U.S. loyalty program enrollment at an all time high

In a survey of 10,000 consumers, Bond Brand Loyalty found that one third said they would not be loyal to a brand were it not for a loyalty program. Loyalty programs were found to be a top contributor to brand loyalty, ranking higher than other factors such as product availability, value for money and brand communications.

Seven out of ten consumers said that belonging to a loyalty program influenced where they shopped in order to maximize point accumulation, a rise of 13% from two years ago. The top three drivers of satisfaction with a loyalty program were the appeal of the rewards, ease of redemption and the amount accumulated per dollar spent.

The number of loyalty programs in which individuals were enrolled has grown from 10 in 2014 to more than 13 per person in 2015. However, the number of programs in which members were active has not experienced the same growth.

“While points and discounts drive behaviors, companies need to engage with consumers at a deeper level if they want to extend program loyalty into genuine brand loyalty,” said Scott Robinson, senior director of loyalty consulting and solutions for Bond Brand Loyalty. “This necessitates thinking beyond a program’s monetary incentives to focus on how it can better serve customers or make their experience with the brand more enjoyable, including fulfilling customer needs.”