119 customer loyalty ideas to beat COVID-19 · Deconstruct the whole idea of a loyalty program to its raw essence, which is, as a buyer, I want you to know how much you mea n to me

119 customer loyalty ideas to beat COVID-19

Supported by thewisemarketer.com and Loyalty Academy

119 ideas collated and curated by Adam Posner CLMP – CEO and Founder: The Point of Loyalty

119 ideas contributed by 63 loyalty and business professionals world-wide including Australia, Canada, India, Germany, South Africa, UAE, UK and US

10TH April 2020

How can we beat COVID-19 with the love of loyalty?

On the 25th March 2020, with the COVID-19 pandemic prevalent world-wide, Adam Posner posted a call to action on LinkedIn:

“Sharing is caring. It's a cliche, however it is the brutal truth.

I am calling out to all customer loyalty people (brands/ technology/ consultants/ agencies/ data etc) to share your ideas, to collectively collude, to maximise the sum of the parts by answering the question...

"How can we beat COVID-19 with the love of loyalty?"It does not matter what the idea is.

It can relate to loyalty programs or not. It can be tactical, strategic, short-term, long-term...so long as it relates to driving customer loyalty.

We are aiming for 119 ideas as 100 more than 19 is a winning number I will collate the ideas into an e-book and make it available to anyone...”

By the 7th April 2020, 119 ideas (+ 5 bonus ideas) were contributed by 63 loyalty and business professionals world-wide including Australia, Canada, India, Germany, South Africa, UAE, UK and US.

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https://www.linkedin.com/posts/adamposner_loyaltyprograms-loyaltyprogram-customerloyalty-activity-6648395856556974080-A5a2

63 loyalty professionals contributed

Adam Posner CLMP; Alexander Subel CLMP; Anand Radhakrishnan; Andrew Goldstein; Angela Cobb;

Anja Dragovic; Anthony Graham; Atilla Olgun; Barbi Goldblatt; Bhagwat Pant; Bill Hanifin CLMP;

Billy Loizou; Brad Swain; Brian Almeida; Caroline Papadotas; Christina Iliadis; Clemens Zehetne;

Craig Grimshaw; David Canty; David Feldman; David Slavick; Dean James; Denis Hure; Deon Olivier CLMP;

Dominic Braham; Enda Kavanagh; Iain Pringle; Jenny Joseph; Jillian Kossman; John Bartold CLMP;

Juber Shaikh; Kevin Zaenger; Karolina Baszarkiewicz; Kathleen Fournier; Len Llaguno; Marc Robinson;

Michael Barnard; Michael Capizzi CLMP; Michelle Govinsamy; Mark Johnson; Marianne Doyle; Max Savransky;

Mike Atkin CLMP; Natalija Pesic CLMP; Nathan Bowen; Neville Samuels; Nicola Dennison; Patrina Kerr;

Paul McGarity; Paul Roberts; Paula Thomas CLMP; Phil Hawkins; Phil Rubin CLMP; Richard Dutton CLMP;

Ros Netto; Sarah Franklyn; Sarah McCullough; Sanjay Daya; Steven Allmen CLMP Thomas Christensen;

Tobi Bonifant; Tom Fuyala; Troy Muir

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Contributors in alphabetical order by first name:

A collation of 119 ideas

This ‘e-book’ is the collation of all ‘119 customer loyalty ideas to beat COVID-19’.

• All ideas are reproduced as they were provided by each contributor in the comments of the LinkedIn post.

• The contributor’s full name is attributed to each idea provided.

• Although ideas have been categorised and sorted based on nine key themes (see next page), there is no detailed analysis of each idea – we’ll leave that up to you!

• Where ideas have multiple themes, we have nominated one theme to the idea.

• Ideas are listed within each theme in alphabetical order based on the contributor’s first name.

• If a link to an article was provided in the post, the ideas from the article have been included in this list with a link to the article.

I’d like to express my gratitude and thanks to all the loyalty and business professionals world-wide for their contributions. I hope there is at least one, if not many ideas you can action to “beat COVID-19 with the love of loyalty”.

Be safe, stay well and take care out there.

Best regards

Adam Posner - CLMPCEO and Founder: The Point of [email protected]

The contents of this document are the opinion of the contributors to the LinkedIn post as referenced in this document. No responsibility for loss occasioned by any person acting or refraining from the action as a result of the material in this article can be accepted by the author or contributors. 4

119 customer loyalty ideas to beat COVID-19: Key themes

Key themes the ideas relate to:

1. Strategy: Review strategy, innovate; pivot or reposition program, review investment and program financial modelling, proposition or business operations

2. Data analysis: Analyse and segment base; profile to understand members by value

3. Program structure: Assess structure and evaluate member status and tiers

4. Rewards and benefits: Provide new or different rewards and benefits relevant to members’ lives

5. Experience: Evaluate program experience and enhance engagement

6. Communication: Focus on relevant and clear communication with a sensitive tone

7. Community: Help community or cause related giving

8. Team: Invest in your team – their belief and buy-in to customer loyalty / loyalty program

9. Customer service: Be available to help members and customers

Where we could not identify an idea to any of the above themes, we collated these to an ‘other’ theme.

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1. Strategy

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Review strategy, innovate; pivot or reposition program, review investment and program

financial modelling, proposition or business operations

Ideas #1 - 21



#1. It will be key for businesses to help customers navigate this time and make their lives easier. Here are some areas of focus:Proposition pivoting. With brand engagement and interactions increasingly happening from home, loyalty benefits will need to be made

more relevant to customers (e.g. access to exclusive experiences online, gifting / donation of rewards to support community, dial up at-home rewards / partners, rebate programs, boosted burn). As well as recognising hardship and supporting loyal customers in need (e.g. free delivery, favourable payment terms, no points expiry / cancellation fees). Channel optimisation. Businesses need to ensure that their

channels appropriately support the way their customers are expecting to engage with their brands (e.g. home delivery, eCommerce, tele-service, social). Empathetic and relevant comms. This is an important time for transparency and building trust with customers (e.g. ask

customers what they want / need, avoid blanket comms, nurture HV customers (hyper personalisation - call), challenge each comms (during and post crisis comms), use touchpoints to validate / increase marketable base).

