The numbers prove it: loyalty programs have become popular among Brazilians. Whether they are consumers looking for discounts, benefits and other advantages; be entrepreneurs and companies that see loyalty as a way to improve relationships with their customers and bring positive returns to the business. Data from ABEMF (Brazilian Association of Loyalty Market Companies) indicates that the number of enrollments in such programs in the country grows every year. There are already 320 million registrations, according to the latest study released by the association (3T24).
With this market upheaval, companies that wish to invest in loyalty often wonder which path to take. What type of program to adopt? How to transform, in fact, business relationship? The answer to all these questions is: it depends.
Before implementing a loyalty program, the recommendation is always to study your business, trace and understand your goals and objectives and know the profile of the clients you have and want to have. Although the characteristics of a good loyalty strategy are specific to each business, there are some general rules that can help, and very, who is starting on this journey, or even those who already have a loyalty program and want to make it more effective. We list here some of the items that cannot be forgotten along the way
Engagement – A loyalty program can have various goals. Bring more people to the store, increase the number of items in each purchase, gain in recommendations and brand promotion on social media. What they all have in common is summed up in one word: engagement. In the end, what a loyalty program needs to do is engage and direct behavior, in a way that is profitable for the business. So, always think about your customers' behavior when outlining loyalty strategies
Збір і аналіз даних – With so much technology available, there are countless tools that can help a company with data, information and insights about the business. Regardless of which platforms you will use, keep in mind that you cannot fail to monitor the progress and results of your program. Your program is really changing behavior? Customers are buying more? The recurrence has increased? Who are your most loyal customers? What are your preferences? All these are questions that cannot go unanswered if you want to succeed in your loyalty program. In addition to measuring impacts, this type of information can help correct routes in case of strategy failures.
Communication – As in any relationship, presence and dialogue are essential for the success of a loyalty program. Remember that engagement is built over time and needs to be "nurtured", through frequent interactions, listen, returns. But not only that. Communication needs to be relevant. Use the data you collect to establish this relationship. Show the client that you know them, that prepared offers, personalized conditions and experiences for him, you yourself who is attentive to your needs and desires.
Rational and emotional – The ideal value proposition of loyalty needs to bring together both things, the rational side and the emotional side. It is important, clear, that the customer feels the benefits of participating in the program "in their pocket", por meio de descontos ou resgate de um produto com pontos/milhas, without needing to spend more for that. But it is also essential that he feels recognized, be part of a community, perceive exclusivity and have good experiences
Segmentation – People are different from one another and have distinct behaviors. Do not forget to take this into consideration, and take care of the segmentation of your program. The possibilities are many. You can consider transactional aspects, demographic and even generational. But never judge your consumers as people with a single profile.
And one last tip: no loyalty strategy can help you fix fundamental business problems. There is no loyalty program that can fix if you have a bad product or service, if customer service does not work, or if the brand does not deliver what was promised. So, pay attention to these points so as not to harm the relationship with the public
Paulo Curro is the executive director of ABEMF – Brazilian Association of Loyalty Market Companies; Fábio Santoro and Leandro Torres are loyalty specialists, responsible for the loyalty training course, partnership of the association with Loyalty Academy and On Target
