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Let's Talk Loyalty

Paula Thomas

“Let’s Talk Loyalty” is an industry podcast for loyalty marketing professionals.

If you work in loyalty marketing, join us every week to learn the latest ideas and marketing insights from loyalty specialists around the world.

Check out our website on: http://www.letstalkloyalty.com/

  • 793 episodes
  • Updated Thursday

Episodes793

  • Apr 29, 2020 · 35 min

    #33: Loyalty Insights from Epsilon

    As the loyalty platform partner for brands like Dell, Dunkin' and Walgreens, Epsilon powers customer conversations and communications for some of the best brands in the world. In this episode, I interview their Vice President of International Operations, Joseph Taylor who shares his insights on key opportunities for loyalty program managers around the world. With a background running customer programmes and platforms for leading brands like Adidas and Nokia, Joseph explains how best to manage complex global data privacy requirements, programme design evolution and even the sensitive but important area of managing programme liability in the current challenging climate of Covid-19. We discuss how loyalty programmes are becoming an even more critical tool for brands to build trust and relationships - beyond just transactions and rewards. With fascinating insights on loyalty preferences around the world, Joseph shares his experience how members have vastly different expectations of brands and their loyalty programmes in countries such as China, Japan and France. A truly global perspective with plenty of ideas for programme managers worldwide. This episode is sponsored by Epsilon. Show Notes: 1) Epsilon EMEA 2) Privacy Article by Joseph Taylor 3) Nielsen 4) IRI Research 5) You Gov 6) Kantar 7) Ipsos

  • Apr 22, 2020 · 33 min

    #32: AAdvantage - Caring for Loyal Customers through Challenging Times.

    As President of the AAdvantage Program and Vice-President of Customer Loyalty and Insights at American Airlines, Bridget Blaise-Shamai leads a team of over 700 loyalty and customer service professionals running one of the world's most popular loyalty programs. Founded in 1981, the American Airlines Advantage program boasts almost 40 years of expertise with a clear intention to continually delight customers - even during this current quarantine when so many of us cannot travel. Bridget (who I am delighted has Irish heritage) shares how American Airlines is focusing on destination inspiration, exciting options to enjoy ground-based rewards as well as an innovative "lifetime status" opportunities in order to keep customers engaged, and also some of the key lessons she and her team have learned along the way. Show Notes: 1) Bridget Blaise-Shamai 2) AAdvantage Program 3) Ted.com 4) Simon Sinek 5) Shelly Palmer

  • Apr 15, 2020 · 36 min

    #31: Innovative Ideas and Emerging Tech in Loyalty

    In today's episode of "Let's Talk Loyalty", I chat to Simon Rowles, a fellow Customer Loyalty Marketing Professional (CLMP) and CSN consultant for Australia. Simon has a unique background in technology development which gives him a fascinating perspective on emerging technology in the loyalty industry and how disruptive platforms can offer innovative ideas that truly drive increased customer engagement and retention. Led by some great loyalty statistics, Simon discusses how Australia is responding to Covid19 and talks through some exciting ideas that will appeal to loyalty programme managers worldwide. Show Notes: 1) Simon Rowles: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonrowles/ 2) Beyonde 3) www.Bink.com 4) www.UpgradePack.com 5) www.FlyBits.com 6) Ben Evans – newsletter - https://www.ben-evans.com/ 7) Mark Ritson - https://www.marketingweek.com/mark-ritson/ 8) Bob Hoffman - https://www.bobhoffmanswebsite.com/ 9) Wise Marketer - https://thewisemarketer.com/

  • Apr 8, 2020 · 16 min

    #30: (Before Covid 19) Five UK Trends for 2020

    This episode of "Let's Talk Loyalty" was recorded in early March 2020 - some weeks before all of our lives were consumed by the very real threat of the Corona Virus. I had written an article about the key UK Trends predicted in 2020 for my colleagues in Liquid Barcodes - and wanted to share these ideas with my own audience as well as theirs. The UK market is a dominant influence on marketing worldwide and one of my favourite resources to stay up to date on how technology, communications and UK culture are evolving is published by Mindshare. Every year, they publish a report on UK trends which is useful and insightful, so this article discusses their conclusions on the top five trends for 2020 - and indeed for the decade to come! From 5G, through to adoption of innovative technologies such as 5G, and the insatiable demand for quality content, this episode summarises how consumers are feeling about emerging trends - ideas and insights that loyalty marketers need to consider as we plan and manage our programmes. With thanks to Liquid Barcodes. Show Notes: 1) Mindshare UK 2) Mindshare UK Trends Report. 3) Liquid Barcodes - Loyalty Marketing Platform for Convenience Retailers

  • Apr 1, 2020 · 40 min

    #29: Rewarding Loyalty with Luxury Experiences.

