019 served over 51 million customers. Air Canada recently won a Platinum award in...Read More

Black Star Burger, based in Russia, is a brand immersed in hype, especially with its founder — hip-hop celebrity Timati — extremely well known around the globe. Timati is the founder of the hip hop music label Black Star and other...Read More

  Air Canada may already be amongst the 20 largest airlines in the world, but that doesn’t stop them from continuously finding new ways to innovate and come up with new ideas to serve its customers. “We like to say that we...Read More

  Matthew Seagrim is Managing Director of SCENE, a joint venture between Cineplex Entertainment and Scotiabank, which has officially ranked Canada’s most extensive entertainment loyalty program. SCENE also took home several honors at...Read More

  When SCENE launched in 2007 as a joint venture between Cineplex and Scotiabank that soon became Canada’s largest entertainment loyalty program, they were aware of the audience they wanted to target for membership. “A huge...Read More

 Erin Corrigan is the Digital Marketing Manager at Donatos, an Ohio-based pizza delivery restaurant franchisor that has nearly 200 locations in 10 states, with the majority of locations in Ohio. Donatos won a Silver award at the recent...Read More

7-Eleven is a premier name in the convenience retailing industry. Based in Irving, Texas, they operate, franchise, and license more than 71,800 stores in 17 countries, including 12,000 in North America. Known for its iconic brands such as...Read More

  Jodi Boyce is executive vice president of the fast-casual Denver-based teriyaki franchise, Teriyaki Madness, which features a Seattle-style teriyaki menu with nearly 95 locations in the U.S. Teriyaki Madness has leveraged its loyalty...Read More

  Jodi Boyce’s start in the foodservice business wasn’t the typical endeavor, but she did get a lot of miles out of the experience. As a recent college grad in Colorado, Boyce got a job driving the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile...Read More

 The GIANT Company is a U.S. supermarket chain that operates 186 stores in, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia. They operate full-scale supermarkets under the GIANT and MARTIN’S banners, along with small-scale urban...Read More

  Veggies Made Great's goal is to inspire people to love eating veggies by creating high-quality, delicious, and nutritionally smart, veggie-rich foods that are ready to eat and available everywhere. Loyalty360's Mark Johnson...Read More

  The GIANT Company’s Emily Mikus has been around marketing and customer engagement programs for many years, but she had no better technical way to describe the year that was. “It was just a pop-up, whack-a-mole kind of...Read More

  Veggies Made Great makes a bold statement in how they make their products: the first ingredient in every product we make is vegetables. Their double-chocolate muffin? The first ingredient is zucchini, followed by carrots. Their taste...Read More

  Jason Whiting is Director of the Global VIP Program at LEGO, one of the most popular and widely used toys in the world and an internationally recognized brand. The LEGO Group is a privately held company based in Denmark, and the company is...Read More

 Vanessa Peña is the program leader of the digital experience at Domino’s, which is one of the world’s leading QSR brands in the pizza sector. Domino’s took home a gold in the CX Strategy category at the recent 2020...Read More

  Jason Whiting is Director of the Global VIP Program at LEGO, one of the most popular and widely used toys in the world and an internationally recognized brand. The LEGO Group is a privately held company based in Denmark, and the company is...Read More

  Accidents happen, even to the best pizza makers in the world. So when Domino’s decided to provide “Delivery Insurance” on their products more than a decade ago, customers literally ate it up. The feedback that Domino...Read More

  For a toy company that has been around since 1932 — and which it seems has appeared in every household known to man — LEGO thought it needed to take a different approach with its rewards program. Before 2019, the previous...Read More

  Ashley Beckman is the global brand manager at Treasury Wine Estates, which is the maker of 19 Crimes wines and spirits, which was the Platinum award winner in the Loyalty Program Design category at the recent 2020 Loyalty360 awards...Read More

  Alan Magee is Vice President of Digital Marketing and Technology at Church’s Chicken, which — along with its sister brands Texas Chicken and Church’s Texas Chicken outside of the U.S. —has more than 1,500 locations...Read More

  Ashley Beckman is the global brand manager at Treasury Wine Estates, which is the maker of 19 Crimes wines and spirits, which was the Platinum award winner in the Loyalty Program Design category at the recent 2020 Loyalty360 awards...Read More

  Alan Magee is Vice President of Digital Marketing and Technology at Church’s Chicken, which — along with its sister brands Texas Chicken and Church’s Texas Chicken outside of the U.S. —has more than 1,500 locations...Read More

  Crime may not pay, but for 19 Crimes’ Infamous Insiders Rewards program, there was a definite payoff to its marketing efforts this past year. 19 Crimes is the cornerstone in the Treasury Wine Estates portfolio, and its witty and...Read More

 According to Alan Magee, Vice President of Digital Marketing and Technology at Church's Chicken, building a digital approach to consumer marketing is a little like building a home construction.When he joined the franchise group &mdash...Read More

