Who should be loyal to whom? The consumer to the brand? Or the brand to the consumer? A pretty heavy question to explore, isn't it? With many marketers pondering this question, I wonder why so many brands are changing their loyalty program strategy to include a "pay to play" component for their best customers. 

AMC Theaters just re-launched a program deemed a "loyalty program" where customers must pay an annual fee to be considered loyal to the brand and receive loyal customer benefits. A $12 annual fee buys any AMC customer benefits such as: free upgrades on beverages and popcorn, waived online ticket purchase fees, and a $10 reward for every $100 spent at AMC theaters.