The rise of social media and the increasingly inter-connected world we now live in must prompt brands to create innovative, responsive loyalty programmes, says one expert.
"Consumers are now in complete control of when and how they receive brand messages. Brand and loyalty programme managers, therefore, should at least have a plan for how to reach their customers and members through the networks in which they socialise. The loyalty game is evolving at a phenomenal rate: brands that don't keep up or ignore the trends will be sorely tested," says Dion Maritz, General Manager of ICLP Middle East. He believes brands must respond to the fast-changing global consumer landscape and rise to the challenge of ever-increasing customer expectations. Traditional points and miles alone are no longer enough to drive loyalty over time and risk becoming outdated.
Power of suggestion
From airline frequent flyer programmes through to B2B reseller programmes, brands failing to innovate consistently, and differentiate their customer relationships from competitor offerings risk losing vital customers.
The company offers a few examples of successful players. Customer-centric e-tailers like Amazon have demonstrated the power of suggestion. "The proven success of recommending purchases and activities, based on previous interactions, shows how easily the customer experience can be personalised to encourage loyalty," he says.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts is cited as a social media success. The chain created a global scavenger hunt for their Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) members, delivering clues via Facebook and Twitter. Members taking part in the game were fed information on hotels across some 100 countries.
At a time when there are more social media accounts than people in the world, brands must embrace the complex, interconnected benefits of this evolving micro-universe. Customers now love and include online social communities in their everyday lives and brands can benefit tremendously from creating strategies for this environment.
Creative leap
For companies looking to make a start, he says, listening to customers is good — but the truly savvy players must remember that sometimes consumers need to be shown they need new products.
There are a number of crucial steps to consider before first engagement, whether at a brand or programme level.
Firstly, the choice of social media channel or platform is critical. Next is a clear plan to recruit new ‘followers' across the selected channels, which may include encouraging sign up at every customer touch point.
Finally, there's the notion of commitment. The flip side of loyalty from the customer is consistency of engagement from the brand.
— Gulf News Report
