Making money out of loyalty 22ND APRIL, 2014 / TERO TASKILA The purpose for the Loyalty programs is to make money Extension of the marketing approach One-off or Limited time-only promotions (acquisitions) Rewards for the purchase (growth) Tiered and / or points based program (retention) Potentially making money through partnerships and selling points Aim to increase foot traffic or website visits to generate more repeat purchases Does not replace #1 reason for being loyal – product and service Points programs generate the most cash and loyalty, but require investment high Points program Discount program Partnership requirement Subscription • • • • • • • • • • Requires investment and set up Balance sheet implications Generates cash Struggle to remain relevant Many forms / typically “buy 10, get 11th free” Easy to implement Challenging to increase frequency and upsell Easy to implement Difficult to sell Very specific and narrow clientele low low Earning potential high How does the point sale work? Loyalty program drives traffic to partners through marketing Customer purchases from the partner and receive points Partner pays to loyalty program for the points given to customer Loyalty Program maintains the points-database When customer “burns” points, loyalty program purchases the service from partner Loyalty program makes money – mechanism same as currency trading Some findings on loyalty programs Customers prefer to have tier levels (and recognitions which comes with it) Remember to communicate if your top tiers are about to lose status! People tend to increase frequency or amounts their spending when the reward is getting closer Opposite is true as well – if the rewards are far away (or perceived that way), you will not get users If using points based program – big numbers work better than small ones Give people opportunities to fast-track getting the status for example Aadvantage Challenge Loyalty programs struggle to stay relevant Getting customers’ Staying relevant and offering timely promotions and attention opportunities to redeem Getting enough wallet space Keeping people active Average European participates in 7-9 loyalty programs. Managing cards, coupons and online accounts is challenging. Good programs have 30-40% activity rate, most driven by top tiers Promotions are important Own website Newsletters Advertisement Brochures Partner promotion Visibility at POS Larger partner footprint will increase your wallet share Everyday activities Necessary, but less frequent Occasional Groceries Insurance Culture Petrol Banking Events Commuting Electricity Travel Telecommunication Hobbies Loyalty programs possess wealth of information which can be monetized Customer •Address •Gender •Age •Family situation •Purchasing power •Habits & interests Purchase details •Product •Amount and payment type •Point of sale (location, distance travelled) •Time •Location •Frequency Customer demographics •Surveys •Targeted marketing •Behaviour analysis and adjustment •Add-on sales Improve the yield by utilising loyalty programs Targeted communication for better conversions and upsell People pay more on experiences – analyse what matters Monetize the data Mobility is changing customer behaviour Platforms change (mobile phones are new cards) Instant gratification Prices, promotions and discounts are more transparent Time based offering Location based offering Customers want engagement 50% of companies use gamification in 2015 30% of all e-messaging by 2016 5.5 Bn USD business by 2015 Most applicable for Loyalty and Marketing AMEX, airBaltic etc. are using it Case example / BalticMiles • airBaltic changed ownership structure – altering the financial conditions to maintain an existing Frequent Flyer Program • We • • • • The Baltics did not have any consumer loyalty program worth mentioning • We set our sights to learn from the best (aeroplan, nectar) – and be the best did not want to have just another Frequent Flyer Program Did not want to just offer discounted tickets Low Cost airline pricing promotes loyalty better than miles issuance We wanted to encourage loyalty Designed, implemented and launched a global rewards and loyalty program within 4 months Program Launch Contract signed January 2010 February Strategy and Planning March April 2010 Implementation Results • Program parameters identified • Delivered on time and within budget • Supplier strategy outlined • Program parameters delivered • Staffing requirements defined • 9 Core Markets • 7 Languages • 7 Currencies to support core markets • Local team in place (Latvia) • Shared services structure with rewards partner (Loylogic) for support Local Market Coverage Plan • Recruited new partners and brands • Locally sourced rewards • Determined launch campaign One year after launch – 850 000 members in 163 countries Loyalty programs should make money Increasing revenue should be the aim Higher yield, more frequency, commitment, partners Acquiring and managing partners for better footprint in customers’ daily life Managing and monetizing data is the key Instant gratification and gamification will come with increased mobility “ Sports and loyalty have one things in common – both try to maximise fans to attract partners Thank you! ”