    The Chalhoub Group is the largest retailer for luxury across the Middle East since 1955 with over 12,000 employees and a portfolio of some of the most exclusive brands in the world. With over 700 stores, the Group has spent the last two years defining and developing a unique loyalty programme proposition to appeal to premium customers and the luxury brands themselves. In this episode of "Let's Talk Loyalty", I interview Nida Unas, Head of Group Loyalty at Chalhoub Group who tells us about MUSE - the programme that has been developed to reward premium Chalhoub customers with luxury experiences. She shares with us some of the new ideas and solutions emerging through the programme as malls in the Middle East remain closed for now. Show Notes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nidaunas/ https://www.experience-muse.com/

  • Mar 25, 2020 · 25 min

    #28: Corona Virus Challenges - Solutions for Convenience Retailers

    With much of the world locked down for the forseeable future, the conversations around loyalty are changing. Safeguarding our customers, our staff and ourselves has become our biggest concern. While businesses adapt and loyalty programmes evolve, agile retailers who may never have needed to allow their customers to "pre-order and pre-pay" are now recognising the power of digital platforms to support social distancing, particularly in convenience retail. As a consultant to the convenience industry, working with Liquid Barcodes, this episode unapologetically promotes a unique online solution and a tool that can be implemented by any retailer in just one week, in order to help retailers protect their customers and staff, and further build trust and loyalty long-term. Show Notes: Bob Stein The (pre) "Order and Pay" solution from Liquid Barcodes (loyalty platform for convenience retail)

  • Mar 18, 2020 · 43 min

    #27: Customer Loyalty and Landscape Research - South African Insights

    With an extra-ordinary career spanning almost 30 years for some of the world's top loyalty brands, Amanda Cromhout is a recognised leader in loyalty. Now based in South Africa, she has created a dedicated loyalty agency which publishes an annual white paper on the key trends in loyalty with South African consumers. Listen to this week's episode to learn why some consumers in South Africa DON'T use loyalty programmes, and which ONE programme they rate above all others (if they HAVE to choose). Plus hear about the grocery programme that launched in late 2019 and signed up an amazing one MILLION members in just their first week. Show Notes: 1) Truth Loyalty Agency South Africa 2) Truth White Papers

  • Mar 11, 2020 · 41 min

    #26: Australia’s Favourite Loyalty Programme - flybuys – 5 Lessons Learned in 25 Years

    Coalition programmes are notoriously difficult to get right. Managing partners, data and a compelling value proposition are extremely difficult to do – but the power and potential of these programmes is extra-ordinary – as proven by flybuys Australia when it recruited a million members in its first week alone! Phil Hawkins is Operations Director for flybuys and has spent much of his career supporting its incredible success. In this episode of “Let’s Talk Loyalty” Phil talks us through 5 lessons he has learned about loyalty marketing over the last twenty-five years. Show Notes: Phil Hawkins flybuys Australia

  • Mar 4, 2020 · 45 min

    #25: Skywards - Loyalty Programme for Emirates and Fly Dubai - Interview with Dr Nejib Ben Khedher

    Airline loyalty programmes around the world are recognised and respected as the pioneers of the industry, driving billions of dollars of ancillary revenue for those that truly delight their members. As one of the largest airlines in the world, Emirates Airline is approaching the 20 year anniversary of its loyalty programme Skywards which now boasts over 27 million members around the world. Today's episode features an exciting conversation with Dr Nejib Ben Khedher, Divisional Senior Vice President in Emirates who has led the digital transformation of Skywards in recent years - including some key statistics and incredible insights on what's working well for Skywards already and what to expect in the industry in the years to come. Show Notes: Skywards Loyalty Programme Dr Nejib Ben Khedher, Divisional Senior Vice President, Emirates Skywards at Emirates

  • Feb 26, 2020 · 54 min

    #24: Loyalty Academy and The Wise Marketer - Partnership Announcement

    This week I am super excited to announce a partnership with my friends in "The Wise Marketer™" - the world's most widely read source of news, and insights on everything to do with loyalty and customer-centric marketing. Both they and I are equally passionate about sharing knowledge in the loyalty industry and this partnership is the perfect way to do that. Today's episode features an interview with the CEO of The Wise Marketer - Bill Hanifin - a group which also includes the "Loyalty Academy™" and the Loyalty Guide, known as the bible in the loyalty industry. I am extremely proud to be working with the team there to add my "voice" and interviews from around the world as weekly content for their audience and excited to be part of the world's biggest loyalty community.