 Sodexo North America employs 160,000 people at 13,000 sites in all 50 of the United States and Canada, providing facilities management and food services to schools, universities, hospitals, senior living communities, venues, and other vital...Read More

 Since Bank of America launched its Preferred Rewards program in 2014, it has seen record levels of client satisfaction and growth. Bank of America Rewards executive, John Sellers, says the program now has more than 7.9 million members who...Read More

 Sodexo North America employs 160,000 people at 13,000 sites in all 50 of the United States and Canada, providing facilities management and food services to schools, universities, hospitals, senior living communities, venues, and other vital...Read More

When it comes to reward programs in the financial sector, big   numbers play a big role in driving client satisfactio and  deepening client relationships. Since launching its industry-leading, no-fee Preferred Rewards program...Read More

 Don’t bother asking the folks at Sodexo North America ‘what’ they do; that is not as important as telling you about ‘how’ they do it.The company — which employs 160,000 people at 13,000 sites in all 50 of...Read More

   Mark Johnson, CEO of Loyalty360, had the chance to talk with Katherine LeBlanc, Chief Marketing Officer with Painting with a Twist, the original and leading paint and sip franchise with almost 300 studios open or in development in 39...Read More

    As the Chief Marketing Officer for Twist Brands, Katherine LeBlanc knows full well the importance of supporting the companies’ franchisees as they battle through what seems to be the ever-changing habits of its customers...Read More

  Loyalty360 CEO Mark Johnson had the chance to talk with Nir Patel, the President of Belk, a department store chain founded in 1888 which has nearly 300 locations today in 16 States. People have shifted in their lifestyle during the...Read More

  Loyalty360 CEO Mark Johnson had the chance to talk with Nir Patel, the President of Belk, a department store chain founded in 1888 which has nearly 300 locations today in 16 States. People have shifted in their lifestyle during the...Read More

  Nir Patel has a front-row seat watching how U.S. consumers have adjusted their shopping habits in 2020. As the President of Belk, a department store chain founded in 1888 with nearly 300 locations across 16 southeastern states, Patel has...Read More

 El Pollo Loco is Spanish for "The Crazy Chicken," and is an LA-Mex restaurant chain specializing in fire-grilled chicken, with over 465 locations in six states. Mark Johnson from Loyalty 360 recently had the chance to speak with...Read More

 Fleet Feet is a company that has been outfitting runners with the right equipment and knowledge since 1976. They have over 180 stores across the U.S. and are a category leader. Mark Johnson, CEO of Loyalty360, had the chance to talk with...Read More

 El Pollo Loco is Spanish for "The Crazy Chicken," and is an LA-Mex restaurant chain specializing in fire-grilled chicken, with over 465 locations in six states. Mark Johnson from Loyalty 360 recently had the chance to speak with...Read More

 Fleet Feet is a company that has been outfitting runners with the right equipment and knowledge since 1976. They have over 180 stores across the U.S. and are a category leader. Mark Johnson, CEO of Loyalty360, had the chance to talk with...Read More

 If you want to know how much El Pollo Loco is committed to its customers, consider what the company did when they recently called their top 50 loyalists and asked each of them what they liked — as well as didn't like — about...Read More

 The good news for Fleet Feet in 2020 was that more people became interested in staying in shape, which included walking and running. The not-so-good news in all of this was handling increased store traffic in a year where people were not...Read More

 Charleys Philly Steaks founder and CEO Charley Shin tasted his first Philly Cheesesteak in 1985 while attending The Ohio State University, and as a young undergrad with an appetite for success, he knew he wanted to share this sandwich...Read More

  Charleys Philly Steaks founder and CEO Charley Shin tasted his first Philly Cheesesteak in 1985 while attending The Ohio State University, and as a young undergrad with an appetite for success, he knew he wanted to share this sandwich...Read More

    Whether it’s sustaining through the current health crisis, standing out in a crowded market, or tackling the ever-changing demands of consumers, today’s senior marketers have a host of challenges to confront. Thought...Read More

  Any brand launching a new loyalty platform or mobile app soon realizes they are about to be hit with an avalanche of new customer data pouring in. What they do with that data is possibly the key to the success of the brand’s new...Read More

 Mark Johnson from Loyalty 360 recently had the chance to speak with Krystal Zell, vice president of customer marketing and operations at The Home Depot, about the launch of Home Depot’s expanded Pro Xtra loyalty program. Pro Xtra...Read More

 Branch Insurance started in 2017 and has grown to over 1,000 customers since. The company offers customers a firm price for bundled home and auto insurance within seconds, using just a customer’s name and address. So, instead of...Read More

 Branch Insurance started in 2017 and has grown to over 1,000 customers since. The company offers customers a firm price for bundled home and auto insurance within seconds, using just a customer’s name and address. So, instead of...Read More

