Founded in 2009, CrowdTwist has come a long way in a short time. The company, which powers multichannel loyalty programs for leading brands such as Pepsi, Zumiez, L'Oréal, VIZIO, and Nestlé-Purina, earned recognition in the recently released and prestigious Forrester Wave report.
Loyalty360 caught up with CrowdTwist CEO Scott Matthews to talk about this esteemed honor his company received.
CrowdTwist’s inclusion in the Forrester Wave report is a milestone for a burgeoning early stage company. What does this mean for CrowdTwist to be included in this prestigious report?
Matthews: CrowdTwist’s inclusion in the Forrester Wave™ validates the company’s position as a leader in the multichannel loyalty and engagement space. CrowdTwist is creating a new way to develop and nurture loyalty through engagement-based activities. As a company, CrowdTwist has always viewed loyalty from a different 
lens—one that I feel keeps pace with brands’ and consumers’ changing needs. This recognition not only puts CrowdTwist on the map, but it signals the growing importance—and need—for multichannel loyalty solutions for brands and their customers.
Being "disruptive" in the loyalty industry, while advocating multichannel loyalty programs and customer engagement themes, are the cornerstones of CrowdTwist’s philosophy. How can CrowdTwist’s solutions impact brands from a customer loyalty/customer engagement perspective?
Matthews: Loyalty is constantly evolving. Traditional loyalty programs, also known as “spend-and-get” programs, have always focused on transactions. That component is still important, but brands today must connect with consumers across multiple channels to earn attention and action. CrowdTwist’s platform gives clients automated tools and the capabilities to recognize members for their engagement with brands—across the social media, digital, mobile, and in-store channels. CrowdTwist serves as a conduit for companies to offer multichannel loyalty and engagement solutions. Our solutions help brands not only understand customers’ needs, preferences, and buying habits, but offer numerous ways to engage across multiple channels. This helps brands obtain a 360-degree view of their customers and learn how to better market to them and keep brand loyalty a part of their everyday conversations.
What makes CrowdTwist stand out among multichannel loyalty solutions providers?
Matthews: CrowdTwist is unique in that it is the largest independently run multichannel loyalty and engagement company in the industry. What’s more, The Forrester Wave™ report gave CrowdTwist among the top scores in the Vision and Loyalty Strategy Design categories, which reflects our commitment to innovation and quality. Beyond our technical capabilities, what makes CrowdTwist stand out is the team. CrowdTwist is comprised of some of the most passionate, dedicated individuals who strive to provide the very best service in multichannel loyalty and engagement space.
What is CrowdTwist doing to keep its momentum going?
Matthews: CrowdTwist is continually evolving its clients’ multichannel loyalty and engagement programs to keep pace with the changing industry and consumer demands. CrowdTwist keeps its finger on the pulse of the industry and the best rewards to offer. This includes ensuring that clients offer one-of-a-kind and limited edition rewards, as well as unforgettable experiences, in addition to merchandise and digital rewards that keep consumer interest high and craving more. In addition, CrowdTwist is expanding its client base internationally and plans to grow its social connections and partnerships in the loyalty industry.
Without giving away the secret sauce, how does a brand see results from your multichannel loyalty and engagement-centric solutions?
Matthews: At CrowdTwist, we believe that engagement-based drivers are the key to creating, nurturing, and sustaining brand loyalty. For example, CrowdTwist offers more than 100 ways for consumers to engage with a brand and earn loyalty points. In addition, CrowdTwist’s technology and features are built around how today’s consumers actually interact online, as opposed to more traditional loyalty players that simply focus on the transactional channel. By providing key engagement activities that go beyond spend, brands can track consumers’ activities and persuade them to interact across multiple channels. This allows brands to glean valuable data from program participants to use of remarketing purposes and improve their interactions with customers.
What trends do you see or foresee for multichannel loyalty solutions providers?
Matthews: As loyalty and engagement continues to evolve, loyalty solution providers must stay innovative to meet the changing needs of brands and their customers. This includes offering ways to motivate consumers to stay engaged with strategies that fit their lifestyles and interests. For example, multichannel loyalty solution providers will further embrace technology (such as wearable devices) and leverage mobile devices to connect to consumers. Loyalty programs that embrace lifestyle preferences such as fitness and healthy living will continue to be pervasive and important for brand marketers as a vehicle to win consumer affinity and long-term loyalty.