Hotel chain considers super-elite tier
Plan to reward top level customers Read more ...

Personal care card tops list of most wanted US gift cards
Top ten gift cards released by Global Prepaid Exchange Read more ...

Latest partner for Barclaycard Freedom named
Pizza chain joins programme Read more ...

Frequent flyer awards end after two decades
Much-respected competition ‘too time consuming’ Read more ...

Kazakh bank starts major reward scheme
Kazkommertsbank (KKB) has started a new rewards programme to retain existing customers and attract new ones.
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Eco-brand launches in Croatia
What is claimed as the first Croatian eco-brand has been launched in the country. Read more ...

Carrefour lets customers choose their own discounts
French supermarket chain Carrefour is launching a "free promotion" system called PromoLibre to give consumers more choice during the economic downturn. Read more ...

Employees get £1m in savings from prepaid card
Employee motivation company P&MM says it generated more than £1 million in savings in 2009 for holders of its Spree Flex prepaid card. Read more ...

Customer satisfaction with retail rebounds
Customer satisfaction has improved for the first time after three straight quarters of small declines, according to the National Customer Satisfaction Index (NCSI-UK). Read more ...

M&S extends 'eco-plan' after saving £50m
Marks and Spencer plans to extend its ethical and environmental commitments by a further eight years, after its scheme launched in 2007 saved the company £50m last year. Read more ...

Pepsi drops out of Superbowl but wins marketing game?
The decision by Pepsi to stop its 23-year advertising sponsorship of the US Superbowl this year and divert more of its marketing efforts to social media and web-based initiatives could herald a new marketing template.

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Happy birthday Clubcard, happy birthday Loyalty
Tesco is using Clubcard’s 15th birthday as the excuse for extending its double points offer at least into the summer.
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What's in store for multichannel retail?
To remain affluent in a difficult economy, retailers need to better understand their customers' needs, providing them with a level of service that meets and exceeds their expectations, says Frank Sherlock, SVP & MD International, Convergys Global Business Unit. Read more ...

No longer a nation of queue lovers
Given that excellence in customer service has been touted as the key big differentiator in pulling out of the recession, it’s unsettling that the UK still suffers from a relatively poor reputation in this regard, says Ian Turner, General Manager Northern Europe at Nuance Communications. One manifestation of this customer service failing is the public’s aversion to ringing call centres. Read more ...

French banks become more “fidelité” focussed
Requirement to allow competition brings wave of new initiatives
Loyalty came late to France as a payment card marketing tool. It wasn’t until October 2007 that even co-branded cards were allowed. This ban by the French banks enabled them to keep tight control of their payments business – until EU rules forced a change. Now everything is different.
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What loyalty means to customers and why businesses should pay attention
Most consumers are aware of the major loyalty schemes - but does this translate into increased sales? Article by Anamaria Chiuzan, Customer Insight and Loyalty - Senior Marketing Manager at The Logic Group Read more ...

Using Customer Feedback to Encourage Customer Loyalty
Big online businesses such as eBay and Amazon have recognised the importance of creating a dialogue with their customers and replicating a word of mouth experience. Bill Cawley, founder of Feefo, explains why customer feedback isn’t just a marketing gimmick and how it can encourage brand loyalty. Read more ...

Encryption is the equivalent of a seat belt for data
The first thing most of us do when we get into a car is put on a seatbelt, whether we’re driving or just along for the ride – it’s so important that it’s the law in the UK. We don’t plan to have an accident but, just in case we do, we’re protected. So why don’t we give our data the same courtesy, asks Andy Cordial, Managing Director at Origin Storage. Read more ...

Rule Number One - Know your customer
Article by Matt Boot, chief analyst KDB
Knowing your customers is one of the first rules any good marketer learns.  But during a recession, it is all the more important for companies to know which consumers or business buyers best match the profiles of their most loyal and profitable customers – or simply of those that are willing to spend, given the current economic climate. Read more ...

The Customer is not always right - but is always the 'Queen Bee'
Article by Frea O'Brien, Customer First UK
Recently I checked into a hotel a good eighteen months after a previous visit, to be greeted with “Welcome back!” After a long journey, it made me feel like a Queen Bee, returning to the golden hive reassured that the loyal worker bees would certainly serve me adoringly! Read more ...

Recession a boost for Airmiles
Andrea Burchett, director of relationship marketing for Airmiles was definitely not advocating a recession as the way to grow a business, but there is no getting away from the effect it has had on one of the oldest and most established loyalty brands in T&E rewards. Read more ...

Cloud Computing – understanding the risks and questions to ask your service provider
Adam Bosnian, VP of Products, Strategy and Sales at Cyber-Ark gives a run-down on the risk and control aspects that cloud computing poses - and what important questions companies need to ask their cloud service provider. Read more ...

Bridging the Gap between CRM and CEM
Despite more than a decade of efforts implementing customer relationship management (CRM) systems, Executives are realising the sober reality: CRM in its present guise has not enabled major leaps forward in customer focus, says Martin Green VP, EMEA, Satmetrix, the Net Promoter Company. Read more ...

Are you a social networker or one of those who “don’t get it”?
There is no going back after technology has a breakthrough, so whether you love it or hate it, Web 2.0, social networking, Twitter, Facebook - and all that - are here to stay. Read more ...

Customer Experience is the next competitive battleground
Gary Schwartz, senior vice-president of marketing at Confirmit, highlights the benefit of using customer feedback management software to drive the level of loyalty. He argues that you can best enhance customer experience, loyalty and advocacy by measuring it and then showing customers that their opinions count. Read more ...

Unlocking the Value of Human Behaviour Requires a Key

To be truly effective in the deployment of customer insight, you must ensure that you do three specific things well.

Paul Alexander, CEO of Beyond Analysis, explains what they are.

Businesses missing out on customer engagement through social media
Businesses are failing to capitalise on the benefits of advocacy and user-generated content, says E-Business strategist Deborah Collier who believes many more firms could be leveraging social media platforms and user-generated content for maximum customer engagement. Read more ...

Beyond CRM: Creating the Master Record for Mobile Operators
In an era of commoditisation, competition and churn, it is becoming increasingly difficult for telecommunications providers to find meaningful market differentiators. Superior customer service offers a solution, but, to be truly effective, it requires superior customer information, explains James Wilkinson, EMEA Services Director, Initiate Systems. Read more ...

Traditional direct marketing still the best
Two out of three consumers agree

More than twice as many UK consumers say traditional direct marketing is more likely than digital marketing to encourage them to go to a website and seriously consider a purchase from a company for the first time, a new poll from messaging specialist Pitney Bowes reveals.
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Upside for green retailers in the crunch
M&S applauded for £200m ethical spend


The Real Green Retail Group says it applauds M&S for its £200m ethical plan and also for chiding rivals for retreating from commitment to green and ethical issues during the current economic recession.
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