I was chatting today with the CMO of DSW (you know…shoes!), Derek Unglass, as well as the company’s VP of customer strategy and engagement, Kelly Cook, for an article I’m working on for an upcoming issue of COLLOQUY.
It got me thinking about our upcoming first annual COLLOQUY Loyalty Awards, which we’ll present at our 8th COLLOQUY Loyalty Summit in Phoenix in September. That’s because Unglass and Cook are clearly inspired by other best-in-class loyalty initiatives as they work to create their own best-in-class program, DSW Rewards. And I’m sure that their work will inspire other loyalty marketers down the line.
Loyalty initiatives, particularly those that are implemented across the enterprise and not just through a rewards program, may seem tough to pin down, unlike, say, a TV ad or print creative. But that doesn’t make them any less creative, or less inspirational in their own right.
I spent the last two days, for example, attending a COLLOQUY loyalty workshop presented through the Direct Marketing Association — and led by our own Kelly Hlavinka as well as two of our contributing editors, LoyaltyOne consultants Sol Zia and Guy Dilger. I met several marketers who were looking either to improve or initiative loyalty efforts at their own companies, and over an Italian dinner in midtown Manhattan, we all agreed that one of the best parts about these kinds of workshops is hearing all the inspiring examples of terrific loyalty work across verticals and across enterprises. Even for those who were already running loyalty programs, for example, it was energizing and thought-provoking to hear about some of the innovative loyalty work from companies in completely different industries.
Whose work in the loyalty sphere gets you jazzed up about improving your own efforts? I’d love to hear your thoughts…and don’t forget to enter your application for the COLLOQUY Loyalty Awards by May 21!
