No one likes to get punished for brand loyalty.

Unfortunately, that’s what it felt like when membership cards are unwillingly thrust into the customer’s hand every time they stand at the checkout counter.

Today, times have changed.

We do not think twice before saying an emphatic NO to those loyalty cards and a big YES to purchase freedom! Mainly because customers have now realized how restricting and rigid such loyalty programs have been. Thankfully, retailers have understood it too. And the ‘Digital India’ boom, complemented with the demonetization and growth of ‘Digital Wallets,’ has played a suitable catalyst.

Loyalty Programs: A Key Piece of the Personalization Puzzle
Loyalty programs today are turning as ubiquitous as the concept of retailing in India. Location or physical presence no more limits the act of selling and purchasing. So why should they limit earning and redeeming rewards for loyalty? The flexibility of claiming benefits across locations, channels, and even industries and categories of consumption is fast becoming available to the average shopper. The foundation holding it all together and making it possible rests on accurate and updated data collection at an individual level. One can call it ‘personalization without the need for person-to-person contact’.

It is time to move away from ‘least common denominators’ in designing their loyalty marketing initiatives.

Rethinking Loyalty Programs for the Digital Age
Brands shouldn’t ‘bucket’ their customers, anymore, for the sake of simplifying marketing communications.

In fact, with today’s intelligent technologies, you need not worry. There can be as many buckets as the number of customers you have. And rewarding them with loyalty has to allow for as many possibilities.

When retailers open their minds to a variety of possibilities in serving their customers and delighting them time and again, they will be able to merge new-age convenience with the old-world customer service.

Retailers from more mature markets like the US and Europe – such as Sephora, Starbucks, and Costco – are enjoying the benefits of rethinking their loyalty programs. Many Indian retailers have also seen quantifiable value from such realignments – in the form of lower Customer Acquisition Costs (CAC) and higher Lifetime Value (LTV).

On that note, let’s look at some of the best loyalty programs in India.

Best Loyalty Programs in India
• Amazon Prime
• Club Mahindra
• Shoppers Stop First Citizen Club
• Starwood Preferred Guest
• Club Vistara
• Encircle by Titan
• Times Points

Learn more about best loyalty programs in India at https://www.capillarytech.com/blog/loyalty/best-loyalty-programs-india/