Will paid-for programmes provide a new lease of life for loyalty programmes for both clients and members?
The rise of paid loyalty programmes signals not just a new tactic in the arsenal of loyalty marketers, but a sea-change in loyalty itself. Customers are changing, and so are their expectations. And for some brands, delivering a paid membership programme may be the way to target loyalty to some of the new realities of delivering experiences increasingly desired by customers.
In our latest whitepaper ‘Putting a price on loyalty: Time to consider paid membership?’ we look at three trends that are working in unison to create an environment for this shift:
- The rise of the subscription economy
- The increasing importance of customer-defined experience
- Under-performance of traditional loyalty programmes
Paid membership loyalty programmes are clearly a popular trend right now, but they should be considered as a specific tactic in an overall loyalty strategy. We look at the key advantages and considerations of a paid-for programme and whether it could be the right approach for your brand.
While the advantages are quite clear, that doesn’t mean brands should forget about a free programme. The nature and structure of a traditional programme allows different rewards for different customer types. Most paid programmes are one-size-fits-all. The benefits of a free and open loyalty programme are still very tangible.
Download our whitepaper to find out our experts’ views.
Written by Anne Dorst, Strategy Director and Peter Gerstle, Head of Travel Products
