Paula: Welcome to Let’s Talk Loyalty, an industry podcast for loyalty marketing professionals. I’m Paula Thomas, the Founder and CEO of Let’s Talk Loyalty, and also now, Loyalty TV. Today’s episode is hosted by Charlie Hills, Chief Strategy Officer of Mando-Connect, a UK based agency that uses smart data to create brilliant partnerships and rewards that really work.
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Charlie: Hello and welcome to Let’s Talk Loyalty. I’m Charlie Hills, the Chief Strategy Officer, WPP’s Loyalty Specialist Partnerships and Rewards Agency. We have created a white paper in partnership with YouGov that explores loyalty, membership, appeal, and impact across 24 European markets. And I’m delighted to be hosting a series of podcasts featuring European loyalty experts to help our listeners better understand loyalty across Europe.
Today, I’m delighted to welcome Beth Simpson, the Customer Marketing Senior Manager at Canon Europe. Canon Club is the new membership program for all Canon fans across EMEA. Today it has over 78, 000 members, and there are lots of plans and ideas in play for how Canon will continue to grow and increase the loyalty of their very engaged customers.
Beth herself has over 20 years marketing experience working in consumer electronics, membership, and travel. And she loves working on brands that customers are passionate about understanding customer needs and creating compelling marketing propositions for them. Today, we’ll be learning all about Beth’s favorite loyalty programs, how the Canon Club is building real customer engagement, and all about their plans for the future.
I hope you enjoy our conversation today.
So hello and welcome to Let’s Talk Loyalty. We’re absolutely delighted to have you as a guest on the podcast today. Thank you so much for joining us and we’re really looking forward to everything you’ve got to hear to say.
Beth: Great to be here, Charlie. Thank you for the invite and looking forward to the chat.
Charlie: You’re very welcome. It should be fun. So we’ll go straight into it. As always, as you know, with all our guests, we always start with Paula’s favorite question. So please Beth, tell us, what is your favorite loyalty program?
Beth: Well, I absolutely love Clubcard. I have to say that. And from a loyalty perspective, I’m actually willing to pay for it as well. So I’m paying to be loyal to the Clubcard. I think Tesco is constantly innovating with the program. They’re supporting customers as well. And also it’s a hugely competitive market. The member prices that they launched, I just think were genius. They offer great customer experience and also service through the app.
So, most supermarkets today have actually quickly followed them in these member prices, but I still think that the service and what they offer through Clubcard is way above other supermarkets.
Charlie: You’re not alone in loving Tesco Club and Tesco Club plus the subscription model that you talked about there. It always comes out in all the research that we do is sort of, you know, one of the most appealing and popular programs in the UK, not to mention one of the biggest, you know, they are always at the forefront of innovation and, you know, driving that value message so hard in a cost of living crisis is something that I think everyone in the industry is a set up and taken notice of. So that’s a great opening program. I love it.
Actually, when I’ll guess choose the biggest programs and the best ones. And then every once in a while, we get a really niche one that we then have to go and, you know, find out about as well. So that’s a great contender that puts you in the same ranks as many of our most esteemed guests.
But today we’re here as well to, you know, look at what the biggest and the best are doing. But we’re really excited to learn about your program and your background and what you’ve been doing as well. So let’s start learning a little bit more about you, Beth. You know, tell us about your background. What do you enjoy about loyalty marketing and how have you ended up running this program?
Beth: Sure. So I’ve been in marketing for over 20 years, starting out in experiential marketing, meeting customers and encouraging trial of products. You know, what better way to get products in people’s hands?
Over the years, I’ve moved more into digital, really starting to develop in that area. And, you know, at the time it was, we can now track what we’re doing. So yeah, the impact of marketing campaigns on sales that digital is driven is fantastic. Now I focus very much on new customer opportunities for growth. So really honing in on what opportunities are for Canon in the market, but also retaining existing customers, as we know, acquiring customers is more expensive and we need to work harder to keep our customers that we have.
