Looking Back at 2021 From a
Loyalty Marketer’s Perspective

For many people, 2021 was a challenging year that caused a lot of upset and disappointment. This experience wasn’t only felt by the public or the consumer, but also by many businesses. A big change was forced on many consumers and that led to some altering how they looked for products and purchased services. Let us start by looking back at 2021 from a loyalty marketer’s perspective.

Changing Core Values

Traditional ways of following or supporting brands are changing, and retailers and business owners must adapt or fall to the side.

It used to be that consumers were loyal to brands that offered the best look or were popular among a certain demographic. However, this has changed to a more individual experience.

Now, consumers are looking to see what brands are doing for the environment, sustainability, and animal welfare. These are the core values that will bring brand loyalty to those that embrace it and actively work towards these goals.

There is No ‘I’ in Team

When you start looking back at 2021 from a loyalty marketer’s perspective, you realise that there are fewer companies seeking to go it alone and conquer the market single-handed.

The reason for this change is due to the better opportunities offered by collaboration along with strength in numbers.

With a number of businesses going under in the past couple of years, the pooling of resources and objectives means there is a better chance of both companies surviving.

Customers Online Experience

With 2020 and 2021 littered with lockdowns, consumers relied on online shopping for almost all of their purchases.

Even customers that had never shopped online before suddenly became converted to the convenience of having things delivered and browsing without leaving their homes.

This change has meant that businesses that want to succeed and grow, need to have an effective and easy-to-use online platform.

Customers are starting to experience online shopping and want a quick and reliable process. If your company can improve its online sales, then this can boost loyalty and customer retention.

Revising What You Offer Your Customers

As part of the core values of your business, it is vital that you look at what you are currently offering and revise it to meet the new values customers hold.

While offering more for less was often a good loyalty option, you need to consider if more is now bad for the core values.

This could mean offering a sustainable alternative to your customers or offering environmental rewards instead of additional products.

A simple example of this could be replacing plastic or paper reward cards with an app that customers use on their phones. Small steps such as this can have a big impact on a customer’s view of your company.

Final Thoughts

Customers are becoming savvier about what they want and who they choose to shop with. When you couple this with increased choice and changing core values, it means a challenging time for businesses.

If you can focus on what your customer wants and how to deliver it, you will be in a better place to attract loyal customers.