Keynote speaker

I’ve been in Kraków this week, on stage at the Comarch User Group 26 with Paula Thomas and Nyeleti Nyeleti Sue-Angel Nkuna from the Let’s Talk Loyalty team. Paula is presenting her research on the world’s largest loyalty programmes. I am sharing the best stories on data, engagement and personalisation from the brands we have had the privilege of interviewing on Let’s Talk Loyalty and Loyalty TV.

Two days in, six things stand out. Not as trends to file away, but as strategic imperatives for anyone running a loyalty programme right now.

1. AI is the revolution. But human connection is still the product.

There is no ignoring it. 42% of the most complex questions put to AI are now answerable by it. China is deploying AI faster and at lower cost than anywhere else in the world. The pace is extraordinary.

But here is what the most experienced practitioners in this room keep coming back to: AI should power the background of your loyalty programme, not the front. The technology should make your programme faster, smarter, and more precise. The experience your customer has should feel like a human being who understands them, not an algorithm that has profiled them. Seamless, insightful, and genuinely personal. That is the balance the industry is working hard to get right.

2. Emotional loyalty is not a nice-to-have. It is the differentiator.

The programmes that consumers genuinely value, the ones they would fight to keep if forced to choose, are not the ones with the highest earn rate or the most features. They are the ones that create a real emotional connection.

Our own Truth and BrandMapp Loyalty Whitepaper, now in its tenth edition, confirms this in the South African market. 85% of South Africans actively use loyalty programmes. The average member is enrolled in 10.4. But usage is not the same as loyalty. The question every programme manager should be asking is not how many members they have. It is how many of those members would genuinely miss them. We gain insight into this sentiment in the whitepaper when we reveal which loyalty programme can you not live without. This is a true indicator of emotional loyalty.

3. Customer lifetime value requires courage.

Several presentations at Comarch made the same point from different angles: the industry is still too focused on short-term metrics. This year’s campaign results. This quarter’s redemption cost.

The brands that are winning long-term have made a deliberate choice to focus on customer lifetime value instead. That often means driving a higher redemption rate, investing more in retention, and resisting the pressure to optimise for this year’s numbers at the expense of next year’s relationships. It requires courage at a leadership level. But the data on customer lifetime value makes the case clearly, and the brands that have made this shift are reaping the rewards.

4. Loyalty data should serve the customer, not just the business.

It was confirmed repeatedly across the presentations: a loyalty programme is the most effective customer-focused mechanism for gathering meaningful data. But the question is what you do with it.
A simple example shared was e.l.f. Cosmetics. On registration, they ask members a detailed set of questions about their skincare, their age, their preferences. Not to build a targeting database. To immediately start serving that customer better. The data informs the brand experience from day one. That distinction, using data to serve rather than simply to sell, is what separates programmes that build genuine loyalty from those that merely track behaviour.

5. Authenticity is a strategy, not just a sentiment.

One of the most powerful insights highlighting loyalty authenticity came from HomePro in Thailand. Their loyalty programme incentivises members to recycle old appliances, fridges, microwaves, items that would otherwise become toxic waste. The result: 6,000 vans of appliances recycled, the equivalent of planting two million trees.

This is not a box-ticking exercise in corporate do-gooding. It is a loyalty mechanic that connects members to something they genuinely care about, rewards them for doing the right thing, and creates a relationship between the brand and the customer that goes well beyond a transaction. It is one of the clearest examples I have seen of what authentic loyalty design looks like in practice.

6. At the top tier, status beats points every time.

For your highest-value customers, the conversation about points and cashback becomes increasingly irrelevant. What they want is recognition. Access. Experiences that cannot be bought.

The conference explored how top-tier customers are emotionally connected to their status, but sometimes not necessarily to the brand that granted it. Status match programmes, where a customer can transfer their top-tier standing from one brand to another, particularly common in airlines, illustrate this clearly. Customers will follow their status. The implication for programme design is significant: if you want to retain your best customers, you need to offer them something that status alone cannot replicate. That means invitation-only access, genuine personalisation, and experiences that make them feel known, not just ranked.

Closing thought

The theme connecting all six of these points is the same one that runs through our Truth and BrandMapp research: the loyalty industry has matured past acquisition. The work now is about depth, not breadth. About building programmes that earn a permanent place in someone’s life, not just a slot in their wallet.

