Experiential Rewards in Loyalty Programs is Expected to Increase in 2012

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We recently conducted a survey during a webinar which we hosted on Experiential Rewards, “Experiential Rewards Programs: Rewarding Customer Loyalty One Unforgettable Experience at a Time“. This webinar offered attendees insight into the role of experiential rewards in an overall customer loyalty offering, as well as providing best practices into design, development and implementation of an experiential rewards program. We were pleasantly surprised by the number of loyalty marketers we had in attendance from prestigious corporations across several industries.

Our research indicates that the role of experiential offerings in loyalty programs is expected to increase in 2012 and beyond. Over half of all loyalty marketers plan to add an experiential offering to their loyalty program in the near future, in comparison with 30% of all loyalty programs currently offering an experiential component.

Other key findings include:

  • 40% of survey respondents stated “customer engagement” to be the major benefit realized through inclusion of experiential rewards in their loyalty program, versus brand perception or competitive differentiation
  • 43% of loyalty programs that include experiential rewards provide them to all program members
  • 13% of loyalty programs only offer rewards to a subset of membership
  • The most popular category of experiences is travel and adventure (28%), followed by dining/culinary (16%) and arts and culture (8%)

VIPdesk has been providing premium concierge services and experiential rewards to our corporate clients since 1999 and, during that time, we have seen the increased customer engagement that can result from incorporating experiential offers into a loyalty program.

There has been a trend in recent years of loyalty programs targeting their experiential offerings to a larger customer base, rather than a small subset of affluent or elite clientele. Our survey results reflect this trend, further proving the influence of a personalized, once-in-a-lifetime experience on overall customer loyalty.

For more information on the findings of this survey, feel free to contact VIPdesk Public Relations at 703-837-3507 or [email protected]. Also, a recording of the webinar, “Experiential Rewards Programs: Rewarding Customer Loyalty One Unforgettable Experience at a Time“, can be accessed for playback at http://bit.ly/umYsQ4.

Republished with author's permission from original post.

Erika Blanchard
Erika Blanchard is the manager of digital marketing and social media for VIPdesk, a leading provider of Virtual Contact Center, Concierge and Loyalty Program Solutions. She is an experienced marketing and management professional with a passion for customer service and social media who has authored several eBooks and guides on Social Media and Web Apps.

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