tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7316954781933936983.post2195941664171975468..comments2011-06-15T14:37:40.828-07:00Mark Sagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08437767598291122765noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7316954781933936983.post-86757105867457588132011-06-15T14:37:40.828-07:002011-06-15T14:37:40.828-07:00Excellent post and comments. It&#39;s great to see innovation and fresh ideas in customer loyalty, particularly in a difficult economy when regular customers are even more valuable.<br /><br />One thing I didn&#39;t see touched on is the social aspect — sharing rewards with friends, creating social incentive. Just curious if that&#39;s been incorporated.Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15172339151275856688noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7316954781933936983.post-49007037388097318582011-06-14T13:49:28.910-07:002011-06-14T13:49:28.910-07:00Great article Travis and Barry I agree that loyalty practitioners need to lead the charge in making loyalty marketing more than points marketing. Like the thoughts around &quot;exploration&quot;. Tesco do this within their couponing, but it&#39;s a great idea to get consumers to pick products/categories they are willing to try/explore.Mark Sagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08437767598291122765noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7316954781933936983.post-8357525632022791562011-06-13T09:54:54.095-07:002011-06-13T09:54:54.095-07:00Great article, Mark. Love the examples. And, Barry, I completely agree with your thoughts as well. I wrote a blog post awhile ago about the need to explore what I call &quot;point-less&quot; loyalty programs. Similar sentiments if either of you is interested in reading:<br /><br />http://www.marketingarchitects.com/2011/05/travis-boisvert/Travis Boisvertnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7316954781933936983.post-14941747104595787972011-06-13T09:34:32.750-07:002011-06-13T09:34:32.750-07:00Mark, great overview of two programs I wasn&#39;t familiar with that show a more innovative take on the traditional loyalty model. As another practitioner in the space who would like to see more brands pushing beyond points-only models, I love examples like these. One thought -- for both of the brands mentioned, I think they might also consider including an &quot;exploration&quot; aspect to the experience -- i.e. make two of your 5 products something you&#39;ve never tried before, or earn faster by spending in categories you previously haven&#39;t used that card for. The brand benefits from cross-purchase/usage, and the consumer expands their benefits by expanding their brand experience.Barry Kirkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13313059613267323613noreply@blogger.com