At Canon, I look after customer experience and customer engagement, and my team work across different teams, like cross functional teams, to make sure that the voice of the customer is being heard and that we’re driving the engagement on the base that we need to, you know, really working hard with that base, constantly talking to the customers in different channels about positive brand engagements to drive behavior change that lead to that next sale. So loyalty for us isn’t about everything has to end in a sale. It’s about really building that relationship and moving customers in the directions that we want them to move in.
Charlie: I think that’s such a nice mantra that we’re hearing from so many brands at the moment, actually, that recognition that, you know, loyalty means a different thing to different organizations and that real focus on the customer across everything. That’s quite a remit, what stands out in the loyalty bit that you really like? Cause I know you’ve loved working on this program and growing it. And every time I talk to you about it, it’s so exciting to hear how you’ve kind of moved it on. What are your favorite things about working in the kind of loyalty space versus some of those others? And don’t listen, Beth’s other colleagues, she loves you just as much, but we’re particularly here to talk about loyalty.
Beth: So from a loyalty perspective, it’s about building those relationships, seeing the engagement that the customers have with the brand, particularly for us, we’re a passion brand, you know, photography, there’s, and even content creation today is huge and people are expressing themselves through content creation more than they’ve ever done.
So how do we make sure that we continue to build the loyalty with those customers and keep them close to us? So those are things that really drive me is seeing the customers engaging with the brand. They want to talk to us. They want, you know, to be part of a program and they want experiences from us.
Charlie: Yeah. And some of that content, I know whenever we’ve looked at it, it’s extraordinary that they’re creating. And obviously you’re Canon, but I just couldn’t believe, you know, the skill and the passion that comes through in it. It’s fantastic. I love working on visually beautiful programs and I also love photography as anyone who knows me. So it’s like an absolute killer sort of winner for me. I was like, wow, this must be brilliant and really inspiring to see.
But some of our listeners might not know your program. So could you tell us a little bit about your program, what it’s called? How it works? How you get members in, what they do, you know, what actually, what are the nuts and bolts of your program?
Beth: Sure, and I can even go back to the idea, you know, where did it come from? So, Canon’s a manufacturing brand. We sell through retailers, Amazon, Currys, Finac, Media Mart, you know. If we want to know our customers, the people who are buying through retail, the only way we get to know who they are is if they register their product.
So Canon Club was born out of a focus project to drive loyalty. The project included creating a digital experience where customers can register products. They can raise support service and repair requests, manage subscriptions, and also be invited to Canon Club. So the invite to Canon Club comes from product registration, but all of these things were about giving customers reasons to register their product and go to one place where they could manage everything with Canon.
Charlie: And I think that’s really, that’s such a common thing as well that we see across so many sectors. You know, it’s interesting that as a manufacturer, you face that and we see that in loads, you know, everything from FMCG to automotive, you know, actually who are my customers for brands like yours that are selling through a retail, that’s such a fundamental driver of the loyalty program that everyone who’s listening, who sits in retail and travel is like, well, I largely know my audience because they largely book with me, you know, the aggregators are a challenge.
So it’s great to see that sort of driver creating a program.
Beth: Yes, and also just the value that’s placed on first party data nowadays, that every brand has to, you know, strive to get their customer data. So that was kind of where we came from, but the program itself, we did extensive research with our customers, all customers, not just photographers, videographers, print customers, professionals, beginners.
You know, this program isn’t just for the hardcore photography fans, it’s for everyone. So we wanted to create something that appealed to everyone. So making sure that we had customer benefits and experiences that they wanted. So the core things that came out of the research is the customers wanted clear benefits that Canon could only give, but also the experiences that Canon can only provide.
So you know, that’s quite a big ask for us when we’re an EMEA based business. How do we offer that level of program in each different market? So Canon Club’s a tiered membership program where the customer receives points for registering the product, but also for interacting in the community. So at the heart of Canon Club is an online community.
The first time that we ever created a space where customers could actually talk to each other with some moderation, of course, but you know, this was a really brave thing for a Japanese brand to do at the time and, you know, it’s a thriving community now.
