Customer loyalty is built upon a mutually beneficial relationship. While some business owners think they are merely rewarding existing customers who would be spending money with them anyway, it’s more likely that they are ensuring a return visit through a loyalty program. They’re truly ways for both business owners and consumers to get what they want while building more personal connections. With customers now looking for personalized experiences with their preferred brands, loyalty programs are using data to offer custom-tailored rewards—much more than something like a free lunch at an on-property restaurant.
For frequent business travelers, hotel, rental car and airline choice is commonly based on brand loyalty and rewards program membership. Even travelers taking a handful of trips a year can fall into this category, with discount travel sites like Orbitz, Expedia and Travelocity all running rewards programs. Unique promotions, brand partnerships, etc., are all used to complement standard plans. A business traveler will typically stick to one or a couple of preferred brands, making those who fit this sort of customer profile highly valuable. Thanks to technological advancements, what was formerly an always-on, one-size-fits-all type of reward is shifting to a more differentiated and segmented approach that will keep customers coming back “just once more.”
via Just Once More: The Evolving World of Customer Loyalty Programs, by David Hogan.
