Survey: Loyalty engagement reaches saturation
New York - Consumers are reaching a saturation point when it comes to their level of engagement in loyalty and rewards programs. According to a new survey commissioned by Bond Brand Loyalty, while the number of programs in which members are enrolled continues to grow, from about 10 programs per member on average in 2014 to more than 13 per member in 2015, the number of programs in which members are active is not experiencing a corresponding increase.
In addition to growing enrollment levels, the survey found that most consumers continue to say loyalty programs are worth the effort. Loyalty and rewards programs were found to be a top contributor to brand loyalty, and ranked higher than factors such as product and service availability, overall price, promotions and communications from the brand.
Still, more than one-third of consumers agree they would not be loyal to the brand if it weren’t for a loyalty program, while more than 40% of consumers agree that it would be easy to replace the program with a competitor program.
According to consumers, the three top functional-based satisfaction drivers in loyalty and rewards programs are the appeal of the rewards, the ease with which rewards can be redeemed and the amount accumulated per dollar spent. However, consumers also said experience-based drivers are equally as weighty in terms of their influence on overall program satisfaction. Consumers said their three top experience-based drivers are programs that meet their needs, are enjoyable and are simple.
Only 30% of consumers surveyed strongly agree that loyalty programs are consistent with their brand or company experiences. Similarly, just more than 40% strongly agree that the program experience is consistent with what they have come to expect from the brand or company overall.
The survey engaged more than 10,000 consumers to uncover insights on brands and loyalty initiatives used in industries such as retail, CPG and dining.