So the other things that members can get today is, you know, we work with all the different national sales offices. Some give extra cash back. So giving extra value. We give discounts off product maintenance. There’s money can’t buy experiences. So we did a huge prize draw that you could only enter that was in Canon Club, but also chances to win trips with the ambassador. So four people can win.
Charlie: Wow.
Beth: Yeah. Amazing opportunities, but also invites to events, behind the scenes, content, access to like I’ve said, the community, but also selected partner offers. So we’re working with Vistek and some other brands as well that we’re bringing on board because of our connections in the industry. And there’s loads more planned.
Charlie: Yeah.
Beth: There’s so much more planned. But there’s over 80, 000 members today of high value customers that have already signed up to Club and that whole experience.
Charlie: I mean, that’s incredible. And how long have you been growing the program for?
Beth: I would say it’s been about a year and a half.
Charlie: Yeah. So that’s pretty amazing. 80,000 people taking part in this brilliant new experience. And then, you know, it’s like, some of the content on there is great. Everyone go check out Canon Club. Honestly, it’s so cool.
You’ve talked a bit about community and I think that’s one of the things that really stands out for me in your program, you know, how engaged your members are and what they share. I’m sure a lot of our listeners will be thinking, well, you know, I’d love to build a community around my program.
So could you tell us a little bit more about, you know, the community you’ve built, how you’ve done that, what you ask people to do and how they engage? And then, you know, I’d love your top tips for other program listers. You know, what should other programs learn from this?
Beth: Yeah. So we use Salesforce Community Cloud and within that functionality, there is a built in community. It’s their chatter, but we tailored that to Canon branding and we put all Canon branding on it. So we had a mix of features that we wanted to create. Of course, the feed is a big part and we wanted to have things like challenges, groups. We also have gallery in there as well. So, I mean, the imagery is just stunning. The quality of the imagery in there is amazing.
Charlie: The Kingfisher was my favorite. I thought that was insane.
Beth: Yeah, very wildlife focused. We have hardcore wildlife fans. But the challenge is people say to me, you know, why should a member enter? Do you know what? It’s just recognition. They’re not even winning a prize at the end of it. It’s a cup that is voted for by other members.
So we wanted a space where it would all be self-sufficient. Members would be answering questions. They would be interacting with each other. Yes, we have a community manager. And when we started with a blank sheet of paper on day one, it was a, you know, part of what we did, is we had champions around the business who were posting, trying to encourage the conversations.
Today, we don’t have to do that. People are interacting, people are coming back. You know, we have a big focus on the retention side and making sure that we have the monthly active users and driving people back into the community. So yeah, I think that those are the core things of the actual community aside from the benefits.
But yeah, we wanted to have a space where members could learn, grow and develop from each other. And it wasn’t all about Canon giving the advice and we see it. Like I said, there’s questions raised and you’ve got members going and answering before the community manager does. So yeah, I think it’s a really nice community.
Charlie: It is. And I think what’s so interesting in that as well is that journey that you talk about there as well. You know, at the beginning you had to be a bigger part of the conversation. And then over time, actually, as a brand, you’ve been able to step back and watch those members kind of celebrate. And I think that’s one of the things I found when we’re building programs, you know, with our clients and with our partners, that actually you do have to think about that journey actually.
And it’s okay. You know, I imagine on day one, you need a community managers looking at the community going, Oh God, there’s nothing in here, but how wonderful would that be? You know, a year and a half in actually, that journey has really worked and not to mention, you know, you are a passion, you know, photography is something that somebody, you know, really wants to talk about. I’m sure somebody sitting here in utilities would really struggle to think about such a positive community that they could build. So I think that’s a huge achievement.
How does that work? And how does the program work across the different markets? You talked about the market sort of activating the program in slightly different ways, and you talked about some doing cashbacks more and others doing content and stuff more, how do you manage that? What does your framework look like as a sort of a European team?
Beth: Sure. So the community and content and partnerships where we can be across EMEA, we manage those centrally. Anything to do with promotional activity is managed locally. So it would be down to the market in how we provide those key benefits.