Angela Cobb

#2: PIVOT: Think outside of the box and BAU. Many brands jumped the wagon to do this early – LVMH with hand sanitizer, Zara with scrubs and PPE gear for Spain’s hospitals. You don’t have to be the first, that’s not the point. Your customers will still recognise your efforts even if

you do it two months from now.Anja Dragovic

#3: Start to think about customer values, rather than customer value. What is really important to customers at this moment in time? How are their loved one's affected? How has their spending behavior changed? What's happening in their local community? Loyalty works on both

sides of the brain. The logical side is often satisfied with discounts; the emotional side by someone truly understanding me. Emotional engagement is key to driving long term loyalty. Now is the perfect time for organizations to engage with consumers on what is really

important to them to build that connection. Examples could be allowing best customers to nominate a vulnerable person they would like groceries delivered to or donating points to feed those in need in the local community. Some organizations will try to monetize the situation,

playing on the logical side of the brain. The one's I will buy stock in will play on the emotional side to build that long-term engagement.Anthony Graham

Ideas #1 – 3

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#4: Sure, you have Loyalty Programs, that help cushion the cyclical nature of the airline business. But Business Leaders should be asking themselves how they can turn the airline business into something much more, taking into account of ways to build close connections to the

places they fly into. Think Pokemon Go + Zelda - these games encourage the player to go out and explore and capture new things and experiences. In other words, game elements. And so the idea of exploration is the enabler, and not the mode of transport, once you think

about enabling game elements into a non-game context. When things start to get better, there is a risk that people's behaviours in this Brave New World post-COVID-19 might change, and so all the aviation work of Academics and Business Executives in the 70s, 80s, 90s, 2000s etc will no longer be relevant beyond 2020. Traditional airline marketing be like: We fly into B from A. You wanna fly, you fly. If you

don't well, how about x% discount? How about Points? You still don't? Oh well. In no way is that inspiring, regardless what your CMO CLO says so, or the McKinsey Consultant. The Emperor is naked. End of story.

Atilla Olgun

#5. And more importantly, maybe in 2020 and beyond, the concept of 'loyalty' (which sounds so individualistic) might be superceded and replaced with 'Belonging' or 'Community' or whatever - imagine the difference in emotion in being asked: 'what loyalty program are you a member of' vs 'what Tribe are you a member of?' (e.g. are you member of the Adidas Tribe or Nike Tribe) And use the opportunity for

members of the Tribe to get to know one another. You hear of increased feelings of loneliness in the Age of Social Networks (ironic) - make it possible for people who shop with you to meet like-minded people, like sub-groups within the loyalty program / tribe (I'm sure there will

be plenty of business professionals who will share the experience of witnessing entire departments connecting, bonding and supporting en-masse with each other in internal social networks that would not have been imaginable pre-COVID-19). So it is possible. There is only one

chance, starting on the first day of post-COVID-19, where it won't seem awkward or weird for people to meet new people and resume / start new relationships in a post social-distancing world.

Atilla Olgun

Ideas #4 - 5

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#6. Deconstruct the whole idea of a loyalty program to its raw essence, which is, as a buyer, I want you to know how much you mean to me and to my business and I want to give you every reason possible to come back and make your experience enjoyable. Now, as a business,

you need to know what your customers are going through right now. Forget people wanting to transact with you - you need to prioritize in understanding the general mood of the populace. People are worried, scared, stressed, beaten-down, angry etc you name it. What is key

to understand is behavior has changed. Your loyalty program was predicated on your understanding of 'behavior', i.e. your customer's behavior. I'm not focused on current behavior, I'm more focused on future behavior. And (to keep it short and simple), like in times of recessions where Government release stimulus packages to stimulate the economy, 'smart' loyalty programs should focus on creating

stimulus for people to resume pre-crisis behaviors. So if you're in the airline business (example), create the incentive for people to travel again by making it into a game for people to earn Points by visiting specific places (not purchasing flight tickets) and checking-in at a

Waypoints on the program's app.Atilla Olgun

#7. I've been thinking about the outlook loyalty program leadership should adopt during the crisis, with a bit of a look at "life after the virus". Here are a few thoughts. The traditional financial benefits from a loyalty model are creating incrementality and reducing attrition. While we continue towards a solution for the virus outbreak, consumer consumption will continue to be drastically lower. Any sniff of a

brand encouraging more spending might be poorly received by customers, so the goal of incrementality goes out the window. That leaves retention as the primary focus. But what does that mean. I don't think there will be lots of brand switching during this time, so "retention"

takes on a meaning of strengthening bonds between your brand and customers now to preserve relationships in the future. Retention efforts can fall under the heading of helpful communications, life hacks, time-saving services, and anything else that is specific to the

brand. We're in a weird time that I can only compare to visiting a dying loved one in the hospital or attending a funeral. At those times, don't we find it awkward to know what to say? And saying the "wrong" thing or something inappropriate can be more damaging to a

relationship than just sitting and smiling with sincerity. For some brands, just "being there" might be good enough, but showing you care through action will reinforce your intention.

Bill Hanifin CLMP9

Ideas #6 – 7


#8. Manage up to CEO level to grow understanding of loyalty and how it can drive business resurgence when we come out of COVID-19. Brad Swain

#9. Longer term - Define the new normal for customer behaviour, i.e will customers move to lower consumption levels, will purchase channels change, how will the payment eco-system change.

Brian Almeida

#10. Plan for a mini re-launch when lockdown is lifted - take the time now as a programme owner to revitalize your proposition ... new look and feel, new CVP elements etc RESULT: hype around the new shiny toy when it hits the market.

Deon Olivier CLMP

#11. Perhaps some kind of good hygiene program - could be a digital platform enabling you to track/rate your cleanliness and social distancing progress whilst also encouraging online social interaction and idea sharing - also somehow stimulate positive mental health and

work ethic (from home). More of a loyal citizen/humanitarian platform I guess.Dominic Braham

#12. I think it’s time to become dynamic now. Members will look at things in different way to the benefits they might be using beforefrequently or easily but we need to analyse and restructure all the offerings in a very flexible way.

