Read the teaser report here. The full report is coming soon.
Kobie’s Annual Research Report
As experts in loyalty for 34 years, we know that perception = reality. That’s why consumer research is vital for brands looking to validate their loyalty strategies and understand what drives value with their customers. Kobie’s annual consumer research aims to answer the burning questions we all face around how our program is perceived, and why or why not consumers feel connected to us.
Our Methodology
We fielded our 2024 research with over 4,000 consumers across the U.S. and Canada, drilling into a variety of topics like appeal of features and benefits, personalization, engagement, recognition and more. As the only provider who sees emotional loyalty as an input vs. an output of loyalty, we use this lens and our proprietary Emotional Loyalty ScoringÒ methodology to tie it all together.
Our “Pracademic” Approach
This research is rooted in more than observation and hot takes (although we’ll throw a couple in to keep things interesting). We infuse psychological theory to form the underpinnings that help bring insights to life and make them actionable for your brand.
Dr. JR Slubowski, Kobie’s AVP of Strategic Consulting, runs our Research Center of Excellence and most importantly, translates this academic read into digestible cliff notes that you can start infusing into your loyalty strategy today (we won’t tell anyone they weren’t your ideas).
Overview
Working with global brands across industries like retail, FI, travel, QSR, entertainment and more – we hear the same problems surface amongst them all. How do I measure my program health? Do my members feel seen, heard, and recognized? And the ever popular: how do we engage them between transactions?
This year’s report focuses on answering these questions based on the trends and perceptions of consumers today, with a bonus lookahead to the future. We’ll help you understand if your strategy is working for or against you through the eyes of your members. We’ll reveal how personalization plays a factor when it’s done well, and when it’s not. We’ll divulge what levers to pull to unlock engagement between transactions, and at what cadence. We’ll examine how tiers and recognition actually make your members feel. And most importantly – what trends to act on now vs. taking a “wait and see approach”.
Report Sections
01: The Loyalty “Check Engine” Light: If your loyalty program isn’t generation more money and more members, it’s an indication that something is off with your loyalty strategy – and you’ll need to get under the hood to find out why.
In Section 1, we provide diagnostic inputs to help you understand if your loyalty strategies are working to optimize your program, with a deeper view into why members disengage, how they perceive rewards, which data points they are willing to share, and what your brand can do to rev the loyalty engine.
02: Let’s Get Personal: In Section 2, we explore personalization from a consumer’s point of view to help brands understand the disparity between when it’s done well, when it’s not, and what implications it has on your loyalty program.
To do it well, you’ll need more than just zero-party data capture. The data exchange itself is emotional for consumers, and thus critical to get right.
03: The In-Between: Traditional loyalty programs are built to react in the moments right before, during and after a transaction occurs. But what about the in-between?
In Section 3, we explore the loyalty levers you can pull to unlock more engagement in between transactions, keeping your members active and your brand top of mind even when there is no purchase taking place.
04: State of Status: While tier structures are not new to loyalty, do you really know how they make your members feel?
In Section 4, we look at the state of status from a consumer perspective to help your brand understand the implications of tiers, special offers, and the positive (and potentially negative) emotions this may stir up for your member base.
05: Shiny Object or Table Stakes?: With evolving consumer perceptions plus the distraction of new innovations, it’s not unusual to feel confused on where to focus first.
In Section 5, we examine several benefits (old and new) to recommend which you should proactively consider based on your members, vs. which you can adopt a ‘wait and see” approach.