 If you walk down the aisle of a typical Home Depot store, you will probably cross paths with two types of customers: the do-it-yourselfers who might be working on a weekend project, and the professional contractor who might be remodeling a...Read More

Most consumer’s interaction with their insurance company usually comes at a very bad time: an illness, an auto accident, or damage to their home. Suffice to say, it isn’t always a pleasant experience happening when they need to call...Read More

 Donna Josephson is a senior vice president and chief marketing officer of Corner Bakery, a fast-casual restaurant, serving kitchen oriented, crafted breakfast, lunch dinners, and catering as well. Corner Bakery started as a small...Read More

  As many restaurant chains worked to adapt to new food-service standards, the risk of losing loyal and engaged customers becomes even more heightened. Ana Guzman, director of loyalty and customer engagement at TGI Fridays, is working to...Read More

 Donna Josephson is a senior vice president and chief marketing officer of Corner Bakery, a fast-casual restaurant, serving kitchen oriented, crafted breakfast, lunch dinners, and catering as well. Corner Bakery started as a small...Read More

  As many restaurant chains worked to adapt to new food-service standards, the risk of losing loyal and engaged customers becomes even more heightened. Ana Guzman, director of loyalty and customer engagement at TGI Fridays, is working to...Read More

  When TGI Fridays became a staple of American casual dining more than 55 years ago, it was all about the fun inside the restaurant and at the bar. Their locations provided an opportunity for consumers to meet new people and mix with friends...Read More

 Donna Josephson can remember what a thrill it was to be able to automatically add a customer’s own name at the top of a marketing email. But as Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Corner Bakery —  a fast...Read More

 Convenience stores are usually only seen as a place to stop for a quick snack and possibly even gas, but for some customers, Wawa is much more. Wawa is a self-described “passion brand” – after all, not all c-stores see...Read More

  Loyalty360’s Mark Johnson spoke with Malachi Bennett, loyalty manager for Shell Retail North America, and Fergie Theriault, general manager marketing for Shell Retail North America, on how the Fuel Rewards program has adapted to the...Read More

  A Harris Poll conducted on behalf of Shell found that 69% of consumers say that a road trip could help them escape the stresses of COVID-19. That’s when the company sprang into action with its “StateEscape,” a safe road...Read More

 Convenience stores are usually only seen as a place to stop for a quick snack and possibly even gas, but for some customers, Wawa is much more. Wawa is a self-described “passion brand” – after all, not all c-stores see...Read More

  The Shell Oil Company is all about relieving stress for its customers, whether it be making the fuel purchasing process for a car more straightforward or offering deals with its Fuel Rewards program. But when a Harris Poll conducted on...Read More

 Here is Part II of a recent Q&A we did with Red Roof’s top marketing and loyalty experts; you can read Part I here, and also read a feature article on the Red roof program here.   Red Roof has been a mainstay in the lodging...Read More

  For decades, KONG has made toys and training tools that best fit your pet's individuality, personality, and specific needs. In this interview with Loyalty360 CEO Mark Johnson and Brandon Delgrosso, general manager of KONG Box, discuss...Read More

 Red Roof has been a mainstay in the lodging industry in the U.S. for about 50 years, and has a full suite of affordable brands to choose from. Mark Johnson from Loyalty360 had the chance to talk with Marina MacDonald, Chief Marketing...Read More

  This year, when many consumers found themselves stuck working from home— or maybe not even working at all because of the pandemic —pet care supplier KONG decided to ask people how much their dogs were helping them through the...Read More

 Marina MacDonald and Brenda Eddy have spent their careers as top marketers at Red Roof making sure guests of the hotel chain received timely information and updates on their rewards program. But when the pandemic shut down many businesses...Read More

 In Part I of Loyalty360’s Mark Johnson’s interview with Best Western’s Dorothy Dowling, senior vice president and chief marketing officer, she spoke about the meaning of customer loyalty, how affiliating with Best Western...Read More

 Best Western® Hotels and Resorts launched its SureStay Hotel Group® just four years ago, but the brand was named No. 1 in the economy segment in the J.D. Power 2020 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Study. SureStay achieved the...Read More

 SureStay Hotel Group® (SureStay) is the new kid on the block when it comes to economy stays at just four years since launch, but that didn’t stop the Best Western brand from snagging one of the industry’s top loyalty awards. ...Read More

  In Part I of Loyalty360’s Mark Johnson’s interview with Lisa Erickson, Sleep Number’s senior director of customer relationship management, loyalty and creative production services, she spoke of the company’s mission...Read More

 Studies have shown that sleeping is essential to a person’s health, with analysis suggesting that sleeping five or fewer hours per night could increase mortality risk by as much as 15 percent. That is why mattress companies such as...Read More

  In Part I of Loyalty360’s Mark Johnson’s interview with Mats Winter, director of product at Air Canada, he spoke on the opening of the Maple Leaf Lounges and Air Canada’s mobile app. In Part II, Winter discusses what Air...Read More