Juber Shaikh

#13. A lot of great tips and ideas have been shared so far from the member perspective...I've read through a lot of the posts, but have not seen yet (or have missed) much around positioning of programs within the parent organization. This can be an important consideration in the

best of times and more so now - budgets are going to be slashed, staff cut, future plans put on hold, etc. For the many organizations out there where the pendulum swings from pro to anti loyalty (typically due to perceived cost to value) as leadership changes, be prepared to defend

the continued investment in loyalty. There will likely be a lot of knee-jerk reactions happening.Kevin Zaenger

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Ideas #8 - 13


#14. It makes financial sense to be generous with points: Here's the logic: your program liability assumes an expected breakage rate, which means you've already deferred revenue at that rate. In the absence of any intervention, breakage on your currently outstanding points will

almost certainly home in higher compared to expected levels as a result of COVID-19. This means your program liability is larger than it needs to be. In other words, you have money to play with! We should be trying to find ways to keep breakage from increasing, and thus keep the liability

accurately stated on the balance sheet. Pausing expiration is a very simple way to try to keep breakage from increasing. This will give your members an opportunity to use those points once thing return to normal and will likely not cost you much to do this.

Len Llugano

#15. Conduct a situational analysis: Many assume the worst before painting a picture of what the situation is in reality. Assess the options available to you to help drive customer engagement. For example, if you have store premises that are closed, can you move sales to online? Can your staff engage with customers over the telephone? Can you offer remote/no contact delivery options? How can you leverage social media to

engage your customers? (now is a great time with many self-isolating). Michael Barnard

#16. Take this opportunity to innovate: Most brands are too busy day-to-day to dedicate time to innovation and product development. This is a great opportunity to take a step back and assess your product/service range and how it meets the needs of your customers. Challenge your

teams to be creative on quick-to-market and long-term strategies. Contact customers for their input, ideas and feedback.Michael Barnard

#17. Everything will be digital for a while; some things will change permanently. Michael Capizzi CLMP

#18. Expect longer consumer buying journeys from members now and into the future for all but necessities; this means you'll need more budget, more time, more resources - NOT LESS.

Michael Capizzi CLMP

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Ideas #14 – 18


#19. I think what's most important is to understand how the business can help members utilize their services while at home. Also, I would humanize as much as possible this process and try to create that customer bond that we always share in our articles but maybe not actually doing. Remind yourself why you started your Loyalty programs, and what are the values promised to the clients. After all the word Loyalty

means ‘ feelings of support or duty towards someone’ and now it’s time for us as Loyalty professional to show our support. Natalija Pesic CLMP

#20. This is an important moment. We are all trying to figure out how to create a sense of Loyalty that’s inclusive, meaningful and purposeful. We need to get it right because it’s our time to honor our relationships with the customers. How can we do this, you ask? Here are 3 ways to do that:

1. Prioritize customer relationships. It’s time to re-visit the customer journey within your organization to understand how your company was engaging with your most valued customers and how that relationship can become stronger. 2. Make your way to humanization. It’s time to

think of what makes us connected in the first place, why our customers are loyal to us and how can we in this challenging time be there for them. How can our service translate into our customers’ home is the question you should ask yourself. 3. Be creative with your technology. Use the technology to ask questions that can help you spark ideas for you and your clients/customers. Find the right tech tools that work best for your

business and interactions and most importantly have fun with it. For example: design a virtual game related to your business and test the knowledge of your customers with prizes for them so you can ensure they come back).

I think what's most important is to understand how the business can help members utilize their services while at home. Also, I would humanize as much as possible this process. and try to create that customer bond that we always share in our articles but maybe not actually doing. Remind

yourself why you started your Loyalty programs, and what are the values promised to the clients. After all the word Loyalty means ' feelings of support or duty towards someone ' and now its time for us as Loyalty professional to show our support. Stay Safe.

Natalija Pesic CLMP

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Ideas #19 – 20


#21. Now is not the time for companies to pull back on investing in their loyalty program or marketing activity. Research has proven that companies who continued to invest (sensibly & ethically) during the GFC in their loyalty programs and also continued to invest in ongoing marketing and branding of these programs, came out ahead of those companies who cut spending in these areas. So although it may feel

counter-intuitive, now more than ever your customers and channel partners want to hear from you, want to feel there is a relationship and that you value them (even though their spending may be less than previous). An emotional connection is critical.

Patrina Kerr

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Idea #21


Now might be the time to reflect on CRM/Loyalty transformation and how your core team plus rest of enterprise will need to adapt in order to meet valued customers needs and wants. As a CMO, SVP of Loyalty or CRM post pandemic, your scope may cover all of the following

core areas, and potentially broaden due to changes in organizational structure: Brand Identity Customer Experience Customer Recognition Customer Loyalty Recognition, Activation, Retention, Referral Customer Satisfaction, Measurement External Vendor Management Digital and

Physical Media Loyalty Operations, Technology CRM/Loyalty Program Design/Strategy Start planning now for the new normal as you need to rely on the following areas of the enterprise to support you: Website Operations Information Technology/IT/Technology Resources Customer Service Call Center/IVR Master Data Warehouse Reporting, Analytics/Modelling/Segmentation Services Finance/Planning, Financial Modelling/Liability Mgmt. Marketing Services, Creative Merchandise Planning/Analysis, Offer Plng/Mgmt Digital – Website,

Mobile, Social (SEO, SEM, Guest Community), Asset Collection/Mgmt. Mobile Ordering Field Communications, Training, Change Management.David Slavick

Bonus idea:An additional strategy idea was contributed after the 119 ideas were achieved.

2. Data analysis

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Analyse and segment base; profile to understand members by value

Ideas #22 - 41


#22. From the Loyalty customer base, create different social groups, that can be engaged via Facebook/Insta and create conversation and topics that are exciting and relevant to the audience, example could be, one of loyal member happens to be a corporate honcho and has a

Facebook live chat with other program customers on leadership in VUCA world, once we have a sound profiling. Anand Radhakrishnan

#23. Chance for brands to know their customers better, given the time availability in hand, use it for improving the KYC data.Anand Radhakrishnan

#24. Now is also a good opportunity for businesses to set their marketing up for success by auditing and optimising their Data and Automation capabilities (e.g. aggregating data, assessing data utilisation, setting up governance for cross channel delivery, building frameworks for clear

and consistent communications, establishing reporting rhythms).Angela Cobb

#25. Identify and use communication channels most relevant for different segments.Bhagwat Pant

#26. Use data to identify consumer preferences at individual level and proactively make them available at most convenient way possible Other ideas relevant to retail, hospitality and Financial Services/ credit cards are available in the article ‘Loyalty on COVID-19 and beyond

