What does it take to build a loyalty strategy that delivers more than points, discounts, and transactions? Bridget Blaise-Shamai speaks with Jacek Materna, CEO of TrueLoyal, about the evolution of modern loyalty — from customer communities and authentic advocacy to gamification, UGC and connecting online and offline behaviour. Jacek shares real-world examples from brands including […]
Expanded pre-send and marketing intelligence capabilities help enterprise marketers identify and act on blind spots before they cost revenue BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS — OCTOBER 8, 2026 — Validity, the leading provider of Enterprise AI solutions for digital marketers, announces extended capabilities in Engage, introducing its new Model Context Protocol (MCP) connector that brings Engage intelligence into […]
A follow-on to ‘The Interchange Shift’ In July we wrote that the Reserve Bank’s interchange reform was not the end of loyalty in Australia. It was a transfer of loyalty funding from card issuers to merchants and we expected: smaller merchants would pocket interchange savings rather than invest in loyalty, big retailer’s programs (Everyday Rewards, […]
Senior Vice President of Marketing and Creative Carley Caldas explains how the cosmetics brand’s ‘scrappy’ social team finds creators who will connect its products to culture on social media and in person. Plus, how Eos measures success at events. In-person activations are a main marketing pillar at cosmetics brand Eos, said Carley Caldas, Senior Vice […]
Many music fans do more than watch a video or stream a song; they look up lyrics, annotate them and follow the artists behind them. For the music site Genius, that activity offers clues about what audiences care about. “Our community likes to go deep. Our community likes to spend time knowing the music,” said […]
Fans say events are worth the money, but 74% still feel nickel-and-dimed; 82% want AI-powered wait-time predictions to make lines easier to navigate LOUISVILLE, COLORADO — OCTOBER 7, 2026 — Alchemer, a global leader in customer experience and feedback intelligence, today released its 2026 Fan Experience Report Card for Sports Venues and Teams, revealing that […]
AI assistants are becoming another channel where members discover, travel, shop, and engage with brands. New assistants such as Meta’s Muse keep arriving, each with its own rules. Programs need one way to keep benefits and offers current, govern member actions, and see what members ask. Forrester sees a choice ahead for brands due to […]
New research reveals how AI-assisted comparisons can complicate brand differentiation and recall BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS — OCTOBER 6, 2026 — AI is now part of how consumers research companies, but new data from Skyword finds that 45% of U.S. adults have had trouble choosing between two companies because AI-generated answers made them sound too similar. The […]
Fanatics has a fan base of 100 million consumers it can market to. And after all that work of getting shoppers to the right product, it better be in stock. Out-of-stocks can hinder the customer experience, and the licensed sports apparel retailer is updating its demand and supply chain software to ensure this doesn’t happen, […]
Diapers are the workhorse product at Healthy Baby, and new Chief Marketing Officer Meredith Gieskes is focused on telling every parent why. As the brand’s name implies, Healthy Baby sells better-for-you baby products. This includes its flagship product, an Environmental Working Group-verified diaper, which is the bulk of its revenue. While Healthy Baby claims it […]