As much as things change, they stay the same – only their scope broadens and that’s what matters most.
That comment from Kobie’s VP of Finance & Administration, Ashby Green relates to some big trends growing in the loyalty sector and what loyalty marketers are doing to attract, retain and engage their most coveted asset: their customers. Ashby sat down with Loadfactor’s Roger Williams for a video interview to discuss recent loyalty industry developments, including:
- The growing importance of social media
- The power of Big Data to impact loyalty campaigns
- And the importance of mobile as the go-to device to link social media and location-based marketing together – especially in the restaurant space
According to Ashby what has changed most over the last year or so is scope. Instead of social media being all about virtual “likes” and collecting mass numbers, loyalty marketing has matured as ROI, like in other areas of loyalty management, has taken center stage. He says that today, loyalty marketers seek to turn multitudes of “likes” into “buys.” Or, put another way, how can digital engagement be converted into physical actions on the part of the loyalty program member?
Restaurants, says Ashby, have made some of the greatest progress upping their loyalty game. Imagine walking into a restaurant where, before you have even made a request, your server knows your favorite drink, whether it is your husband, wife or child’s birthday, and whether you prefer a window seat or outdoor seating? That level of granular detail is rapidly becoming part of the best restaurants loyalty program brand experience.
“Successful loyalty programs make you feel very important. And once you’ve been made to feel special you’re more likely to visit often and spend more per visit. “
Find out what other loyalty insights Ashby has in his video here.
How else can social media, Big Data and mobile be used to drive customer engagement? And what other new trends are you seeing emerge in restaurant loyalty programs? Share your insights with the Kobie community in the section below.