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/loyalty-covid-19-beyond-bhagwat-pant/Bhagwat Pant

#27. Understand whether this tragedy warrants differential treatment between customers.Brian Almeida

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Ideas #22 - 27


https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/loyalty-covid-19-beyond-bhagwat-pant/

#28. Anticipate member needs... Loyalty studies show that when the customer really needs help is a make-or-break moment in a business/customer relationship, so use game theory to anticipate what your members need on a segment basis, and come up with solutions in

advance so you are ahead of the customer instead of trailing behind. Caroline Papadotas

#29. My idea is in your "spare" time as a loyalty program owner begin to build the business case for analytics. If this has to start with a better approach to ingesting, managing, cleaning and using the data - all to the good. I am 100% certain CRM/Loyalty owners know and believe that they can always improve in this area and they can't do it alone. There is no surprise that before the pandemic hit analytical talent was #1 on the

search list for most companies.Then, if your "foundation" is right move on to the next step of building the business case for better tools/solutions coupled with a more predictive/responsive set of capabilities. As a result of sourcing leaders in the service space today you will be ready to hit

the ground running when the time is right. We all talk the game of personalization, treating the valued customer uniquely, in a relevant and meaningful way. Many of the 60+ ideas shared here are reliant on nimble operations, smart people managing the program and committed staff

on the front lines servicing customers everyday. It all starts with data and an initiative to power up the data will pay immediate dividends plus solve a point of pain many have known and just didn't have the time, support or budget to do so. Providers in the space will put proverbial skin in

the game now to demonstrate proof of concept which ultimately gets your business humming a good tune! God bless all of you!! David Slavick

#30. In light of the empty shelves, Supermarkets could be turning the concept of surprise and delight on its head. They could be using the vast volume of data they hold on all of their shoppers to determine who has not yet managed to buy their standard basket of goods- and then offer to

deliver orders of the basics to this customer base. Instead of waiting for online orders which they cannot handle at the moment - why not pay it forward and offer a delivery of basics to these customers. And they could be using the data to filter out the 'hoarders' who no doubt are still

racking up their loyalty points. (Refer to article on how the big grocery chains can apply their data to pay it forward in this current economic crisis is accessible on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/2WMuGtG

Jenny Joseph

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Ideas #28 - 30


https://bit.ly/2WMuGtG

#31. Use the time to clean up your database and marketing permissions - execute proactive interventions focused on validating existing contact details, and at the same time to harvest additional demographic and other data - use staff that are not in store ie working from home to drive

these connections, starting with VHV customers first RESULT: members feel appreciated, opportunity to engage, data health. Deon Olivier CLMP

#32. There are probably a lot of loyalty teams feeling the pressure to demonstrate value right now. There have been several mentions of data in the posts which are all good. Data will be critical to showing the potential for loyalty to executive teams. An article about Nike pointed out how they are using their data to understand the ‘waves’ or patterns of the pandemic. Those patterns is informing everything from communications to supply chain adjustments as peaks and recoveries are modelled. Use the data to build relationships on the outside and well as on the inside of

the org. Stay connected and build the relationships that matter most. John Bartold CLMP

#33. Reach out to high value customers to show understanding of their situation (reaffirm your relationship with them): Look at purchase intervals for those who have made 3+ transactions. Look at their mean purchase interval and see if the number of days since their most recent

transaction is greater than this mean. Allow for maybe 20-30% extra time (mean x1.2 or 1.3) and trigger an email to show you acknowledge they are staying away and let them know you're there for when they can visit again.

Marc Robinson

#34. If B2C, remember that huge geographic and demographic differences help shape and define consumer reaction to the crisis. Michael Capizzi CLMP

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Ideas #31 - 34


#35. Target members based on latent demand: Latent demand is the difference between the amount a member would have spent in the absence of COVID-19 and the amount they actually spent during this crisis. It's possible to leverage the wealth of data from the program to

quantify latent demand. We should be giving members rich offers in proportion to their latent demand, which will help you maximize the amount of pent up demand that you capture when things return to normal.

Len Llugano

#36. Updating preferences - but running it as a getting to know you better campaign. We can’t see you in person so let us know what you love about us and when we are back we will make sure we have an offer for you around this. We the marketers get the benefit of updated

segmentations and the customer gets an offer.Marianne Doyle

#37. Segment the one’s you love and take only what you need to survive.Paul McGarity

#38. Now is the time more than ever for loyalty program operators to tap into the knowledge inherent in their program databases. In recent days, our inboxes have been full of well-meaning but too-often untargeted communications from a range of businesses. There is a great

opportunity to identify specific segments in our loyalty databases to engage with e.g. members over 70 years or other more vulnerable groups, for specific messaging. We are all used to sharpening our communications for purposes such as driving sales; the current environment provides

a terrific chance to use the same targeting smarts for mission-critical purposes for the benefit and safety of our communities. Phil Hawkins

#39. In this quiet time, interrogate the data. Spend time segmenting your buckets and creating action plans per segment. look at statistics at a granular level. Find partners that have the right technology to do this for you.

Sanjay Daya

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Ideas #35 - 39


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I’d suggest that businesses create a shared understanding of their customer. Not just demographic data, but all the research and feedback that’s flooding in but getting stuck in different teams, systems and processes. Without a consistent view of a customers evolving needs and expectations the business can’t

work together to strengthen loyalty.Paul Roberts

Bonus idea:An additional data analysis idea was contributed after the 119 ideas were achieved.

#40. Remember as customers are likely to be shopping/spending less that you might need to review your member banding and tieringSarah Franklyn

#41. Bringing the infrastructure to the fight. Article with ideas for supermarkets - How Supermarket Loyalty Programs and Other Digital Exhaust Could Help With Contact Tracing

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/thought-piece-how-supermarket-loyalty-programs-other-digital-fuyalaTom Fuyala

Ideas #40 - 41

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/thought-piece-how-supermarket-loyalty-programs-other-digital-fuyala

3. Program structure

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Assess structure and evaluate member status and tiers

Ideas #42 - 45


#42. If you have a status tier in your program, think about offering ‘a period of grace’ or extension of status (tier) for these exclusive benefits to be available. There might some ideas you can gain from this article by Mark Ross-Smith – “Should Airlines & Hotels Extend Elite Status in

Times of Crisis?” Adam Posner CLMP

#43. If you are in small LPs (SME), try to rethink your strategy. Post Covid, most communities should install a loyalty scheme for local dealers. Try to design such a concept and approach your city managers. Let’s call it Community Loyalty. Considerations for now: Enrollment strategy,

Earning Strategy, Reward Strategy, Loyalty Engine to use, so that it’s easy to use for Dealers and Members. Alexander Subel CLMP

#44. Membership benefits - Should preferences continue for top tier members eg Gold, Paid members (can you offer benefits of preferred/select delivery etc).

