For long-term loyalty, connect with your customers through unexpected moments of delight

Because loyalty gives you permission to engage with customers, track their behaviour and interactions with your brand, you now have the power to use the data beyond what customers expect from your day to day interactions with them.

We, therefore, encourage you to step out of the norm and surprise and delight your customers to connect with them on an emotional level. People crave the unexpected and they are attracted to moments that money can't buy. They talk about the moments that money can't buy.

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Surprise and delight campaigns do not always require a large time investment or budget to make it work. It should be a relatively easy yet effective way to say "Thank you" to your existing customers. It can be as simple as a phone call from a CEO to your most valuable customers to say "Thank you" or "Happy Birthday".

One of our clients in the financial services sector wanted to show some of their top members that they were thankful for their loyalty to the brand. In 2014, they partnered with us to surprise and delight a group of their members with a choice of a coffee, dining or clothing voucher. This created much excitement for the recipients because it was so unexpected. The response was well received by their members and saw a 26% response rate and 11% redemption of vouchers. These campaign results are above the average industry response rates.

Another great example of how a 'little can go a long way' is how one of the SPAR franchise stores in Stellenbosch gives a milktart to each of its SPAR KARD loyalty members on their birthday. An SMS is sent to the member on their birthday wishing them well for their special day AND letting them know that their freshly baked (and free) milktart is waiting for them instore.

Not only is the response rate unbelievably high (members go as far as to phone the store if they are unable to collect their milktart on the same day and asks the store to keep it for them), the franchise owner says that the small gesture goes a long way creating that long-term relationship because they are simply rewarding their members for their loyalty. A few years on, it is still one of their highest redeemed offers to date.

We encourage you to get creative and add some fun to your loyalty programme by finding unique ways to recognise and reward your loyalty customers.