IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) today announced that it will be providing free internet to all its 71m loyalty programme members, worldwide. The announcement comes as IHG reveals the results of a global online survey* which show that nearly half of adults (43%) would choose not to stay in a hotel that charged for internet.

IHG is the first and only hotel group to offer free internet in all hotels to all loyalty programme members, globally – whether they stay the night or come in for a coffee or an impromptu meeting. It will benefit millions of guests globally as IHG has the most rooms and is in more countries than any one of the other four largest hotel companies in the world**. This will start from July 2013 for Elite members and extend to all members during 2014.

The move comes as IHG announces that it will be enhancing and renaming its industry-leading loyalty programme Priority Club® Rewards as IHG Rewards Club in July and introducing a range of new benefits for members.

Richard Solomons, Chief Executive, IHG, said:

“In today’s fast-paced world, we know that travellers need to stay connected and free internet access is increasingly important.  I am proud that IHG is the first hotel company to offer free internet globally to all our loyalty program members.

“2013 marks 10 years since IHG became a standalone company. Whilst we are relatively young as a business, our brands, such as Holiday Inn and InterContinental, have a deep history and a powerful heritage and are instantly recognised by millions around the world.

Renaming our industry-leading loyalty programme as IHG Rewards Club will help our guests understand that all our brands are part of the same IHG brand family.

Whether it is a business stop-over or a family holiday, our guests can choose from more than 4,600 hotels in nearly 100 countries and territories, secure in the knowledge that each carries the IHG badge of responsibility, trust and confidence that they can rely on.”

Internet access is increasingly important to hotel guests and a key consideration when planning their hotel stays. New research* commissioned by IHG reveals that:

• 43% of adults surveyed said that they would choose not to stay in a hotel that charged for internet
• 23% of respondents said that free internet in rooms and throughout the hotel is the most important amenity when staying in a hotel for business, compared to 7% who chose room service.
• Travellers from China placed the most importance on online connectivity with nearly half (47%) listing it as the most important thing to them when staying in a hotel for business, followed by those from Russia (26%), the US (23%) and India (22%).
• Travellers from the UK (18%) and the US (14%) both listed paying for internet as the second most annoying thing when staying at a hotel after noisy guests (22% and 24% respectively).
• Globally, more female respondents (14%) say free internet throughout the hotel is most important to them when staying for leisure, compared to 2% who listed having an in-room hairdryer…

IHG Rewards Club, formerly Priority Club Rewards, is the world’s first and largest hotel loyalty programme, providing existing, industry-leading benefits including points that never expire, no blackout dates for Reward Nights, flight rewards, music downloads and free nights at any IHG hotel anywhere in the world.

From July, new benefits will include:

• free internet to all Elite status members from July 2013 and extending to all members during 2014;
• the ability to earn Elite status faster by staying in three or more of IHG’s hotel brands;
• Reward Nights will count toward earning Elite status; and
• Platinum Elite members’ “extra” nights will roll over toward maintaining their status in their next membership year

In this presentation you will learn how to plan, launch and evaluate your customer loyalty marketing program which recognizes and rewards best customers while increasing the bottom line. Whether you’re just starting out with a customer loyalty initiative or you recognize that the one you already have needs reworked, this presentation will provide valuable insight into where your next steps should be.

You will learn:

• How to shift customer behavior to increase profits.
• Update existing loyalty programs.
• Distinguish a business from its competition.
• Reduce customer attrition and churn.

Contact Customer Insight Group, Inc. today to learn how to strengthen your customer relationships to ultimately impact your bottom line and future growth.

This presentation shows how to plan, launch, overhaul and evaluate customer loyalty marketing program that recognizes and rewards best customers while increasing the bottom line. Whether you’re just starting out with a customer loyalty initiative or you recognize that the one you already have needs reworked, this seminar will provide valuable insight into where your next steps should be.

Do you need proven techniques on how to dramatically reduce attrition, improve customer profitability, drive brand loyalty and differentiate yourself from the competition. Contact the experts at Customer Insight Group today.

Did You Know?