Brian Almeida

#45. Freeze all re-tiering while lockdown is still in place - especially tier downgrades. Since customers cannot purchase products, they should not be penalised for that RESULT: happy members that don’t feel short-changed.

Deon Olivier CLMP

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Ideas #42 - 45

3. Program Structure: Assess structure and evaluate member status and tiers

https://www.traveldatadaily.com/airlines-hotels-extend-status-in-crisis/

4. Rewards and benefits

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Provide new or different rewards and benefits relevant to members’ lives

Ideas #46 - 67


#46. Consider a members-only free or reduced delivery offer for a defined period so your members can still purchase from you online and stay at home. While this might not help store visits, it will still keep the option of sales coming in.

Adam Posner CLMP

#47. Boost your bonus benefits to members to purchase more or more often from your business. Adam Posner CLMP

#48. If you have a subscription program, reduce or remove the cost to subscribe if the time for renewal is within the next (say) 3 months or provide a 'grace period' if it is a monthly subscription.

Adam Posner CLMP

#49. If you have a catalogue of redemption options, make a hero of those for in-home benefit eg entertainment and games. Consider reducing the redemption value as a “thank you for being a valued member".

Adam Posner CLMP

#50. Create better value for your loyalty program, by tie up with partners, who will provide better value to the customer, could be offers/ points redemption/ free subscription from relevant brands like Netflix/Amazon Prime/ Online education etc and customised the offering based on

data, hence adding value to customers who have been with you. Anand Radhakrishnan

#51. REWARD Seek opportunities to offer even greater value where practicable i.e. increased discounts, bonus points, tier upgrades… whatever may be on the cards for your brand to offer. It may not seem like it’s feasible, but a reshuffle of budget and spend might just make it so.

Anja Dragnovic

#52. LOOSEN UP Cancelation fees, transfer fees, no refund or exchange offered? Perhaps an opportunity to relax the strict policies and give your customers a break.

Anja Dragnovic

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Ideas #46 - 52


#53. Months from now (post covid-19), for every major loyalty program to hold a free sausage sizzle in every State and invite every member of their loyalty program over to be met and greeted by the company CEO and Executive team in a laid-back environment, and stories

shared. Even though I'm an analyst, I know people are not numbers or statistics, they're real and human. Meet them. Listen to them. And, most importantly, empathize with them. And show you really care by actually saying it to their face. That would be a 'WOW' moment I'm sure.

Atilla Olgun

#54. Review your points strategy, do you need to stop issuing points (essential items, shortage items), or issue bonus points (non-essential, nice to have items), do you need to withdraw your redemptions (eg no seats on airlines make redemptions redundant).

Brian Almeida

#55. Align the Benefits & Rewards value proposition, to the new normal.Brian Almeida

#56. At adidas Runtastic GmbH, we are currently offering our premium subscriber model free of charge for 3 months, with no strings attached. Hopefully, this will help people to stay physically and mentally fit, during these days.

Clemens Zehetner

#57. Confinement seems to be the buzz word these days, during this time you can still reward your members. We have been providing Digital Entertainment Content Reward (Music, Film, eBooks, eMagazines, Video Games, etc...) for the last 10 years, so loyalty members can enjoy their

rewards wherever they are including in the comfort of their home.... It is time to show your customer your appreciation in this tough time as per David Feldman, GAICD commented. We have even started offering a service to provide sponsorship to our Loyalty Clients to finance the

rewards we provide to reduce the financial impact of some campaign. Denis Hure

24

Ideas #53 - 57


https://www.linkedin.com/company/3748/


https://www.linkedin.com/in/ACoAABcGR50BsqIfKTY-ElgmwKbKk35Lub8ljJQ/

#58. Give people points: Cash flow is a big problem for companies right now because the the cash coming is has dropped dramatically (in some cases, gone to zero!). In this situation, each dollar that goes out is one dollar closer to bankrupt. The beauty of giving points is that there is a

delayed cash flow impact since there can be a long delay between when a point is earned and when it's redeemed (which is when the cash flow out occurs). More points in more members' accounts means a larger number of people have a larger incentive to purchase when things return

to normal. This can help add momentum to the recovery, and help you ensure that you capture the maximum amount of pent up demand. Len Llugano

#59. Take pressure off your customers: This is really important. If you own a loyalty program in which points have an expiry time frame, extend it. Consider pausing paid memberships until the customer is able to make use of their membership. If you’re a service provider, can you extend

payment a month or two? Customers are being cautious because of the uncertainty. They will appreciate the flexibility, and they will remember it.

Michael Barnard

#60. Adapt - delivery, eCommerce, livestream, curbside pick-up, changes in product usage occasions, etc. (you've heard them all and more this week). Adaption is the key.

Michael Capizzi CLMP

#61. Create - pantry load, deferred payment, extended credit, engagement auctions. (A pantry load strategy would pull future purchases forward, in order to help current revenues/cash flows. Price/service offers typically drive the purchase forward. Of course, the future periods will

be missing these purchases but it gives you time to acquire new down the road while preserving cash today.)Michael Capizzi CLMP

#62. Specific to COVID. My wife is loving the idea she can get 50% off at #nandos as she is a frontline health professional dealing with the high-risk aged community. Great initiative.

Neville Samuels

25

Ideas #58 - 62


https://www.linkedin.com/feed/hashtag/%3Fkeywords=%2523nandos

#63. Looking at this from the B2B space we are helping our clients repurpose their Travel Reward budgets to other exciting and appealing rewards for their target markets.