  • Feb 20, 2020 · 45 min

    #23: Dan Gipple on Leveraging Loyalty Psychology to Drive Social Change.

    Loyalty programmes are best known as a powerful tool to drive consumers to buy more and spend more however in some rare cases such as "Bella Mossa" in Italy, the programme is drive social change and sustainable behaviour. In this episode, Dan Gipple, founder of Better Points, together with Marco Amadori of the City of Bologna Public Transport Authority, created a unique programme to incentivise residents of Bologna to cycle, walk and use public transport instead of driving - and with remarkable results. This loyalty programme was even featured by the BBC in their "World Hacks" series! We discuss human behaviour, the psychology of consumer loyalty and some ways in which programmes can be funded when the objectives are non- commercial. Show Notes: BBC News - Clip featuring the city of Bologna's loyalty programme. Bella Mossa - Using Rewards to incentivise citizens of Bologna to drive less frequently, Dan Gipple. Better Points Platform.

  • Feb 13, 2020 · 46 min

    #22: Driving Loyalty Using CX or "Customer Experience" Mindset

    CX – or “customer experience” has exploded in recent years as a powerful business tool that truly drives customer loyalty and advocacy – not “just” using structured loyalty programmes, but by re-engineering your whole business in order to delight customers. Today’s episode of “Let’s Talk Loyalty” features an interview with Michael Killeen, founder of the “CX Academy” to figure out why so many companies are appointing CX professionals in their senior management teams, and how we as loyalty professionals can leverage our expertise in customer retention in order to lead CX initiatives. Listen to learn what brands are seen as the global leaders in CX and how you can upskill and apply similar powerful frameworks in your company. Show Notes: https://thecxacademy.org/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-killeen-cx/

  • Feb 5, 2020 · 33 min

    #21: Loyalty Lessons from Australia

    Australia is renowned as a sophisticated market when it comes to loyalty - and who better to talk us through it than Sarah Richardson - Chairperson of the Australian Loyalty Association. Sarah has an extensive career that spans over twenty years in direct marketing, CRM and also strategic loyalty programmes on both the agency and client side. Sarah now operates her own consultancy firm and loves to bring together the loyalty community in key cities in Australia to share ideas, training and inspire each other. Show Notes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-richardson-47852155/ https://www.australianloyaltyassociation.com/ https://www.sciensa.com.au/

  • Jan 29, 2020 · 46 min

    #20: Leveraging customer passions for your loyalty programme.

    Film, music and games are all assets that loyalty programme owners can leverage to drive emotional engagement with members. Listen to this episode to hear partnerships expert Tom Sugg from Brand Culture London explain how to leverage the power of the world's most popular entertainment brands as partners to engage your customers around their passion points.

  • Jan 22, 2020 · 45 min

    #19: Loyalty Experts Worldwide - An Interview with the "Customer Strategy Network"

    Running a loyalty programme can be challenging in many ways - with so many internal stakeholders and members to manage,. From platform decisions, through to legal and privacy management and of course increasing expectations for programmes to drive measurable returns. Who can you turn to for advice, a second opinion and access to global loyalty brain power? One place is the "Customer Strategy Network" - of which I'm delighted to be a member. Our organisation is a global network of loyalty practitioners available to support loyalty projects on a freelance and flexible basis as needed. Today I chat to Nick Chambers who leads the Customer Strategy Network and we discuss the types of projects we support and work we do - for those time when you might need some extra support to optimise your loyalty programme. With fifteen loyalty experts across 11 countries worldwide, there's always help on hand if you need it. Show Notes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chambersnick/ https://www.customerstrategynetwork.com/

