Beyond Points and Rewards: Crafting New Experiences Out of Loyalty Programs

Gone were the days whereby point-based loyalty programs took the reins of the travel and hospitality industry.Today, lexperiential loyalty is king.However, solidifying brand engagement and grooming customers to become stickier are not as easy as they seem.

Dilpreet Singh, Head, Loyalty, CRM & Partnerships, ITC Hotels shares his insights on the need to be more intent-based and customer-centric when delivering loyalty programs as this will expand engagement and impact their bottom-line performance. In this interview, find out how your brand can move beyond points and rewards to create memorable experiences that drive long-lasting loyalty.

He dives into,

• The evolution from transactional to behavioral and then to emotional loyalty, where hotels can differentiate themselves from competitors and create a more sustainable customer base.
• Data-driven personalisation to boost customer satisfaction rates i.e., identifying peak seasons when more customers are coming to you and reasons behind increased website traffic
• The emerging LAAS (Loyalty as A Service) as an opportunity for other brands to come on existing digital platforms and implement loyalty programs, expanding their ecosystem and widening customer engagement
• Customer Experience Beyond Loyalty, focusing on tailoring offerings to meet diverse customer motivations—whether they seek discounts, promotional deals, or personalized product recommendations.