But also, you know, each market has different events. They have academies and it’s tapping into those areas as well. And so. saying, okay, so at this event, what can you give Club members over and above a normal customer? Can they meet the ambassador? Just some really nice, simple ideas. We’re not asking for totally new things. It’s about bolting on benefits or experiences to what they plan today.
Charlie: Yeah, I’m thinking about how they can work those assets harder. I think, you know, when I started the European research, you know, that we do with YouGov, I thought, you know, actually, I thought there were going to be some real similarities across the regions.
You know, I naively thought, oh, you know, Western Europe is going to look very similar in the loyalty space. And, you know, perhaps Scandinavia is going to look very similar. And actually I think what we’ve really learned is that loyalty looks so different in each of those markets. You know, you’ve got different audiences, different expectations, different brands, different retail structures, different legacies, and actually no two markets are the same.
So that seems to me the way a lot of programs are going actually, a sort of centralized framework and then, you know, freedom within the markets to actually activate for the best of them. So great that you’ve kind of started that out. Do you find that some markets are more active than others?
Beth: Definitely. Yeah, definitely. You know, our big markets are UK, France, and Germany, UK, very active and do quite a lot from an event point of view. So they have been promoting quite a bit of activity last year. And again, it comes down to resource. of the different regions. The bigger markets are definitely active.
The other area where we think there’s an opportunity is of course, in the Middle East and that area to really start to, to bring in audiences that we can bring into Canon Club.
Charlie: Yeah, I mean, that’s a huge region for loyalty. I think in the last five years, we’ve seen a massive explosion in that space based on sort of loyalty training, but also, you know, the growth and rise of new types of programs. So that’s an exciting future for the program as well to see how you then adapt it for that region.
What about, you know, looking to the future, actually, what sort of trends are you seeing? And I think that’s such an interesting point of view from, you know, Canon and a manufacturer and photography, because it’s not a traditional loyalty sector. I wouldn’t, you know, it’s not like retail or supermarkets or pharma, you know, what kind of things are you seeing emerge in the industry? What are your sort of top trends that you’re seeing?
Beth: I think we’ve touched on some of them. There is a huge focus on customer loyalty that people are talking about it more and how brands can deliver the added value like the member pricing, app experiences, I think it’s huge, but also the subscription. So brands like Tesco and Amazon are delivering digital propositions fast.
Charlie: Yeah.
Beth: And I think for us, they, that is, it’s challenging, you know, we can’t react in the same way that Tesco and Amazon do, but yeah, they, you know, they’re quite impressive, right from a digital proposition point of view and how they constantly have to change for consumer demand. So those are things that I think are still key, experience is high.
Charlie: I think that’s really solid, actually. I think that real focus on improving that customer experience is something that every program I talk to at the moment is really focused on.
And it means something so different to it did, you know, five years ago, five years ago, it was about try and remove a bit of the friction, you know, try and keep the bumps as smooth as possible. How do we get everything down to one click? Whereas now it’s very much about actually, how can I make the experience as good as the brand? You know, how can I actually make the engagement really solid? It’s great. Great answer.
In Canon, you know, how important is the loyalty program? I know you’re only a year and a half old and I know Canon’s a really big, really massive company with a huge sort of heritage, but how important do you think it is?
Beth: I think it’s really important. I think there’s a big focus on loyalty being driven by the CEO around customer focus, but also the senior leadership within our business division as well.
I think it’s challenging though, right? You know, we’ve got challenging market. Retaining customers is a big focus on it and important as a team. We have to work with colleagues across EMEA to raise awareness of Canon Club. It’s ongoing. There’s lots of things we all have to do every day, but how do we put more focus into driving the adoption of the Club and also going back to what we just talked about, which is the experience and the value we offer to the customers to either purchase Canon for the first time, purchase another Canon, or even just come to our events and see us.
So yeah, we’re constantly discussing the program, but also trying to raise awareness of the stats around the program. So we’ve touched on that it’s 80, 000 members, but what does that really mean? And are they higher value than the customers that are logging into the account? So yeah, we can see all of this great data and it’s about making sure that it goes in front of people to again, increase the knowledge of the Club and the value, but also the importance of the program.