• Less than 50% of shoppers in 2010 reported purchasing the brand they had once been loyal
• 70% of customers say poor service sent them elsewhere, not price
• The percentage of brand loyal shoppers has steadily decreased over the last two years

• The core principles of loyalty
• How to best inspire true customer loyalty
• Best practice case studies of major retailers

[Source: Safeway]

Safeway Inc. and ExxonMobil have teamed up to provide Safeway shoppers a new way to save at the pump with their new loyalty program. Safeway shoppers and ExxonMobil customers can now earn Reward Points for most products purchased at Safeway stores in the Mid-Atlantic region and redeem their Reward Points at participating Exxon or Mobil locations. This new loyalty program will help maximize the value and savings provided to Safeway and ExxonMobil customers through the combination of convenience and rewards.

According to a recent Safeway survey, one-third of families go out of their way to look for deals because saving money is important to them. Nearly three out of four people will drive out of their way to purchase more affordable gas, and 76 percent of consumers said they would change where they grocery shop and purchase gas to save money. With more than a quarter of consumers spending up to $175 on gas and up to $300 on groceries each month, saving money is important.

“Safeway listens to its shoppers, and we understand the importance of stretching grocery dollars,” said Mir Aamir , president of Customer Loyalty and Digital Technologies at Safeway. “By teaming up with ExxonMobil, we’re able to thank our customers with a loyalty program that makes two frequent and critical purchases lead to real savings.”

“As one of the largest grocery retailers in North America, Safeway is an ideal partner, allowing us to reach consumers with a compelling new loyalty offering in the markets and cities where we both have a strong brand presence,” said Simon Smith , Americas Retail Director, ExxonMobil  Fuels, Lubricants and Specialties Marketing Company.  “Through this program, consumers can achieve meaningful savings on their gas and diesel purchases simply by shopping at Safeway.”

Reward Points are easy to earn by purchasing groceries, qualifying gift cards and pharmacy items with a Safeway Club Card and are easy to redeem at participating Exxon and Mobil locations. For every 100 points earned by shopping at Safeway with a Safeway Club Card, shoppers get a 10 cent per gallon Reward. Shoppers can use up to one dollar per gallon in Rewards on a single fill-up at a participating Exxon or Mobil location with a maximum of 25 gallons and a limit of one vehicle per transaction. Reward Points can be earned by shopping at Safeway stores in the following ways:

• Grocery shopping at Safeway stores rewards shoppers with one point per one dollar spent on eligible purchases.
• By purchasing qualifying gift cards, shoppers receive two points per one dollar spent.
• Every one dollar spent on eligible pharmacy items equals one Reward Point.

Shoppers can redeem their Reward Points by simply swiping their Safeway Club Card or by entering their linked phone number at the pump before fueling up. This loyalty program is currently available throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. See the Reward Points Program Terms and Conditions at safeway.com or in stores for complete details.

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Looking for proven marketing loyalty marketing strategies? What’s working? What are the trends? No matter where you are in your loyalty program journey, Customer Insight Group can guide you in the most promising direction. Think greater share of wallet, improved lifetime value and die hard loyalty that would even make your dog jealous.

BP is the first major oil company to launch a “non-payment” loyalty program that rewards fuel purchases with fuel cents-per-gallon rewards. Instead of requiring consumers to purchase additional convenience store items, BP Driver Rewards gives fuel purchasers rewards for the quality fuel that they regularly purchase.

Customers can sign up for the program by picking-up a brochure with an affixed card at a BP site, or by requesting a card online. For every 20 gallons of BP fuel purchased, and a minimum of two transactions, consumers will earn five cents off each gallon (valid up to 20 gallons) on their next purchase. Rewards accumulate automatically so most drivers can receive a five cents-per-gallon reward with every other fuel purchase.

Last year, BP tested BP Driver Rewards (called BP Pump Rewards during the pilot) at 325 BP stations in the Charlotte and Milwaukee markets. Results from the pilot tests showed that on average, BP Driver Rewards cardholders visited BP sites more often and purchased more fuel.

“We want to reward our loyal consumers with ongoing fuel savings that make BP gasoline with Invigorate an even better value,” said Amy Abraham, vice president of marketing at BP. “Our 2012 test market data proved that consumers are thrilled about this new approach to rewards, and with our generous promotional incentives, we’re confident that our branded marketers will find it equally as valuable to their businesses.”

BP Driver Rewards uses Pump Rewards technology, which allows consumers to earn and redeem cents per gallon rewards directly at the pump. The program adds to existing Pump Rewards offers including credit card payment options like the BP Visa and BP Card and single-use cents-off-per-gallon cards and codes.