Data is no longer optional. It is the foundation of growth.

The smartest businesses are doing three things right now:

1. They are using customer data more effectively.
2. They are investing in CRM to get closer to their customers.
3. And they are using AI for efficiency, accuracy, speed, and quality, not just content creation.

But none of this matters without a clear goal.

Retention is still the golden arrow.
It is what extends customer lifetime value and builds stronger, more valuable relationships over time.

That is why customer centricity matters so much.
When you truly understand your customer, you can make better strategic decisions, create more relevance, and grow beyond the next transaction.

This is how real loyalty is built.

Hyderabad, India. Loyalty Juggernaut’s Client Advisory Board (CAB).

Following my previous keynote on innovation and trends, I delivered a keynote this year on the efficacy of loyalty when it is simplified.

Simplification is not a nice-to-have. It is the difference between a loyalty programme that looks busy and one that drives incrementality.

Here is what that means in practice:

• Fix the offer first
  If the brand proposition is weak, loyalty cannot rescue it. Loyalty should amplify what already works. Data cannot compensate for a weak proposition. It can only help you scale what is already good.

• Stop managing averages
  Averages hide the truth. Data is only useful when you look at segments and the variance between them. That is where personalisation becomes real.

• Prove incrementality
  “Members do more than non-members” is often self-selection. Use your data to measure the lift your programme actually causes, not the correlation you wish was true.

• Build customer centricity around lifetime value
  Customer lifetime value changes enterprise decisions. When you use data to manage to lifetime value, you stop chasing short-term sales targets and start building repeat behaviour.

It is a reminder that loyalty’s real value is emotional connection, but you do not get it from slogans. You get it from authentic moments that customers actually feel.

The Blind Loyalty Trust is an example of how the loyalty industry can come together to support my mission to reverse unnecessary blindness.

If we believe loyalty is about people, not mechanics, then this is one place we can make it real. One bracelet, one keynote, one book, and one redemption into Blind Loyalty Trust at a time.

On day two of Loyalty Connect Global in Dubai, I had the privilege of delivering a keynote on a topic that sits at the heart of every loyalty professional’s agenda: the KPIs that truly define success.

Titled Loyalty KPIs: The Definitive List, the session was based on one of the most actionable chapters from my book Blind Loyalty. I unpacked ten critical KPIs that every loyalty program should be tracking to understand its true performance and long-term value.

These key metrics ranged from how many customers remain active after enrolment, to how long it takes to activate them once they’ve joined. We looked at what proportion of sales is driven through the loyalty program, how many members are redeeming, and the percentage of rewards that are actually redeemed. And of course, no discussion would be complete without looking at return on investment, the ultimate test of a loyalty program’s effectiveness.

For each of the ten KPIs, I offered the audience practical benchmarks, examples from top-performing global brands, and my personal viewpoint developed through years of experience and shared in Blind Loyalty.

I closed the session with a call to action for the loyalty industry to go beyond the numbers and make a measurable impact in the world. I invited attendees to join me in supporting the Blind Loyalty Trust and our mission to reverse blindness. Whether by purchasing a Blind Loyalty bracelet or book, converting rewards points to donations, or joining our Run for Vision initiative, every action helps raise funds and awareness to give the gift of sight to those who need it most.

For the second year running, I had the privilege of attending Loyalty Connect Global in Dubai, an event that continues to bring together the most innovative minds and transformative ideas in the loyalty industry. This year, I had the honour of moderating a panel discussion featuring two of the most progressive loyalty brands operating today.

Joining me on stage was Rob Pope from Myer One, the award-winning loyalty program of Myer, one of Australia’s most established department stores. Myer One stands out as one of the world’s best retail loyalty programs, and Rob shared compelling insights on how retail brands can use data and technology to deepen customer relationships and drive measurable results.

Also on the panel was Amélie Brechoire from Accor Live Limitless (ALL), the renowned loyalty program from global hospitality leader Accor. Amélie brought a fascinating perspective from the travel and hotel sector, speaking to how Accor is continuously evolving its loyalty offering to deliver personalised, emotionally resonant experiences for guests around the world.