Patrina Kerr

#64. Integrate virtual rewards as these offer instant redemption and able to be used for online purchases during this time of restriction and limited retail options. Patrina Kerr

#65. I think engagement is key and from a programme perspective. How do you keep your brand/programme top of mind during self isolation or lock-down (depending on what your country has put in place). My thoughts: Allow members to engage with your programme through completing non-transactional activities and earn points or unlock prizes or competition entries to be used post isolation/lock down. For example, if you want

to understand your member's interests or you want to ensure you capture updated details, perhaps gamify the experience for members, encourage them to answer trivia or simple questions about their preferences and reward them for it. The reward can be in the form of points/

vouchers/ competitions / surprise and delight to be used for a specific duration after isolation is over. This will encourage footfall to the brands store or online environment (depending on the brand). Customers "win" by engaging with a brand they love (through surveys, games, etc.) and get something back and business "win" through encouraging on going engagement, collecting data, and enticing traffic to their stores in the

near future. Simple, and probably mentioned already but if you have any vouchers or points you know will expiry soon, extend the expiry period to allow members to use those points post lock down. I would get quite creative about the messaging and if budget allows possibly even boost those points for top tier customers. (Sorry, I know not everyone is under strict lock down like we are in SAfrica.) If you cannot extend points expiry dates, I would encourage brands to look at alternative redemption options, specifically at "doing good" and supporting those in need during this

period. It may even be to support staff at your organization, suppliers, or communities that members can choose from. Redeem points for food hampers etc.. timeous, relevant and feel good.

Ros Netto

26

Ideas #63 - 65


#66. Reduce costs of any subscriptions or membership fees. Thomas Christensen

#67. Although I have not read all it seems there are some fantastic ideas that cover all levels of programs across retail, travel and FI. Two areas that we have started to discuss include leveraging the power and engagement of gift cards to drive loyalty plus the use of increased focus on local community based organizations to drive post pandemic engagement locally. Both of these are in progress approaches to these times in

conjunction with numerous ideas already share by the community. On the gift cards we see the ability to both drive the sales to create a financial benefit to the retailer/restaurant for future business. The gap has traditionally been in the anonymous nature of these cards so lets look to

develop a registration option, via sign up or loyalty, to capture who purchased and therefore have a marketable database. On the local side there is an opportunity to drive loyalty for social good by engaging youth based organizations (sports clubs) to integrate with both local small

businesses to aggregate spend and earn. This can be directed through existing card or loyalty programs to speed up integration and target large bases.

Steven Allmen CLMP

27

Ideas #66 - 67


5. Experience

28

Evaluate program experience and enhance engagement

Ideas #68 - 70


#68. We are helping a number of clients transition their physical events to online/virtual events and building into these online events with rewards and gamification to encourage attendance and drive engagement & participation.

Patrina Kerr

#69. Right now it’s less about the points and offers and much more how the member realizes value from the brand that helps them through the crisis. Give them the best experience and be the best brand for your best customers. As an example, If you’re a merchant prioritize their

requests and fulfillment first (especially) if you’re selling something that will immediately help them deal in this crisis. Phil Rubin CLMP

#70. Incorporate Badges in the program. But the problem is how to make the Badges seem valuable to the member? For example Safesforcehave incorporated earning Badges on their Salesforce Trailheaded guided learning program. I would go further and say use Badges as a means

to unlock 'something' in the real world. Take aviation (since this is the industry I work in), and imagine an Australian airline introduces Badges. Say, you can earn a Travelling Wombat badge if you visit 5 regional places in Australia within 12 months. Once you've earned the badge, you've unlocked the chance to visit any Lounge at any major Australian airport. Who knows, maybe the concept of static Tiers with static benefits that apply to all in the Tier might become obsolete, replaced by the idea of earning Badges with chances to unlock hidden products and services.

Atilla Olgun

29

Ideas #68 - 70

5. Experience: Evaluate program experience and enhance engagement

6. Communication

30

Focus on relevant and clear communication with a sensitive tone

Ideas #71 - 98


#71. Set up a ‘let’s beat this virus’ promotion with your members. Be brutally honest (maybe even a bit vulnerable) and ask members help your business by spending a bit more or visit that extra time to keep the business breathing.

Adam Posner CLMP

#72. CONNECT First and foremost brands need to keep marketing and communications alive during this time. Many brands are overcompensating and over-communicating, while others are playing it safe and under communicating. This is one of the biggest opportunities to drive member loyalty and we will not do it by NOT communicating and offering value now when it is needed the most. Brands who stepped

up during WWII in times of crisis experienced increased positive brand perceptions for decades to come. Anja Dragovic

#73. Just Keep in touch - loads of authentic and personal Communication. Barbi Goldblatt

#74. Communicate more often with empathy to all consumers.Bhagwat Pant

#75. Communicate with members on the status of stores, stocks, schedules, availability.Brian Almeida

#76. Build the contactable base now...Most programs have a contactable base (responsive to direct communications) that is 40% or less of the total base of members. Think of ways you can help customers (ie. contact them when toilet paper is back in stock, or any of their needs-based purchases) and emailing them directly. This is not the time for points-based offers, but for invaluable service based messages that customers

will find relevant, caring and useful.Caroline Papdotas

31

Ideas #71 - 76


#77. My thoughts are: 1. Be clear in what your brand and loyalty programme stand for and what they don't stand for 2. If it aligns to this, I would reach out to complimentary businesses to provide as much support for your customers as possible - we're all in this together 3. Communicate how you can help your customers through yours and the extended relationships in a and relevant manner. 4. Communicate to your customers

about ways that they may help your other customers so that it builds up a community spirit in here 5. Treat your customers and communications with kindness as this is the moment of truth, just like an insurance claim, now is the time that the customer sees the real you! All this is based on

having good customer protocols in place and the right technology and management focus.Craig Grimshaw

#78. I do think brands need to keep humanity at the center of everything they do, in how they communicate and how they execute. Loyalty programs can be their biggest asset in challenging times, but it’s important to ensure you connect in an empathetic way with all of your

customers and be ready for when we emerge. Brands should take this time to think of the shortcomings of their programs, what were you not able to do, that you wish you could. Immediately begin addressing those shortcomings and be better going forward. Remember loyalty works

best in both directions, reward those who remain true to you. Be ready with a redemption stimulus when the time is right to reengage. David Canty

#79. Look after your customers and program members! Members will remember the brands that did "the right thing" by members and will remember those that screwed them over (withholding refunds, inflexible change policies, enforcing points/status expiration, etc). Remember -

your members (especially your active / elite members) have already shown loyalty to your brand - the time to acknowledge it is now. Everyone is in this together - make sure you act like that towards your members.