Charlie: Yeah. And I think that internal profile thing quite surprised me when I started recording the Let’s Talk Loyalty podcast. Actually, it comes up a lot in a lot of programs and a lot of loyalty program leads, and I think it’s quite easy for those of us that look in on the industry to think it’s all about the membership. You know, how do you grow the program? How do you build the program? How do you make the member experience? Great.
But actually I almost think from these conversations that internal profile is as important and that internal recognition of success so that you can secure more investment for it. We’re going to come on to talk about, you know, actually what success looks like and KPIs and things, but I think that’s a common challenge actually for everyone.
Are there sort of other big lessons you’ve learned or other big challenges you’ve faced? And how you’re addressing those, because it’s a lot to build a program, grow a program and run a program all at the same time. You know, what are the most important lessons you’ve learned so far during that process?
Beth: So where do you start?
Charlie: Yeah, we could be here all day. Don’t worry, listeners, we won’t. We’ll edit. But, you know, what are the most important lessons you think you’ve learned so far?
Beth: I try to really keep this focused as an answer. And for me, it’s about taking the time to plan, particularly on, on this program, because there’s things that I know if I’d known, then what I know now, the approach could have been quite different.
One of the things that we did do, and I touched on it at the beginning is we created the program from a blend of custom and out of the box functionality with Salesforce. And actually out of the box might not always fit with the experience you want to give, but also it presents things that sometimes you didn’t expect the experience to be like that.
So, you know, I always have this debate with people. Do you go custom? Do you go out of the box? And I think that the custom approach is ultimately the best one because you have control of the whole experience. It might have cost more, you know, one of that’s one of the lessons that I learned to slow down, take the time.
Charlie: Yeah, and I think that’s one of the really interesting things in loyalty programs versus campaign type marketing, you know, you are in it for the long haul, aren’t you? You are talking about hopefully loyalty that lasts a lifetime. So actually although the pressure is on and the business pressure is on, those decisions have almost longer term consequences, rather than if you’re running a six week promotional campaign, you stop and you build the next one differently. Don’t you?
We hear that from a lot of programs actually, and you know, what we’re seeing increasingly in the market is the MVP and the pilot. And actually the MVP and the pilot that can now last, you know, sort of a year, two years and then version two, you know, comes out or, you know, it’s a build or an evolution of the existing program.
But I do think it’s, I would agree that the investment in that design requirements and that upfront piece is a lot, but then it’s quite hard to ask the business to invest in that level of budget before you’ve proven the case for it. And I think it’s a little bit of a chicken and egg scenario, isn’t it? But it’s interesting to hear that’s your been your experience of it. Obviously your program is doing really well, which is great, right? Which is why we wanted to get you on the podcast, but I’m sure, you know, internally, your stakeholders are thrilled as well.
But what does success look like? You know, where I’m always asked, you know, what are the KPIs other people are using? You know, what actually is it? How do you measure success of your program?
Beth: So success has been measured at the moment. If we just talk about KPIs is around new members, product registrations. So last year was the first year that we’d seen a turnaround in product registrations. So it wasn’t a decline that we’ve been seeing. It’s actually an uplift. So that is a really positive story for us.
Opt in rate. Are we driving a greater opt in rate? Our opt in rate is pretty good. But we want to increase it and we’re constantly monitoring that. So we have targets for 2024 to 2026 and tracking how we need to get there and doing those projections.
We also want the monthly active users. So it’s not just about having 80,000 members. Of course we know that not all 80,000 members are active and coming back with every program. But how do we maintain a good level of monthly active users? And what is that level? So some of it is, yes, we want to turn around product registrations. Yes, we want to drive opt in, but what are our benchmarks ourselves? You know, what does good look like?
But then of course, there’s other data points that we want to measure. So community engagement, participation in challenges groups. So you’ve got the high level metrics and then what’s actually happening in the program.
Charlie: Yeah. And I think that’s often a division, isn’t it? It’s what KPIs do the business care about and where are the value drivers, but then also actually making sure that you’re building a brilliant experience that people come back to then adds value in itself. I think that’s really common. I’m still really looking forward to when loyalty programs as a whole start to take on some of those higher level KPIs as well.
