These days, it seems that consumers can’t buy a major appliance, personal computer, or big screen television without being offered an extended warranty.
The irony in the sales pitch is that talking points from store personnel leading up to the purchase decision are centered on the high quality of the item being considered for purchase.  Once [...]

Up until a few weeks ago, I had little awareness of the InterContinental Hotels Group. Known by the acronym IHG, they operate brands like Holiday Inn and Crowne Plaza which are part of the Priority Club Rewards loyalty program.
The main reason IHG hasn’t been on my radar is simple: for most of the past decade, [...]

With March Madness about to launch into full swing, you might be dusting off your list of favorite sports bars. In South Florida, there are a lot to choose from, but there is only one that combines good vibes, good food and a decent rewards program – Duffy’s Sport Grill. If you aren’t familiar with [...]

Citibank launched its ThankYou! Network in 2004 and in doing so,  staked out ground as the first top-tier bank to embark on a rewards program that went beyond credit card and included multiple retail bank products like checking accounts and consumer loans.
Credit to the first bank to launch a Relationship Banking program in North America [...]

Data driven marketing programs which unite tangible rewards and special benefits are meant to change behavior. And the outcome of the behavior change should render a business benefit for the company sponsoring the program and create feelings of affinity and goodwill from the people whose behavior changed towards the sponsoring outfit.
Practitioners call the resulting schema [...]

Editor’s note: Reading Brian’s post here got the adrenaline flowing. The irony of retail is that the lowest paid associates, also the ones with the highest turnover rate, are the primary interface for the customer. How ironic….spend millions on branding, advertising, merchandising, fashion consulting…..and then leave your fate in the hands of people who are [...]

Poor WaMu.
They failed as a financial institution, were acquired by Chase, and are now being disrobed of their innovative Occasio branch designs. In my neighborhood, the evidence of Occasio is rapidly being wiped away by construction crews. While not everyone agrees on the wisdom of dismantling of the retail-like branch layouts, many will concur that [...]

When I sat down to write about managing the financial liability generated by customer loyalty programs, I naively thought it was suitable for a post to Loyalty Truth. In terms of subject matter, it is right on target, but in terms of complexity, program liability is not something you can adequately discuss in a few [...]

Can a little magic help Borders?
I’m a card-carrying member of Borders Rewards, the program run by book, music and movie seller Borders, who recently announced their rewards program had grown 23 percent over the past year and now totaled 32 million members.
I first discovered Borders via their bricks-and-mortar stores in the early 90’s and still [...]