Loyalty has long been the ultimate aspiration of marketers and customer experience managers. But it remains ever elusive—difficult to get and even harder to keep. In fact, when Accenture conducted its Global Consumer Survey earlier this year, polling more than 5,800 consumers in 17 countries about their experiences with 10 industries,... Read More

Paper or email? That's the new question you may be asked the next time you buy something at a store. Customers are now being given the option to have a receipt emailed to them. But if you opt for an e- receipt, what else could start popping up in your email?

Paperless receipts are the wave of the future: major banks email... Read More

Small, unique and easily read by scanner-enabled mobile devices, QR codes have become a digital welcome mat in the hospitality industry. Once they are scanned from wherever they may appear – a print ad, a loyalty card, a menu – they provide a link to... Read More

First there was the Smart Phone…. Then there was mobile messaging…. mobile coupons .... mobile loyalty program apps. What's the next mobile marketing trend?  It may very well be QR Codes.

Short for "quick response," a QR code links online content to a mobile device. The barcode type graphic can hold... Read More

Gaming is hot. And according to research reports, it's poised to get hotter. According to Nielsen, games are the second most frequent Internet activity for Americans after social networks—more popular than email—with Americans spending an estimated 906... Read More

More companies are using loyalty programs than ever before to build and maintain relationships with consumers. The Straight & Arrow tapped industry expert Mark Johnson, President and CEO of Loyalty 360, business leaders’ trusted source for loyalty and consumer engagement insights, to get his perspective on how the loyalty market... Read More

According to the 2010 Colloquy/DMA survey, two-thirds of respondents were unable to express what the most important measure of social media success would be. All new media seems "promising," but consumers and brands have a hard time defining what the promise is and what it should be.

To quote a CMO at a large Fortune 500... Read More

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. ... Read More

Recognize and reward your customers for their support

To get my child to join me at the dog park in the mornings, I've resorted to bribing him with a stop at Starbucks. With my "mom" hat on, it's proven to be an effective enticement. As a frequent customer and loyalty practitioner, I... Read More

Whether you’re collecting credit card rewards or frequent flier miles, you probably already know that loyalty programs can lead to compulsive buying behavior.

Question is, should you participate – or shouldn’t you? Full disclosure: I spend a lot of time covering travel-related issues, and for years,... Read More

Quick quiz, savvy marketers.

What is going on in this picture?

A.      Their flights were canceled and all the hotels are booked up, so they’re camping out on the street for the night.

B.      They are pioneers of the latest fad – urban camping.

... Read More

Banks know exactly what you're buying with your credit and debit cards. Now, they're letting marketers know what you're spending money on and what to sell you, by putting ads on your bank statements. But there's a way you can stop it.

"I was a little bit surprised," said Oren Milgram. In his recent online... Read More

To get my child to join me at the dog park in the mornings, I had resorted to bribing him with a stop at Starbucks. With my "mom" hat on, it proved to be an effective enticement. As a frequent customer and loyalty practitioner, I cannot help but question why it was so much work (on my part) to reap my deserved recognition and... Read More

"Customer satisfaction is not a differentiator, it's a lagging indicator," said Leigh Benatar of Brand Keys at last week's Loyalty Expo trade show. Customers expect to be delighted these days. So instead of focusing on satisfying customers, companies need to look at new ways to build true loyalty and advocacy. During the... Read More

Click on the image below to view a PDF of the report.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) - Banks call it marketing. Customers call it an invasion of privacy. If you've noticed ads arriving in your mailbox specifically from places you shopped, it's no coincidence.

Each time you pay with plastic they're watching, analyzing and calculating every move you make. Who's watching? Your... Read More

Each time you pay with plastic your bank is watching, analyzing and calculating every move you make. That's right…and we found your bank may be using your purchases to lure you into spending more money.

When Oren Milgram opened his most recent credit card statement he found coupon offers mixed in with the rest of his... Read More

For a company that's all about connecting people, telecom provider XO Communications was having a tough time connecting with its own business customers. But that all changed in May 2009 when the telco launched a B2B loyalty campaign.

Today the company sends 100,000 emails a month to its business... Read More

In today’s crowded marketplace, creating loyal, engaged customers is more important—and more challenging—than ever. Here are some tips for overcoming the challenges:

1. Don’t treat loyalty like a program. Instead, approach loyalty marketing as if it is a journey with a specific goal. While... Read More

Business-to-business organizations realize that the majority of their new sales come from existing customers. Yet, with only half of those polled having a department whose primary focus is loyalty, the need to integrate customer retention into a company's business strategy is apparent, according to "... Read More