David Feldman

#80. Use social media and website to keep your higher valued customers up to date with anecdotes of what you staff are doing during this period, keep the relationship alive.

Dean James

32

Ideas #77 - 80


#81. I think when this is all over, all brands will be scrambling to get back to being #1 in peoples’ minds with many onboarding incentives etc. From an XMPie perspective true 1to1 marketing (or even Hyper-personalisation) will be common place with brand and consumers.

Enda Kavanagh

#82. We just did a quick survey (as 26 March 2020) and it looks like 56% of airline/hotels are implementing status extension, and 45% are waiving point cancellations, which I think are low hanging fruit. I also just think transparent communication is key - I think transparency and vulnerability

create trust, even when delivering bad news. And lastly (though perhaps too little too late on this one) - a dedicated phone line for top tier loyalty members who need to cancel or change reservations. Do you really want your most platinum members spending 5 hours on hold? That

convenience and white glove service will not be forgotten.Jillian Kossman

#83. At Finnair we were tossing different ideas around, but in the end decided that if we have "loyalty" in the name of the team, then we need to remember that loyalty goes two ways. Offering a simple and generous solution that applies to all of member base was therefore the way to go. We offered a six months extension of tier tracking period for all tier members and automatic point expiry waiver for next six months for all

members. When communicating this to customers we added that we are monitoring the situation closely and will introduce additional measures if necessary. Also, when communicating to customers, we were humble, personal and vulnerable. Additionally, we contacted all our top tier

members personally (phone call) in a matter of days. No big ideas for recovery just yet, but we will get there :). Karolina Baszarkiewicz

#84. Address the Challenge of Listening: I think this is a perfect time to build your community. Listen to your customers and understand their needs. We are having twice a week small sided meetings with our growing brand partners, and although many cannot attend, listening is

amazing https://loyalty360.org/companies.Mark Johnson

33

Ideas #81 - 84


https://loyalty360.org/companies

#85. Create campaigns for missed birthday rewards.... we know you can’t celebrate with us right now but know when things get back to normal your reward WILL be waiting on your account ready for you to use. And make sure you still make contact on their birthday because everyone

still wants to feel the love!!!!Marianne Doyle

#86. Thank your loyal customers: Please don’t send the same email to all of your customers. Your loyal customers deserve more than that, especially. Contact them to say thank you for their support. Make them aware of what options are available to them if they are self-isolating. Let

them know you are available and how to contact you if they need anything. Offer them an incentive for when they are able to visit you again. Michael Barnard

#87. Reassure your recent customers: Have you contacted the customers you served in the last few weeks? They will appreciate the reassurance if you can let them know that you haven’t had any reports of customers being exposed to the virus at your premises. This will help you build

customer relationships (and certainly your credibility). Again, relay the options available to them. Michael Barnard

#88. Reconsider your national promotional emails: I have also still been receiving blanket sales promotional emails from many brands, with no reference to COVID-19 or the current situation. We advise that you reconsider your national promo emails during this time. I appreciate there will be concerns about sales, however customers should only be contacted with relevant offers and content. This is advice we would offer in

normal circumstances.Michael Barnard

#89. Don’t talk to your customers the same way you’re talking to the market: Reassure your customers, give them practical advice on how they can still shop with you. Explain why it’s still safe for them and how you are mitigating any risk. Consider your tone of voice and don’t come

across as desperate in your communications. Be honest with your customers and explain how you are managing and monitoring the situation. Let them know how often you will be communicating an update to them.

Michael Barnard 34

Ideas #85 - 89


#90. Don't panic, stay in front. How a program communicates to its members will never be more important. Use data to drive the messaging; focus on empathy and follow the rule of 3 - Loyalty marketing communications rule of three: 1. Tell them what you are going to do 2. Tell them

you are doing it now 3. Tell them what you just did.Michael Capizzi

#91. Contact and serve existing customers before you chase acquisition; if B2B go outbound over the phone to the limited set of best accounts. Act in their best interests NOW. Listen. collaborate. Don't wait for them to call you and cancel orders.

Michael Capizzi

#92. No need for new ideas as such, just to get the basics right in the current environment, make it easy as possible for your loyal and most valuable customers to do business with you. I’m shocked at the impact of the closure of off-shore services from the Philippines and the decline

in customer service from our major Aussie brands and companies. This represents a perfect time to start up call centres and operations with Australian staff once more

Andrew Goldstein

#93. Keep engagement levels with members high by creating a competition for members to share their best brand story or what they did with their last loyalty reward.

Sarah Franklyn

#94. Send some selected members a 'care package' of your newest products or products you are considering ranging and ask them to do avideo review. Great content but also some good research.

Sarah Franklyn

#95. If you have automated messages, then you might need to update them. Eg if you are sending birthday messages with the option to come in and dine, you might change the language to say that we are thinking of you and we will have your special offer waiting for you.

Sarah Franklyn

35

Ideas #90 - 95


#96. Cutest competition I saw which is great for loyalty members. An email with a picture of a bowl of easter eggs and guess the number of eggs. Customers who used their loyalty member number could have two guesses. Winner gets a lot of chocolate and a voucher!

Sarah Franklyn

#97. Think about your customers. How can we make things easier for them during this time? - Keep them in the know (is their favourite store open or closed?) and encourage advance purchases and easy ways easy to purchase (eg. online, or contactless purchase methods in-store).

Sarah McCullough

#98. Loyalty programs ability to provide a very important connection between consumers and services/ information they need right now.Troy Muir

36

Ideas #96 - 98


Reach out to every partner on the program. How is your business doing? How can we help? Can we relieve some pressure at this time? Lets Collaborate

Michelle Govindsamy

Bonus idea:An additional idea on communication was contributed after the 119 ideas were achieved.

7. Community

37

Help community or cause related giving

Ideas #99 - 113


#99. It’s simple really, time to live the values which are spray painted on the walls of your office and be loyal to your customers. A more community focused approach for those brands who aren’t in financial pain - would be to find ways to impact the COVID situation i.e I hear

Bonds are using their sewing equipment and materials to create face masks, Decathlon are providing scuba gear which can be hacked together as ventilators. Impressive stuff!!

