It was, arguably, a throw-away which came up during one of the panel discussions at the Loyalty 2015 Conference last month in Istanbul. While ostensibly discussing alliances and mergers the topic of a single currency came up (and was quickly dismissed by most of the panel members) and Stuart Evans, Director Global Loyalty Practice at ICLP offered up a view of the global loyalty landscape:
The North American market particularly is a reward market. Offer the points, people will come and change behavior. Europe is a far more recognition-driven market. [Customers] want the experience, they want the service. They are far more driven by that. Asia is far more a promotion-driven market where it is chances to win, chances to engage.
This got me thinking: Where do I really fit in this range? What type of “loyalty junkie” am I?
I like the benefits of elite status, particularly from the airlines. I really don’t see much of the value it offers for hotels. Ditto for points, though even that is changing a bit as the airlines shift towards revenue-based systems; the points are losing some of their luster. But I also don’t see the value of status/recognition increasing to replace that, at least for my travel needs. Have I simply come to the end of the line in terms of loyalty programs other than my own wallet? I don’t think I’m quite there yet, but it seems to be getting closer with each successive change to the programs.
So, tell me what you think. Where do you fit in the range of loyalty program members described by Mr. Evans? One comment will win a 1:500 model 77W in the Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles livery (one of the souvenirs I picked up at the conference). Contest closes at noon EST on Friday but feel free to keep sharing your thoughts.
See more stories from the Loyalty 2015 conference here.
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