Amazon Prime is the most studied paid loyalty program in the world. It has also become the most misunderstood template for brands trying to replicate its success. The core lesson most brands take from Prime is that customers will pay for access if the value is obvious enough. That is true. The lesson most brands […]

At some point in almost every loyalty program conversation, the loyalty platform decision comes up. Which platform should we use? Should we build something custom? What does everyone else in our category run on? These are reasonable questions. They are also almost always asked too early. The loyalty platform decision is one of the most […]

At the end of every quarter, someone in the room asks the question. What is the loyalty program actually returning? And in most brands, the answer comes back as a slide deck full of enrollment numbers, redemption rates and email open rates that look reasonable on the surface and say almost nothing about whether the […]

When loyalty program engagement drops, the first call most marketing teams make is to their platform vendor. Open a support ticket. Request a roadmap update. Start evaluating alternatives. The assumption is that the technology is underperforming and that a better platform will fix the problem. It almost never does. In over a decade of working […]

In loyalty marketing, we have spent decades relying on a mechanical spend and get approach. We are at a crossroads where the old ways of keeping customers close are being tested. The question is not just about whether a points program works. Are basic rewards dead. Not quite. But they have become the background noise […]

The Starbucks refresh signals a strategic pivot toward high margin efficiency, testing the delicate balance between technical precision and human connection. Starbucks, a company that many consider a leader in loyalty program strategy, announced a complete overhaul of its rewards system. This update is not just a minor change in how people earn stars. It […]