Could COVID-19 be our chance to make a difference?
We all appreciate the importance of customer loyalty in a commercial setting, but can it really play a role in getting the world economy moving again? Iain Pringle thinks it can – essentially because tracking behaviour and status of each individual is normal working practice for loyalty professionals. He explains how:
As the world starts to emerge from lockdown we need to think about solutions that are easy to use, reward engagement, work for millions of customers and recognise different types of people. If this sounds familiar, it’s because this is our day job. So could COVID-19 be our industry’s chance to make a difference on a global scale?
Today the global focus of Governments around the World is addressing the medical emergency caused by COVID-19. As the virus spreads, technology has been focused on anonymous contract tracing apps that have appeared around the World to understand how the disease is spreading in order to minimise the threat of a 2nd wave of infection.
But if and when a reliable antibody test or vaccination is available the focus is likely to shift to more certain ways of proving immunity to return to work and return to normality. This transition will, however, take time. In the UK alone, if every pharmacy in the country did 20 vaccinations or antibody tests per day it would take over 9 months to cover the entire country[1]. So if this is the case, how can we manage this transition in a safe and reliable way?
To answer this question we brought together the skills of three companies; New World Loyalty, Unai and Invica with the combined skills to build popular programmes, handle sensitive data and make things work at scale.
So what is the idea?
Together we have created the Recovery Pass, a simple, digital pass which will allows people to safely access venues, workplaces and services based on proof of status, delivered in a secure and sensitive way.
How does it work?
- Users download the app and confirm their identity
- Users see a list of activities that are available along with the criteria they need to prove to gain access to a particular venue (this could be proof of vaccination, antibody test or any other criteria that the Government may wish to set manage the transition)
- Users visit a health professional (doctor, pharmacist or nurse) to take a test, vaccination or to confirm any other status that is needed
- When the user visits the venue they wish to access (work for example, a care home or even an airport) the app generates a QR code that can be scanned by the venue to give a simple “yes” or “no” along with a photo of the person if approved. No other personal information is supplied.
Why is it different from other solutions we read about?
- Serious but positive – Our solution balances the need to gather and store serious information with the need to deliver the service in a sensitive way to enable good things to happen.
- Validated – Our solution provides a gold standard for safe access providing peace of mind for testing, vaccination and identity that will be required to access sensitive sites like oil rigs and nursing homes and mass gatherings like festivals and football matches
- Commercial – Our solution is designed to be free for all but with appropriate commercial opportunities to minimise costs for Governments and health services.
- Future proof – Our solution is not just about antibody tests and vaccinations. It can be used to validate any criteria that may be needed to access services from NHS workers accessing offers and discounts to providing proof of immunity before tacking a long-haul flight.
So what next?
As we continue to develop this service we are looking to work in partnership with others to bring this idea to market. If you would like to find out more please give us a call.
Our team
Our consortium consists of Unai, leaders in developing big data and technology solutions in the healthcare sector; Inviqa, leaders in developing engaging digital customer experiences; and New World Loyalty, global experts in developing customer propositions.
This gives us the skills and experience to develop consumer friendly applications, which are built with the highest levels of data security and ethics.
We have delivered world class solutions for the likes of Boots, NHS, Genomics England, My World of Work, Public Contracts Scotland, Comic Relief, Barclays, Nectar, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic.
Now we want to deliver a world class solution that safely and quickly gets people back to work and on with their lives.
Dr Anthony Graham is an international expert in customer loyalty, big data and Artificial Intelligence.
Iain Pringle is a Managing Consultant, specialising in customer loyalty and partnerships.
Contact: iain@newworldloyalty.com
[1]There are 11,700 NHS community pharmacies in the UK Pharmacutical Services Negotiating Committee, The population of the UK is 66.4m Office of National Statistics
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