Our discussion explored the core technology enablers that underpin modern loyalty success, ranging from flexible platform architecture to real-time data capabilities and seamless integration across channels. Both Rob and Amélie stressed how vital it is to have a scalable, adaptive tech foundation to support today’s fast-changing customer expectations.

We also delved into the increasing importance of personalisation in loyalty programs. No matter the industry, customers now expect relevance, whether it’s personalised rewards, tailored messaging, or intuitive customer journeys. Loyalty programs must step up to meet that expectation or risk becoming irrelevant.

What made this panel truly inspiring was hearing how these two world-class brands, each from vastly different sectors, are united in their commitment to taking loyalty to the next level. They’re not just running programs; they’re building ecosystems of value, trust, and emotional connection.

What a privilege to speak at the Emirates Skywards 25th Anniversary Conference – celebrating one of the world’s most iconic loyalty programmes.

In my keynote, I unpacked the future of loyalty strategy and global trends.

Congratulations to the Emirates Skywards team on 25 years of innovation, excellence, and customer-first thinking.

Loyalty storytelling from around the world

Loyalty Juggernaut in Hyderabad, India

I was recently invited as a keynote speaker at the Loyalty Juggernaut conference, where my keynote discussion focused on the concept of “Loyalty Storytelling” and the key elements of effective loyalty programmes.

I explored the importance of making loyalty programmes engaging and fun, incorporating gamification to enhance user experience. Customer experience and loyalty are inseparable, and understanding consumer psychology is critical to designing and managing a successful programme.

Consumers prioritise travel and the consolidation of their loyalty currencies, making it essential to understand these behaviours. Another key aspect of loyalty storytelling is the creation of communities within a loyalty programme, strengthening engagement and connection.

The purpose and authenticity of a loyalty programme are also vital, ensuring it resonates with consumers on a meaningful level.

Attending the Asia Pacific loyalty conference in August was an exceptional experience, made even more special by the opportunity to deliver one of my favourite keynotes. I opened the conference with a deep dive into Loyalty KPIs and how to radically simplify loyalty, based on my book Blind Loyalty – 101 Loyalty Concepts Radically Simplified.

The conference was packed with over 300 attendees and remarkable loyalty speakers from around the world. A standout moment for me was listening to my co-partner at the Customer Strategy Network, Yuping Liu-Thompkins. Yuping is a Professor of Marketing at Strome College of Business, USA, and shared insights on optimising loyalty through psychological drivers. She explained how consumer psychology plays a pivotal role in how members engage and interact with a loyalty programme. We apply these theories when creating the critical member engagement plan, which forms the foundation of how loyalty members interact with your programme once they’ve signed up.

Paula Thomas, Founder of Let’s Talk Loyalty & Loyalty TV (for which I’m a guest host of a monthly loyalty podcast), interviewed Emma Porter from the Adairs loyalty programme in Australia. Listening to a Let’s Talk Loyalty episode live was incredibly impactful, and Paula’s panel at our South African International Leaders in Loyalty Summit on 12 September will mark her first live stream Loyalty TV event. We’re thrilled and can’t wait!

One of my favourite loyalty discussions is about loyalty fraud. The Asia Pacific conference also featured a powerful conversation between Michael Smith—whom I call the ‘Chief Loyalty Officer of the World’—and Luke Dynan from Accertify. They shared remarkable case studies of how loyalty fraud occurs among consumers, staff, and even criminal groups worldwide. No loyalty professional can afford to ignore this compelling and increasingly challenging issue.

Lastly, I want to highlight a keynote from Professor Cristina Ziliani, who discussed how loyalty programme operators are supporting meaningful sustainability. Is this just greenwashing, or does it actually make a difference? Cristina, a Professor at the University of Parma, Italy, shared incredible case studies around the psychological factors that facilitate the adoption of sustainable behaviours within the loyalty industry.

Highlighting just a few keynotes feels unfair to every loyalty professional who took the stage. The insights were remarkable, and the loyalty industry in Australia and the Asia Pacific region is booming. I see many similarities between the southern hemisphere industries (Australia and South Africa), where the loyalty community is a close-knit group of professionals sharing insights to empower the broader delivery of loyalty excellence to consumers. As a result, everyone benefits from this transparent approach to elevating the loyalty game. I was honoured to be part of this remarkable gathering of loyalty minds, organised by the Australian Loyalty Association.