  • Jan 15, 2020 · 13 min

    #18: Trends in Loyalty - My Predictions for 2020

    Today's episode discusses my ideas on loyalty TRENDS emerging for 2020 and beyond. Beyond the more frequently-touted ideas around personalisation, subscription programmes and environmental considerations, I've chosen three topics that excite me that include some innovative opportunities to consider as you plan your programme's evolution. Show Notes: 1) The CX Academy: https://thecxacademy.org/ 2) Gartner Customer Experience Survey: https://www.gartner.com/smarterwithgartner/key-findings-from-the-gartner-customer-experience-survey/ 3) McCafe Campaign - Creating Emotional Loyalty: http://www.liquidbarcodes.com/mcdonalds-loyalty-campaign-brewing-good/ 4) PWC Report on Voice Assistants: http://explore.pwc.com/c/pwc-voice-assistants

  • Jan 8, 2020 · 1 hr 3 min

    #17: Deon Olivier Discusses Fuel Loyalty, Health Insurance Loyalty and Propositions for Financial Services Loyalty

    Deon Olivier is an expert loyalty consultant in South Africa with over two decades of experience across telecommunications, financial services and fuel and convenience retail. Today we discuss Discovery Vitality - a world-leading loyalty programme within the health insurance, car insurance and banking sectors. We also discuss some unique concepts within retail banking as well recent developments in fuel retail and convenience stores in the South African market. Show Notes: Deon Olivier: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deonolivierwoodstock/ Harvard Business Review Case Study: https://store.hbr.org/product/discovery-limited/715423 Press Release: Apple Technology: https://bit.ly/2uwlNbB

  • Dec 18, 2019 · 50 min

    #16: British Gas Rewards - Award Winning Loyalty Programme

    Today's episode of "Let's Talk Loyalty" features exclusive insights from an award-winning UK loyalty programme that's loved by millions. The brief: How can you make customers feel truly recognised and appreciated when faced with negative media perceptions, industry regulations and an intensely competitive landscape? British Gas Rewards set out in 2017 to do exactly that. Instead of a points-based coalition programme, customers were asking for simplicity and exclusivity and so the new British Gas Rewards team created a unique format and customer proposition in record time. In partnership with detailed data and UK loyalty market insights from their partnerships/marketing agency Mando-Connect, British Gas built an award-winning loyalty programme that has successfully reduced churn and increased NPS with millions of customers. Listen in to the last episode of our first season of "Let's Talk Loyalty" to learn lessons on how a passionate team can achieve speed and scale when driven by a vision of excellence and empowered by C-Suite support. Show Notes: British Gas Rewards: https://www.britishgas.co.uk/rewards.html British Gas Rewards Partnership Agency: www.Mando-Connect.co.uk Report/research: What UK consumers think about loyalty: https://www.mando-connect.co.uk/research-yougov-what-brits-think-of-loyalty/

  • Dec 11, 2019 · 51 min

    #15: KPMG Global Report - The Truth About Customer Loyalty

    KPMG is one of the world's top management consulting firms and one of the "Big Four" accounting organisations globally with offices in over 150 countries globally. Its advisory services include advising governments, public and private firms on best practice in customer experience and driving loyalty. This includes comprehensive research including its latest report entitled: " The Truth about Customer Loyalty" - described as a report in which the world’s consumers reveal what keeps them coming back. A comprehensive interview discussing this brand new global loyalty report (published November 2019) with Selim Tanfous, KPMG Associate Director for the Lower Gulf Region. Show Notes: The Truth About Customer Loyalty - 2019 edition Customer Experience Report 2019 edition. Me, My Life, My Wallet (2018 KPMG Loyalty Research Report) Other Loyalty Resources: Loyalty 360 - The Association for Customer Loyalty

  • Dec 4, 2019 · 35 min

    #14: British Airways Executive Club - Airline Loyalty Insights

    The British Airways Executive Club is an industry-leading loyalty programme designed to engage frequent fliers all over the world. This episode discusses how British Airways is using the Executive Club to differentiate itself in the truly competitive landscape of airline travel. As Loyalty Manager for British Airways, Niall Rooney shares his insights on key trends in loyalty marketing and how customer preferences and performance are driving the airline's internal thinking to ensure these key customers are continually recognised and rewarded. Niall also shares some great statistics on how and why British Airways Executive Club continues to improve capacity to reward seats for customers, as well as key areas of focus for the airline. Show Notes: 1) Innovation Agency that British Airways Executive Club partnered with for loyalty ideas and insights. https://www.happen.com/ 2) Press Release and key statistic: "British Airways Greatly Boosts Reward Seat Availability" https://www.ideaworkscompany.com/june-26-2019-press-release 3) Simple Flying.com This episode is published in partnership with Simple Flying.com - the go-to source for everything in global aviation.