BP Branded Marketers with Pump Rewards-enabled sites will be able to support BP Driver Rewards immediately upon launch. Also, BP requires no upfront or monthly program fees and is waiving transaction fees for the 90-day promotional launch period from April 3 through July 2. After the promotional period, marketers are responsible for a 2.5 cents-per-gallon transaction fee each time a card is swiped, making it one of the lowest loyalty fees among majors for similar programs.

“BP Driver Rewards is the type of loyalty program that consumers want to participate in,” said Terry Evans, operations manager at Rushco Food Stores in Salisbury, North Carolina. “By investing a lot of time in training, our employees felt prepared and excited to tell consumers about the program and encourage registrations. The result was a win-win that helped grow our business.”

Looking for proven loyalty marketing strategies? What’s working? What are the trends? Check out these resources:

• Loyalty Marketing Whitepapers & eBooks
• Loyalty Marketing Workshops 

Keep the Customers You’ve Got

There’s no way around it. Customer retention and bottom line numbers are directly related. Not only does a loyalty program provide a practical reason for continuing to buy (the accumulation of points toward a reward, or higher levels of service), but it also provides customer information that allows us to meet their needs and address their desires more effectively. It’s a win-win for everyone.

Attract New Customers

While customer acquisition is not usually the main goal of a loyalty program, it can still be a nice benefit. Make a loyalty program that is compelling enough, and that may be reason alone for new customers to come knocking on your door. A loyalty program what is exciting and promises value right off the bat can be just what you need to boost your customer acquisition numbers.

Say Goodbye to Unprofitable Customers

Your mother might have told you to know when you were wasting your time in a relationship and it just wasn’t working out. It’s okay to walk away. And the same is true of your customers. It can be more profitable to lose bad customers than to gain new ones. Those customers who only buy your discounted lines, and nothing else, can cost you more money to service than they generate. Designing a program that rewards better customers without rewarding those discount-happy ones gives them less reason to stay.

I Remember You…

The success rate in approaching ‘lost’ customers can be three to four times as high as it is when prospecting for new customers. For example, the rate for converting prospects might typically be 5%, while that for reactivating inactive customers might be as high as 15-20%. There are several reasons why customer win-back has a greater chance of success than acquisition; You have advantages with lost customers that you don’t have with prospects, including information about their past purchase history, where and how to reach them, and their preferred communication channel.

Build Relationships

It sounds so simple, this idea of building a relationship, but in practice, it’s an ongoing evolution that requires constant diligence, care and reshaping along the way. Just as a brand begins to understand their customers through data, purchase behavior and ongoing shopping patterns, it never fails that the customer then evolves too. Understand right away that relationship building is a constantly moving target and will require resources and dedication to make it work in the long run. Kind of sounds like how personal relationships work, eh?

Create Advocates

We all want big fans of our brands. Ones that will shout from the rooftops all the great things that we are and can do. Loyalty simply doesn’t get much better than advocacy. Advocates are so satisfied and pleased with your offering that they tell their friends and associates. And to most people, a personal recommendation is far more convincing than any amount of promotional material.

Remain Competitive

Tap that loyalty program of yours when competition moves in. You should be able to identify customers who are defecting, then entice them back with new rewards, or special thank you’s for their continued loyalty.

Stock and Sell More of the Right Stuff

Knowing what your best customers buy frequently can be a boon to your merchandisers. Adjust your stock to suit the more profitable customers that you already have, then watch as your entire store beings to naturally appeal to more of that same type of customer. Less profitable customer groups tend to self-select themselves out since the shelves are now less appealing to them.

Need some guidance and expertise in fine tuning your loyalty program? Maybe a Loyalty audit or loyalty workshop designed just for your business would make all the difference in driving your program forward. Look to the experts at Customer Insight Group for the advice and experience you need.

“Our customers enjoyed the former program, but we felt that it needed to be improved so that customers had more flexibility to enjoy their rewards,” Mr. Hoffman said. “The new Your Rewards program will deliver great value to our customers.”