I talk quite a lot about sustainability and the importance of that in loyalty programs and actually how a program contributing to that long term corporate social responsibility goal is really important. So I’m still waiting for the day when a guest says to me, Oh yes, I’ve got a KPI around CSR delivery of the policy. So maybe in the future, maybe we’ll add that in by 2026. And again, this, you know, the whole KPI chat comes back down to those internal stakeholders, doesn’t it? And how you communicate with them and how you manage the impact of the program.
And what sort of systems have you got in place for communicating internally about the program? I know we’ve talked a lot about the importance of it, but how do you actually make that work with the team?
Beth: We, you know, I’m not saying it’s even a system. We’ve got access to the tools that Salesforce that give us the stats. We’re also looking at how we bring all of our data together at the moment to, you know, to show that the whole customer journey and the value. So using tools like Power BI, and then just some of the basic stuff, Charlie, a PowerPoint presentation that’s showing some imagery that’s showing. Things this is happening, these were the best challenges this month, and it’s the best way to get something circulated to everybody in the business.
Charlie: Definitely. Yeah, I think we see that. My favorite is still the head office activation event, you know, when the loyalty program actually creates it for everyone. And then you’re like, oh, actually, that’s fantastic. How can those things still be effective in our digital age? But they really aren’t they? That kind of that back to old school and that human, you know, connection and talking to people about it.
What kind of resources do you rely on? I mean, we obviously met at a DMA event a couple of years ago now, but you know, what resources do you rely on for your updates in the industry and where do you get your inspiration and information from?
Beth: I have close relationships with e consultancy. So we have as Canon learning programs and different things with them. And as part of that, they do webinars. Future trends. So I stay in touch quite a lot with that, whether it’s going to an event or doing the webinar activity, or even just going online and seeing what’s available.
Other events, like you mentioned the DMA, but the other thing that I try to do as much as possible is just sign up for other programs, other passion brands. What are other people doing? You know, we reference Peloton quite a lot. Chess, Royal Horticultural Society, you know, these are passion brands that do some great loyalty work that I like to look at. Also Strava, Rapha, the cycling brand. So I try to keep in touch with what other people are doing as much as possible.
Charlie: Yeah, and I think that’s one of the things that I thought it’s one of the main reasons everyone knows I do the podcast. It’s actually what you can learn from other programs and what you can learn from other sectors and then translate is, you know, it’s fascinating to me.
When we look at, you know, the last two years, you know, one of the big sectors that’s exploded in Great Britain, more so than in other markets, is restaurant, coffee shops, QSR loyalty. And we look at what that looked like two years ago, like there’s a seismic change now. And actually each of those programs, you can almost see how they’ve sort of cherry picked all the bits that they like from grocery, the bits they like from pharmacy, the bits they like from travel, and then have created these brilliant programs.
And then in some other ways, they’re, you know, they’re really leading the way pain point, you know, the pain point removal of payment. You know, you would definitely say that the coffee shops, that’s the best place, actually, that’s the best sector at how they’ve integrated that into their program. So it’s great. Cycling and gardening, an interesting theme. An interesting theme.
Beth: Yeah, but the gardening one is really interesting, so, you know, I think they’re quite similar to us. And if you sign up to their apps and programs, they’re great. Asking for data as they, as you sign up something we’ve done through the account, but they’re asking for very specific data so that then they can start to talk to you about what you’re interested in. It’s not rocket science, but they’ve just done it so well.
Charlie: Yeah, and it’s very natural, isn’t it, as well? I think that’s a key part of it. The days of, again, three years ago, where you were given like 30 things you were interested in and you ticked the boxes of things that you want are gone. I think there’s some really interesting innovation in how they’re building those conversations and then how they play it back to you.
One of my favorites for that is still Pets at Home VIP, you know, and how they understand what pet you’ve got and what stage of life your pet is at and then content that matches. I think that’s that’s such an important thing to get right.
We’ve talked a little bit about this already, actually, but are there any other sort of ideas and innovations that, you know, you’re particularly proud of, or perhaps something else that somebody done has done that you really admire as well as gardening and cycling?
