Long gone are the days of walking into your local travel agent’s office. Today, brick and mortar agencies have been replaced with online travel agents (OTAs), price comparison engines that are used to maximize a consumer’s ability to get the best price, while simultaneously allowing travel brands to maximize revenue and reduce idle inventory. From Priceline to Expedia, these OTAs are slightly ahead of the curve compared to other verticals in our Travel and Hospitality Brand Report... Read More

Customer experience is increasingly becoming a data science in itself. As customer interactions become more and more digital, data-driven insights have become critical to the growth of brands across the world.  In a landscape saturated with offers, advertisements, rewards and messages, there is fierce competition to win consumers’ attention and patronage. This has driven the near-universal push to provide ever more personalized experiences.  This is why data is so... Read More

As marketers our efforts are centered on engaging consumers to drive revenue. In today’s digital environment, we know consumers’ preferences have shifted from receiving coupons or earning rewards to expecting personalized experiences. Why? Because consumers can now connect with brands in the moment when it’s relative to their needs.The next level of customer engagement must be focused on creating highly relevant and personalized experiences for consumers. This quote from Dr.... Read More

Our previous research has revealed that retail is one of the most popular app categories and receiving offers and rewards for being a loyal customer is one of the most popular app features. In order to gain a better understanding of specific trends in regards to mobile loyalty programs among retail app users, we surveyed over 4,000 consumers about their preferences. Check out the findings in our infographic! Read More

Customer loyalty programs today are transforming, offering an unmatchable experience for consumers across the point of sale with the use of smartphones, Internet and mobile channels. Gone are the days when the conventional marketing techniques, like seasonal discount offers, were predominantly used to lure prospective and existing customers to purchase. This has been replaced by loyalty and rewards-based programs, a trend that brands are embracing in long-term marketing strategies so as to... Read More

Niantic and Nintendo’s Pokémon Go hasn’t even finished rolling out internationally yet, but already it is making a significant impact on consumers and brands. In just a matter of weeks, the augmented reality mobile game has captivated audiences, positively influenced mental health outcomes, and overtaken the world’s biggest apps—including Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, and even Facebook.Pokémon Go's growth seems unprecedented—yet it just keeps getting bigger... Read More

While many retailers have developed successful loyalty programs, most overlook the opportunity to strongly differentiate from their competitors through loyalty. Today, Aimia is partnered with an upscale national department store retailer to reimagine their loyalty program, positioning the company for even greater success. In this article, we interview Lars Parmekar, Aimia Account Director, who has worked closely with this retailer.1.Tell us about this client’s current program and how it... Read More

With the recent release of iOS 10 comes a new “feature” to the native mail app – a grey bar at the top of every email that tells consumers if an email message is from a mailing list, with a link to easily unsubscribe.  This isn't the first time Apple has made moves to limit the amount of marketing messages iPhone users see. In 2015 with the introduction of iOS9, Apple sparked controversy over allowing users to download ad blockers for Safari. Apple also... Read More

Let’s declare once and for all that “the year of mobile” is dead. Mobile is now where U.S. adults spend the majority of their digital time–and over 60% of their time with retail sites. So it’s an understatement to say this catch phrase has played its course. It’s replaced by a new reality in which the number and type of connected devices owned by the average consumer is virtually unlimited.Beyond laptops, smartphones, and tablets, think about the wearables,... Read More

I was at a conference recently when I heard a phrase new to me – one that summed up the answer to an old problem that I feel strongly about. The phrase – DATA JOURNALISM – spoke to the heart of the difference between analysis and action.I have often looked at the way a newspaper structures its content and I think the world of business could learn something from this. Journalists use a headline to explain the point of the whole story. The more you read the more informed you... Read More