Blog
Ideas, news & analysis
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To Drive Value, Loyalty Program Interactions Must Be Useful & Easy
In recent years, the size and scope of loyalty programs have grown to the point that nearly every customer interaction — from commerce transactions to core product/service usage — is intrinsically tied to either a loyalty program earning scheme or a reward. It’s impossible to shop at a major grocery
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3 Ways That Airbnb Fights Survey Fatigue
The good news: companies of all shapes and sizes are implementing Voice of the Customer programs. The bad news: customers are being inundated with feedback surveys. Just this week, I’ve received survey requests from United Airlines, my veterinarian, my gym, and Airbnb. Airbnb’s was the only one I filled out.
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How Loyalty Program Rewards Impact Customer Perceptions
In a recent post, I talked about the increasing complexity of loyalty programs — and how the earning schemes that marketers employ can influence customers’ perceptions of not only the program, but of the brand itself. However, it’s not just loyalty program inputs that have gotten complex. Program outputs —
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Your Brand Is An External Expression Of Your Corporate Culture
Who in your company talks about your corporate brand? My guess is that it’s only the marketing folks. In far too many organizations, I see people in roles like customer service, operations, and finance who view the brand as an elusive concept — one seemingly (and thankfully) controlled by the
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My Head Just Exploded: Capital One Acquires Adaptive Path
It’s not often I hear news that makes me scratch my head for hours on end. But Adaptive Path’s announcement last week that they’ve sold to Capital One really got my wheels turning. Even Jesse James Garrett, Adaptive Path’s Chief Creative Officer, admits that the match is a weird one.
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How Loyalty Program Earning Schemes Impact Customer Perceptions
Loyalty programs have gotten increasingly complex in recent years. As companies fight for share of wallet, simple sandwich punch cards have been replaced with complex point earning schemes, tiers of status upgrades, and labyrinths of prize redemption. The result is that loyalty programs have grown as a proportion of the
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The Connection Between Loyalty Programs & Customer Experience
Over the years, I’ve talked a lot about customer loyalty — the type of behavior that results from great customer experiences and drives additional revenue through repeat purchases and word of mouth. What I haven’t talked about so much are loyalty programs — initiatives that are specifically created to encourage
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Experiences That Matter: A Focus on Enjoyability
Earlier this summer I flew from San Francisco to Tokyo with an upgrade from economy to business class. I was excited about my flat-bed seat and the nice snooze I’d be able to take as we crossed the Pacific. But I was even more excited about the opportunity to order
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Once Again, It’s Time For SXSW Voting!
I’ve submitted two really fun sessions for SXSW 2015. The first, It’s Time To Design Better Smartwatch Interfaces, will share the results of a wearables research study that I’m collaborating on with the talented folks at AnswerLab. The second, How Kids Changed The Way We Design For Adults, is based
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Experiences That Matter: A Focus on Easiness
In a recent post, I presented the first of three core pillars of great customer experiences: usefulness. In short, customers spend money because they’re trying to get something done — a job, a task, a goal — and companies must focus on providing that utility. But while being useful is