Billy Loizou

#100.This is a good opportunity to contribute to society. Ask members to donate their points to support the fight against Covid-19, donate an equivalent number of points, offer all expiring points to charity.

Brian Almeida

#101. Hotels can offer members to redeem their points as a gift for healthcare workers, stranded students.Brian Almeida

#102. Airline - allow members to redeem seats as gifts for stranded passengers.Brian Almeida

#103. Donate all expiring points to fight the Covid 19 virus.Brian Almeida

#104. I believe that the priority of loyalty during the COVID-19 pandemic is to look after our loyal customers by doing the right thing and more importantly, supporting them. Using points for purpose within a program i.e. donating points can strengthen the relationship between our

brands & customers, while continuing to support local communities and small businesses throughout these tough times. Although these are challenging times, there is opportunity to grow, become more dynamic and agile within this space.

Christina Iliadis

38

Ideas #99 - 104


#105. The idea I would add is using loyalty points to support charities at this critical time. In good times loyalty programmes provide a thank you to customers but in difficult times they can allow customers to thank and support others. Watch this space as we are working with some big

brands and charities to do just this. Now is the time to come together and do some good for others with the £7bn unused points in the UK alone.

Iain Pringle

#106. Subscription loyalty programs to donate a portion of monthly subs revenues to those out of work during this crisis. As an added twist, they could ask program members to pay over and above what's required and donate that. Effectively crowd sourcing but via

existing program mechanics. Max Savransky

#107. Support the community: As you are aware, the elderly and vulnerable are most at risk, and will likely be self-isolating for some time. How can you support your community and the people most affected? Perhaps you could ask your customers to forfeit some of their loyalty points to

supporting local communities. Are you able to donate non-perishable items to charities or food banks? Think of the resources you have that could help others. Michael Barnard

#108. I recommended that loyalty practitioners should enable members to redeem their points/miles as a donation to their chosen charity. This could also increase membership an attract those consumers that do not always join programs. The PR opportunities are good also.

Mike Atkin CLMP

#109. Revisit your brand strengths. What is it you do well? Why are your customers loyal to you? Find a way to continue to deliver these values. -The Lott has always had a strong link back to the community. On Friday Golden Casket made a donation to the University of Queensland to

advance COVID-19 vaccine research, using unclaimed prize money from our players. Hopefully this will assist the team who are working so hard to find a solution for us all.

Sarah McCullough 39

Ideas #105 - 109


#110. Incentivise members and encourage community support / outreach.Thomas Christensen

#111. Offer incentives or some sort of benefit for member donations to charities.Thomas Christensen

#112. Why not change up how points can be redeemed to ‘pay it forward’ to those more in need. Eg. Care packs, points to donate. Or if in need yourself convert pts to pay (as per many existing grocery loyalty programs already do).

Tobi Bonifant

#113. For me it has to be a connection with your communities; through your Loyalty members and directly with those supporting agencies who will make making a difference to our most vulnerable or in need.

Nicola Dennison

40

Ideas #110 - 113


8. Team

41

Invest in your team – their belief and buy-in to customer loyalty / loyalty program


Idea #114

#114. If your fortunate enough as a business to keep some staff on, its time to invest in your team DNA educating staff on the loyalty program, staff to customer engagement. Prepare for relaunch with loyalty at the heart.

Nathan Bowen

42

Ideas #114

8. Team: Invest in your team – their belief and buy-in to customer loyalty / loyalty program

9. Customer service

43

Be available to help members and customers

Ideas #115 - 116


#115. Crazy thought?!! How about setting up or escalating a phone hotline (free call) for all members to call in their orders (maybe divert store staff to take calls). You can even test an outbound campaign to your high value members to check in and see if there is anything they might consider buying OR if they have high points value redeem with points+pay. (I know this is a bit out of the ordinary, however ‘extra ordinary’

actions are often needed when we face unknown situations). Adam Posner CLMP

#116. Be available to your customers: I know the travel sector in particular has been inundated with calls, emails, social messages from customers with flight/hotel bookings – wishing to cancel or rebook. If you don’t have the resources to respond to the level of enquiries you have – outsource. You must be available and there to reassure the customer. If they have a poor experience during this challenging time and it wasn’t

dealt with perfectly – again, they will remember. Avoid losing any customers by being responsive and available at all times.Michael Barnard

44

Ideas #115 - 116

9. Customer service: Be available to help members and customers

Forgive me if this has been mentioned already, but for me, the opportunity is to go back to basics and pick up the phone and talk to some customers. While staff may be unable to be present physically in stores for example, they can certainly be present in otherways. As well as incredible sense of goodwill, s simple phone call to ask if there's anything you (as a brand) can do to help your

customers could give you the next extra-ordinary insight and idea for your business. I *know* it's not a "scalable" idea but I do think it's a very human one. Paula Thomas CLMP

Serving Rather than Launching - Focusing on what resources I can provide for my hurting community. Building trust.Kathleen Fournier

Bonus ideas:Additional customer service ideas were contributed after the 119 ideas were achieved.

Other

45

Ideas with no specific theme

Ideas #117 - 119


#117. Follow advice of local government departments: Finally, please follow advice of local and national government departments. This situation has escalated faster than anyone believed it could do – and that’s just in the last week. Be sure to keep updated on all government

announcements and resources available. Stay safe. Michael Barnard

#118. Check out Charles Ehredt offer at Currency Alliance –http://blog.currencyalliance.com/2020/03/supporting-each-other-in-hard-times-offer-from-currency-alliance/

Richard Dutton CLMP

#119. Review the supply chain and inventory.Brian Almeida

46

Ideas #117 - 119

9. Other: Ideas with no specific theme

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ACoAAAAYQG4BI3J0gd5w8freRAI0BltqAvGpqyo/


http://blog.currencyalliance.com/2020/03/supporting-each-other-in-hard-times-offer-from-currency-alliance/

http://blog.currencyalliance.com/2020/03/supporting-each-other-in-hard-times-offer-from-currency-alliance/

Thank you for your contribution

47

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http://www.loyaltyacademy.org/

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Documents

119 customer loyalty ideas to beat COVID-19 · Deconstruct the whole idea of a loyalty program to its raw essence, which is, as a buyer, I want you to know how much you mea n to me