This holiday season, maintaining (and tapping into) your customers’ loyalty has never been more critical. As you plan for holiday shopping — and the inevitable returns that will follow in January — loyalty marketers must:

  1. Show, not tell. It’s a stressful time under normal circumstances, but now we’re living in a year-long anxiety attack for many consumers. Don’t just tell your loyal customers how you’re making shopping easier. Show them all the ways you’re making their life easier. Put more weight behind educational efforts that show customers how you’ve made their safety and convenience a priority.
  2. Make a plan for serving new program members differently. A series of welcome emails and offers — a good idea in the “before times” — might not be the best fit for a time-starved parent juggling homeschool and a full-time job. Loyalty marketers need to be able to communicate with and get to know their new members in quick, digestible, innovative ways. Consider incorporating a short quiz at sign-up, asking customers, “How much free time do you have these days?” or “How do you prefer to stay in touch with your favorite brands?” These kinds of surveys can also help you gauge the emotional state of long-time members.
  3. Deploy personalization for a thoughtful touch. Now is not the time to bombard customers with “shout-y” messages. Instead, focus on the three R’s of personalization: deliver relevance, build emotional resonance, and show restraint. More than half of US consumers say getting special treatment is important to them; after a trying year, a personalized interaction with a favorite brand might be a welcome respite.

Give customers an escape for the holidays. Banana Republic recently made news for its holiday marketing, with a campaign focused on love and positivity that gave consumers a break from the stress of lockdown life. In your own loyalty marketing efforts, look for ways to uplift your customers. Whether it’s a game, an experiential offer, or just a heartwarming ad, your customers will appreciate it.

This holiday season, show your best customers that you’re loyal to them. For more information on how to use personalization in your loyalty efforts, read this report, and check out our Customer Loyalty Playbook to take your loyalty strategy to the next level in 2021. And if you have questions, set up an inquiry with me.