3 Steps For Brands To Win At Mobile Loyalty In The Future

What is one of the most important things brands have on their advertising and marketing objectives’ list? They all want to create a loyal fan base. But how do they keep their customers close and their fans closer? They reward them for their loyalty with loyalty programs. Loyalty programs have been unbelievably successful, from the very first American Airlines frequent flyer program back in 1981 to the Starbucks Card Rewards program.

According to research, the average U.S. household now takes part in 21 loyalty programs every year. Yet, 54% of Americans are unhappy with loyalty program rewards offering. In this post we will see how brands are approaching loyalty programs in this mobile-first era and what your brand can do to win at mobile loyalty programs in the future.

Mobile is shaking the traditional loyalty model because more and more digital-savvy consumers are giving up traditional one-size-fits-all loyalty programs and choosing mobile-driven offerings that fit their lifestyle. For example, Starbucks has this wildly successful mobile payments app that saves customers’ money while giving them great offers.

This is really awesome news for brands, as the mobile phone is where they can reach consumers anytime and anywhere. On mobile, brands will find enthusiastic customers who are ready to accept relevant messages specifically tailored for them.

Consider Uber’s partnership with American Express. The programs allow its participants to pay with American Express when they ride Uber, and by doing so, they earn twice the rewards points, which can be used to pay for future Uber rides. That’s it, you don’t have to do anything except what you are already doing, that’s riding Uber across town. You get “paid” with loyalty points when you do.

Apart from being direct and easy to use, mobile based loyalty programs are handy for brands. They provide a lot of insight on customers’ personal preferences through real time data, give brands unparalleled first-party data and targeting, and suggest useful insights not just about demographic information, but real precise consumer preferences, spending and shopping behaviors, and contextual relevance.

Mobile is adjoining traditional offline and new online loyalty programs in a way that is more useful and relevant to each customer. Brands looking to win at mobile loyalty in the future should consider these three steps:

1. Know your customers

It is very important for brands to get more knowledge about their customers’ expectations in terms of rewards offering they receive and experience. For example, a coupon for a Gatorade drink is not a reward for a consumer who likes coconut water to stay hydrated. This can be achieved with the data you collect through your mobile app. Create attractive offerings that suit their changing moods and needs from day-to-day and location-to-location.

2. Engage customers with a surprising element

A surprising element in the loyalty programs keeps your customers engaged, like offer a free drink when a customer check into a restaurant participating in the loyalty program. The key is to keep your communication simple and clean. It will keep your program easier to understand and make the rewards clear.

3. Utilize the statistics

As a marketer’s perspective, the biggest advantage of a mobile based loyalty program is the rich data it offers. However, its utilization is the factor that will matter most. Analyze these statistics and let it help you take important business decisions. Find out what the latest trends are and capitalize on them.

Wrap Up

As the advertising industry is becoming automated with each passing day, building loyal relationships with customers is more important than ever. A mobile based, data driven loyalty program is a clear solution to build such relationships.