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Webinar deep dives into modern loyalty programs

Transactions are just the tip of the loyalty iceberg. This webinar deep-dives below the surface to explain how to get more out of your rewards program.

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April 28, 2022 by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Connect Media

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The way restaurants use loyalty programs is changing. No longer are they simply transactional, used to capture email addresses and send mass promotions. Today, they're intuitive, user friendly and smart. Transactions are just one part of loyalty programs.

That changing loyalty program strategy is the focus of a free webinar, "The Loyalty Iceberg: Creating Human Centered Experiences," hosted by Fastcasual.com and sponsored by NCR Corporation. Panelists were Catherine Saab, product manager, consumer marketing for NCR Corporation, and Andy O'Dell, chief strategy officer for Clutch. Mandy Wolf Detwiler, editor of Pizza Marketplace and QSRweb, moderated the one-hour webinar.

In the presentation Saab noted that 78% of consumers expect personalized experiences based on prior interactions, but that only 16% of companies can meet that expectation.

"Half of all consumers would leave a brand if they're not treated as a recognized guest," Saab said, "so if you collect data on me, I expect something in return. Those expectations today require technology that will help optimize these experiences for them."

The tip of the iceberg is considered traditional loyalty.

"It's very transactional in nature," Saab said. But beneath the tip of the iceberg are six concepts:

• Recognition: Addressing a guest by name, knowing where they are and where they've been, and saying goodbye and thanks.
• Understanding: Starting with a persona and ending with a person. Know the customer's likes and limitations and track his or her behaviors. They do change.
• Embracing: Make a customer feel like he or she is special and "in the know."
• Removing friction: Let customers blend physical and digital experiences and provide consistency.
• Knowing: What, when, where and why a customer purchases. Only send relevant communications.
• Adding value: Personalize offers and content. Offer benefits not just discounts. Be helpful and respect guests' time.

Click here to download the free webinar.

About Mandy Wolf Detwiler

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Mandy Wolf Detwiler is the Pizzamarketplace.com and QSRweb.com editor for Connect Media. An award-winning journalist, Mandy brings more than 20 years’ experience covering food, people and places. Mandy has been featured on the Food Network and has won numerous awards for her coverage of the restaurant industry. She has an insatiable appetite for learning, and, yes, she can tell you where to find the best pizza slices in the country.

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