The new program rewards customers in a much more tangible, flexible way, giving them a $20 Rewards Card for every $200 spent. Each reward can be applied to a purchase of $50 or more, with certain exclusions, or they can be accumulated and stacked for greater savings as they are earned. Customers will be able to use multiple Rewards Cards with their purchases, thereby “stacking” their redemption which will start at $20 off $50 and increase as rewards are earned: $40 off $100, $60 off $150, $80 off $200 and up. For cosmetics or fragrance purchases, customers will receive $10 off a $50 purchase and they can stack the rewards to save even more.

There will also be opportunities to double the number of Rewards Cards earned in any given month. If a customer shops in store and online or in a featured department within the same calendar month they will receive two Reward Cards, after spending a total of $200. Rewards Cards will be automatically mailed to customers monthly and will be valid for 45 days from the estimated date they are delivered.

The Your Rewards customer loyalty program will continue to have an “Elite” level for our best customers. Cardholders may achieve Elite status by spending over $1000 annually. They will receive additional benefits such as complimentary online shipping offers and exclusive Elite discounts each month.

“We designed this program to engage our customers broadly and reward them for shopping in our store and online,” stated Luis Fernandez, Executive Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer for The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc. “We are enthusiastic about the relaunch of our loyalty program and anticipate this engaging program will excite our customers and increase loyalty.”

“At White Castle, we’re always looking for innovative ideas to stay connected with our customers,” said Jamie Richardson, vice president of White Castle. “We found this interactive wireless program – Text2Crave – to be a natural fit with our Cravers since many of them carry mobile devices.”

The program works on any phone with text messaging capabilities. Here’s how it works: to participate text the keyword “CRAVE” to 25787. Text2Crave mobile alerts show up in real time when a guest is within a one- to five-mile radius of a White Castle. Those participating will receive a maximum of six messages per month. Standard text rates apply.

The coupons highlight some of White Castle’s newest products, from Angus Steak Chili and Brownie on a Stick, to deals on Sliders and other favorites.

Only the Indianapolis (39 restaurants) region is currently running the Text2Crave test program through March 31. Participants receive two free Original Sliders just for signing up for Text2Crave alerts.

White Castle is working with Placecast as the mobile technology partner for this program.

Anyone wanting to opt out of the program can text the word “STOP” TO 25787 and no additional offers will be sent.

Source: White Castle

Hudson’s Bay Company (hbc.com) announced an exciting new Rewards Program that lets shoppers earn more points faster when shopping at Hudson’s Bay, thebay.com or Home Outfitters.  Hudson’s Bay Rewards members will now earn one point for every dollar they spend on almost anything in store or thebay.com*, and move to ‘Rewards Plus’ and ‘VIP’ status as they achieve spend and visit levels. As shoppers move up the tier levels, they earn more points per spend.

Point accumulation is doubled when using the Hudson’s Bay MasterCard® or Hudson’s Bay Credit Card along with the Hudson’s Bay Rewards Card at Hudson’s Bay, thebay.com and Home Outfitters. Rewards points are also earned outside of the Hudson’s Bay family of stores; members using their Hudson’s Bay MasterCard earn two points for every $1 spent everywhere else MasterCard is accepted, and receive a 25% bonus, semi-annually, on those points. Customers can now redeem for Hudson’s Bay gift cards instantly at the register at the Hudson’s Bay family of stores.

“HBC has a very dedicated customer base. We wanted to make sure we were rewarding all our customers, and especially our most loyal, for shopping in our stores and online,” says Patrick Dickinson, SVP Core Marketing and Brand Strategy, HBC. “We looked at the point system, listened to customer feedback and made the program better.  The new Hudson’s Bay Rewards Program is simple to understand, points are easier to accumulate and it reflects our commitment to creating an exceptional shopping experience. ”

HBC and Capital One Canada worked in partnership to redesign and better integrate the existing HBC Rewards and Credit programs.  The teams coupled expertise in rewards and consumer insight along with retail acumen and best practices to create the new Hudson’s Bay Rewards Program.

“We combined our deep understanding of customer preferences with years of research and data to develop a rewards program that offers the best possible value,” said Simon Maycock, VP, Retail Partnerships, Capital One Canada.  “We believe the new Hudson’s Bay Rewards program is now one of the best programs in the country.  When customers use their Hudson’s Bay MasterCard they will double their points at Hudson’s Bay and Home Outfitters stores, and receive a 25% bonus everywhere else MasterCard is accepted, so customers can now earn rewards faster.”

Source:HBC