Most businesses “blind” to social media benefits and treats
Results of global research Read more ...

Hamburger chain launches social rewards scheme
Programme for “Cravers” Read more ...

UAE and Moroccan airlines link reward schemes
Reciprocal arrangement to earn miles for flights and purchases
Read more ...

Over half of loyalty schemes go social
Strategic incorporation of social media brings results, finds survey Read more ...

Amex launches mobile offer engine
Cardholders get “spend graph” Read more ...

How to know your customer in banking
KYC deadlines increase need for dynamic customer profiles Read more ...

IT service desks ‘in the dark’ over call handling costs
Report show most do not measure costs
Read more ...

Groupon starts rewards
Bid to solve issue of how to retain customers after a daily deal Read more ...

Sainsbury's tops sustainability chart
The FTSE4Good Index has placed Sainsbury's at the top of their sustainability table for the retail sector, giving the supermarket chain a score of 4.4 out of five, against a global sector average of 2.43.
Read more ...

Roles of Google and Facebook beginning to merge
Both with play crucial part in tomorrow’s marketing mix
Read more ...

Points Breakage - The Bane of Loyalty Programmes
High levels of loyalty point breakage create a vicious circle of ever decreasing value for both the Consumer and the Brand.

New generation loyalty platforms can break this damaging cycle, says Sanjai Velayudhan, loyalty operations strategist at ITC Infotech India. Read more ...

Wake up and listen to your customers, businesses warned
Faced with an increasingly turbulent economy, it is more important than ever that companies pay heed to what their customers are telling them and use these insights to continually improve what they do, so they can keep customers loyal. Article by David Parcell, MD EMEA and corporate officer, Verint. Read more ...

Loyalty schemes will be directly affected by EU data reforms
Countries in the EU are currently working on their responses to the complex policy proposals suggested for the handling and storage of personal data. The legislative changes currently underway are of critical importance to the loyalty sector. Jeremy Henderson-Ross, legal director and general counsel – EMEA for Aimia suggests companies should play an active part in the discussions. Read more ...

Stop thinking about loyalty as a marketing objective
If we understood our customers, and what drives them, we would have to work less hard at fostering loyalty, argues Tim Williams, planning director at digital and eCRM agency Underwired Amaze. Read more ...

Top ten eShopping trends for 2012
Mobile to become 18-20% of website traffic

Retailers to feel the pinch as more brands sell direct to customers online

Over half of retail sales to be influenced by a brand's web presence

Read more ...

Data is the new oil
As data protection rules are being tightened in many jurisdictions, how should companies ‘join the dots’ of the actions of the datarati?
Having just returned from the four day Loyalty World conference in London, it is not surprising that my head is buzzing with dozens of buzz phrases and important insights, writes Annich McIntosh Read more ...

Loyalty Magazine in print
Loyalty Magazine is back in print after seven years of being an online-only title. The reason for this 'retro' move is to support the launch of The Loyalty Awards and act as a carrier for The Call for Entries, The Shortlist and The Winners brochures. Read more ...

Changing the face of retail - again
When Tesco opened a store in a South Korea subway filled just with pictures, it signalled a massive leap forward both for retail loyalty, and for the use of mobile technology Read more ...

Positioning Avios as the international multi-airline mileage reward
Avios will emerge like a phoenix from the flames of UK Air Miles – but what of the consequences, both for owner International Airlines Group (IAG) and for customers? Q&A with The Mileage Company MD Andrew Swaffield. Read more ...

Special report on loyalty in Japan
Loyalty still a respected value of Japanese culture

A loyalty rewards card that encourages gravesite visiting

The importance of "Matsuri/Festival" to the Japanese people Read more ...

That thorny old question: Is there such a thing as loyalty at all?
The question is often raised, mostly by people who don’t work in the loyalty business, whether there is really such a thing as loyalty at all. Annich McIntosh, editor of Loyalty Magazine believes that with an economic recession and changing perceptions, it is more important than ever.
Read more ...

Can established businesses beat Groupon for deals?
A new group buying business model aims to take dominance of the market away from the likes of Groupon, and enable more traditional companies to run their own daily deal offerings. Read more ...

Are social networks the key to ecommerce loyalty?
Since the advent of widespread ecommerce, retailers have been trying every avenue available in an attempt to foster serious loyalty among their online customers. From Search Engine Optimisation and Pay-Per-Click advertising to email marketing, online discounts and offers, all digital marketing forms have been heavily implemented, and while some online customers are loyal, many will just flit between competitors to find what’s best for them. Read more ...

Greek bank success in a troubled market
It is the stuff of loyalty dreams. The points redeemed from the loyalty scheme of a European bank exceeds the number of points issued, even though the number of points being issued has gone up. The result of this of course, means 100% redemption - and it has been achieved by a bank in Greece. Read more ...

Payback drives India ambitions
Analysis of Indian loyalty sector
Payback aims to double its presence in highly competitive loyalty market through deal with country's biggest retailer Read more ...

The role of trust in customer relationships
ECSP and Pitney Bowes conduct new study
Trust is seen as a core requirement in business, but very few consumers actually admit to trusting a provider.
Read more ...

Outsourced rewards programs earn their keep
An increasing number of small enterprises are using rewards programs to incentivise their customer base to remain loyal to their business, and many are using third party providers to offer the technology and expertise to measure success.
Read more ...

Listening in to customer conversations
Using text analytics to understand what people are saying about you
Data analytics is no longer seen as an interesting add on but as a crucial business requirement in a world where negative Twitter, Facebook or TripAdvisor reviews can devastate a product very quickly.
Read more ...

Special report: Making the experience count on a low cost carrier
* "Ancilliary Revenue Opportunity" is the buzz phrase for low cost carriers, who have realised that significant revenue can be gained from selling things other than the seat.
* Chart on top LCCs with loyalty schemes
* Profile of rising star airBaltic
* Using partners to fund loyalty rewards  Read more ...

How to piggy back on Apple’s success
Think of an app and then strategise it
Apple, (the world’s most valuable brand with an estimated brand value of more than US$153bn) is definitely not sitting on its laurels despite its pole position.
Its latest quarterly results show they sold a massive 18.7 million iPhones in the last three months, Read more ...