7 Principles of Loyalty

From time to time we're asked what makes a good loyalty proposition. Whilst each programme should be designed around the unique properties of a brand, it's customers and the relevant objectives, there are some common elements we use when thinking about different aspects of the programme.

1.Subscribe; not bribe – For people to feel motivated they should feel that they are making smart decisions. A loyalty programme should not appear as a bribe - something that would taint the brand - and instead should appear as added value which customers want to sign-up to.

As the book Scoring Points puts it, better a "chosen" than a "given", but it's also wider than this; not just about whether the customer has chosen it, but the customer also needs to feel chosen - they need to feel it's not a bribe. Within recognition for example, people are more motivated when recognised based on a stated behaviour they have exhibited rather than a one size fits all.

Nectar demonstrates this principle very well in it's latest innovation; their iPhone app. Customers are provided various points offers from Nectar partners, but rather than simply awarding these at POS when the customer makes a purchase, instead the customer has to say "I want it" - they have to subscribe to the offer; this ensures they value it more and that they see it as a smart choice.

2.Loyalty is a journey not a destination – A well designed loyalty programme is made up of many small individual behaviour changes which link together to create deeper engagement. The programme should make it clear what these behaviours are and look to encourage them through the reward and recognition design.

Increasingly, recognising wider interactions as part of this is becoming more important as it allows a programme to start the journey earlier in the buying decision process. When designing a programme, consider all elements of the customer journey, how to highlight and recognise these to customers and how to move people along and up using the tools within the programme.

3.Recognition: it’s own reward – Don’t underestimate the value of recognition in it’s own right. A simple “thank you” can be very powerful and for some the mere act of accumulating points can be motivating in itself. Harness all avenues to recognition including new forms that are coming out of the increasing trend of gamification within loyalty.

This can also provide a great way of engaging less frequent or less valuable customers by providing recognition as a reward in itself and not tied to expensive rewards which they cannot accumulate or access.

4.Show me the value – Customers need to see a value exchange; they need to understand that their activities are an integrated set of steps to a given goal and that this goal is achievable. However, don’t confuse value with money. Whilst monetary value is important, value can also be achieved through social currency and privilege.

Whilst highlighting to customers what rewards are acheivable, it's worth remembering that many customers will underestimate the amount they spend (and could spend) with you and so early on, rewards may look out of reach. Focus on the reward itself and what other people are achieving (social proof) and not simply on the cost.

5.Much cheaper to be relevant – Standard mantra for CRM programmes is Right Message, Right Time, Right Channel. This still holds true and behaviour change can be much more effective when the message is relevant.

The principle also applies within the programme design itself as designing a programme to acquire and retain the right customer segments can be much cheaper than a mass programme for all.

6. Facilitate (don't initiate) advocacy – Take every opportunity to turn the scheme inside out and make it social. Word of mouth is very powerful but it must be genuine and not purchased. Giving people ample opportunities to share means they actually will. With many retailers seeing traffic more than double with the integration of Facebook “Like”, this can be a very powerful mechanic.

Don't expect customers to simply share the scheme though - it's unlikely many customers will say "join this great loyalty programme". Instead, build in the ability to share achievements - whether this is a reward they have redeemed for, a purchase they've made or a tier/level they've obtained. People are more likely to share achievements and share them more regularly than they are to make formal recommendations.

7.Create reasons to stay (and stay loyal)– This is not about locking people in, but instead is about ensuring they understand the value they have (and will lose) if they leave. Points do this very well, with people building up deferred value they don’t want to lose. Many programmes also use recognition mechanics like tiering which help people to build up more invested value if they concentrate more of their purchases with the brand.

One area to watch out for though is a programme design which actually causes disloyalty. For example, if your tiering structure allows people to "top out" and the customer sees no benefit to continue, they will start to shop around to build up loyalty standing with other brands - essentially playing the tiering field.

Keep in mind that points and tiers are not the only tools for creating a sticky programme - privileges, social connections and content can also be very compelling, as can increased game playing elements like leader boards, levels and status.

I've no doubt people have their own versions of these principles - and additional ones that they use. Feel free to share and discuss.