Beth: Other things I admire? No, I think we’ve touched on most of the ones. We did quite a lot of research when we, I first did this and looked at other brands. So we looked at Adidas a lot. Again, another great.
Charlie: Everyone is, everyone’s looking at AdiClub.
Beth: Yeah. But you know, it’s a great Club, but for me as a customer, I don’t, I’m not being served a huge amount of, maybe that’s just because of my interactions with them, but I still do look at that. I think it’s a good example. We looked at Sephora, which again, I think is another good one. H&M tried to have a good look around, but yeah, nothing other than, yeah.
Charlie: Interesting that you call out Sephora. I think Sephora Beauty Insider is always one of the ones that we’ve looked at. You know, it’s been gold standard for years and years. And I was interested to see them launch the kind of the gamification challenge component this year, you know, and I was thinking, gosh, in Great Britain, the one who’s really led the way in that is ASDA. And it sort of tickled me slightly that Sephora, I’m sure Sephora aren’t copying ASDA because Sephora, you know, have always been first to everything, but it’s interesting to see that come in. And, you know, I don’t know for certain, but my hypothesis on that is because they’re trying to find out new data in interesting ways about their audiences and find new ways of getting valuable behaviors.
And yet you’ve started a program with challenges as part of it. So I think that’s a really nice thing to see. And I know a lot of programs are looking at that and trying to look at what their experience of that could be for, you know, their brand. appropriate program.
So as we round out, is there anything else you’d like to share with our listeners at this point? Anything else you think we should finish up on?
Beth: I think one of the things that I think you mentioned about biggest challenges that we faced or addressing, I think one of the challenges we have internally is around loyalty is this balance between driving a sale and knowing our customers, you know, in any business, the eye is always on, has it driven a return on investment. But everything we do can’t always drive a sale at that point. And the loyalty part is very much focused on the brand engagement and the sales. So we’re constantly having those conversations in the business.
But I think we are starting to prioritize the importance of first party data, because of course it’s key to our future success. I think for any brand, and I’m sure, and the reason I say that is because I’m sure other brands go through the same experience between the sales teams, the product teams, and the marketing loyalty teams. I think it’s just a natural thing, but I do think that businesses are starting to see that the real value in the loyalty part.
Charlie: Yeah, me too. And I think, you know, where you have a longer purchase cycle that you’d have or a more slightly more premium product as well, that slight tension and that way you measure it is much harder, isn’t it? Than when you’ve got a high frequency, low value shop, like say they do in the grocery sector. So yeah, I’m sure a lot of us listeners empathize with that and would share it and hopefully I’ve got a lot of good experience that they’d like to share.
I’m sure, but people are gonna have more questions for you actually, if nothing other than can I please see the picture of the Kingfisher ’cause that sounds great. So if people wanted to reach out to you after this episode, we will of course put all your details in the speaker’s notes and obviously the logins for the program and stuff. But is there a way, is there a good way for people to reach you?
Beth: LinkedIn is great. I’m always happy for new connections, people getting in touch with me like yourself, Charlie.
Charlie: Hopefully people won’t be as persistent as me chasing you around events and then following up, but yeah, that’s great. Well, look, everyone, please do reach out to Beth and please do join up to the program and check out the amazing things that Canon Club are doing. And if you have any more questions, please let us know.
And that’s really it, I think, from us today. So I wanted to say a huge thank you, Beth. That was a brilliant episode. It’s so interesting to see what you’re doing, and I think you’re really leading the way in your sector. So thank you very much for coming along today. That’s goodbye from Let’s Talk Loyalty.
Beth: Thanks for having me.
Paula: Thank you so much for listening to this episode of Let’s Talk Loyalty. If you’d like us to send you the latest shows each week, simply sign up for the Let’s Talk Loyalty newsletter on letstalkloyalty.com. And we’ll send our best episodes straight to your inbox. And don’t forget that you can follow Let’s Talk Loyalty on any of your favorite podcast platforms. And of course, we’d love for you to share your feedback and reviews. Thanks again for supporting the show.
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