Miele Loyalty: Building Long-Term Value Through Seamless Customer Experiences (#769)

PAULA: Hello and welcome to Let’s Talk Loyalty and Loyalty TV, a show for loyalty marketing professionals.

PAULA: I’m Paula Thomas, the founder and CEO of Let’s Talk Loyalty and Loyalty TV, where we feature insightful conversations with loyalty professionals from the world’s leading brands.

PAULA: Today’s episode is hosted by Carly Neubauer, managing director of Elevate Loyalty, a loyalty experiences company, specializing in designing, implementing and managing B2C and B2B loyalty programs.

PAULA: She’s also the managing director of Loyalty Economics, a global community and content site focused on turning loyalty into profitability.

PAULA: Enjoy.

CARLY NEUBAUER: Miranda Bliss joins me today, a seasoned loyalty and marketing professional, with a proven track record of designing successful loyalty programs and customer retention strategies.

CARLY NEUBAUER: With over a decade of experience working in industries spanning beauty, liquor, duty-free and household appliances, Miranda has consistently driven customer engagement, revenue growth and brand loyalty.

CARLY NEUBAUER: As an advisory board member of the Australian Loyalty Association, it further cements her position as a thought leader in the loyalty space.

CARLY NEUBAUER: A dedicated leader and mentor, Miranda has a passion for empowering her teams and collaborating with cross-functional stakeholders.

CARLY NEUBAUER: Please enjoy the conversation with Miranda.

CARLY NEUBAUER: Welcome Miranda.

CARLY NEUBAUER: So great to have you join me today.

CARLY NEUBAUER: How are you?

MIRANDA BLISS: Hi Carly.

MIRANDA BLISS: I’m very well.

MIRANDA BLISS: Thanks for having me back.

CARLY NEUBAUER: So we’re very lucky.

CARLY NEUBAUER: You have been on the show before, in a different role, at a different stage.

CARLY NEUBAUER: Super excited to have you back again to talk to us about the Miele Rewards and Loyalty Program.

CARLY NEUBAUER: First of all, though, as you know, we ask all of our guests, tell us about your favourite non-fiction loyalty or business book.

MIRANDA BLISS: Okay.

MIRANDA BLISS: So it’s not loyalty specific, but it’s Mindset by Carol Dweck.

MIRANDA BLISS: And I think for me, it was really one of those light bulb moments during COVID where I sort of understood how critical mindset is to everything you do, whether it’s work, personal life, relationships.

MIRANDA BLISS: I think it also ties really nicely with loyalty because it’s all about continuous learning, evolving relationships, and really, I suppose, long-term growth.

MIRANDA BLISS: So highly recommend.

CARLY NEUBAUER: Oh, I love this.

CARLY NEUBAUER: That’s good.

CARLY NEUBAUER: Any key takeouts or anything specific from that book you’d like to share?

MIRANDA BLISS: I think really just the understanding of what a growth mindset is and actually how important it is to always kind of reset yourself.

MIRANDA BLISS: And you’re not always going to be in a growth mindset, but it’s important to try and get back there.

MIRANDA BLISS: And how it can really just open everything up to you.

CARLY NEUBAUER: Wow.

CARLY NEUBAUER: Okay.

CARLY NEUBAUER: Fantastic.

CARLY NEUBAUER: We’re very lucky on this show we get some fabulous books recommended and goes on a recommended books list.

CARLY NEUBAUER: So thank you for adding to that.

CARLY NEUBAUER: That sounds awesome.

MIRANDA BLISS: My pleasure.

CARLY NEUBAUER: Now, very excited to know your favorite loyalty program.

CARLY NEUBAUER: And coming from you as well, you’ve got an extensive career in loyalty.

CARLY NEUBAUER: Tell us what your favorite personal program is.

MIRANDA BLISS: It’s a really tricky one.

MIRANDA BLISS: I really struggle with this every time because I think it’s a mix of what am I getting the most value out of?

MIRANDA BLISS: And then actually as the loyalty specialist, what do I really respect?

MIRANDA BLISS: And that’s the part I struggled with because at the moment I don’t feel like there’s any brands that truly sort of recognize me and reward me.

MIRANDA BLISS: They don’t know who I am.

MIRANDA BLISS: And I’m feeling that disconnect.

MIRANDA BLISS: On the flip side, I think something like Amazon Prime is one of those programs that I’m getting immense value and convenience out of.

MIRANDA BLISS: But also in a sense, if I actually used all the elements, so if I use the audio, if I used video, I could actually be interacting with the brand every single day.

MIRANDA BLISS: So I also know it does drive me personally, a very high CLV.

CARLY NEUBAUER: And I love that you’re referring to it and reflecting on this program in a very specific loyalty fashion, very nice.

CARLY NEUBAUER: But also the fact that you’re able to call out, there’s no brand particularly outside of Amazon that is really connecting with you, and you’re looking at that as a professional as well.

MIRANDA BLISS: Yeah.

MIRANDA BLISS: And I think partly that’s because I’m in a different life stage now.

MIRANDA BLISS: I’ve got a toddler.

MIRANDA BLISS: I felt like when probably pre toddler era, I felt that there was a number of brands that sort of I really resonated with and I felt valued and recognized.

MIRANDA BLISS: Now, I don’t feel like they understand the sort of era that I’m in, and that are necessarily resonating with what I need.

CARLY NEUBAUER: Okay.

CARLY NEUBAUER: There’s a call out challenge for 2026 and onwards.

MIRANDA BLISS: Absolutely.

CARLY NEUBAUER: No, that’s a great insight.

CARLY NEUBAUER: And we should talk about the industry a little bit later, but that’s such a really, really great point is how to really connect with people at different life stages.

MIRANDA BLISS: Absolutely.

CARLY NEUBAUER: So if you don’t mind, share a little bit about your journey.

CARLY NEUBAUER: So we’re definitely going to talk about the program you’re currently running shortly.

CARLY NEUBAUER: I’d love to hear about your journey, your background, and how you ended up in this great role.

MIRANDA BLISS: Yeah.

MIRANDA BLISS: So I started in loyalty in 2013 in a duty-free role.

MIRANDA BLISS: So that was, I guess it’s almost like retail on steroids.

MIRANDA BLISS: It’s a very interesting environment.

MIRANDA BLISS: So a good place to have my first loyalty experience.

MIRANDA BLISS: And really, I kind of fell into the role because it was with an employer that I had worked in a different division with previously, and I was given this opportunity to come back into this space.

MIRANDA BLISS: And I think for me, it kind of opened my world to everything I adored about loyalty, because it was all very customer-centric.

MIRANDA BLISS: It was really so varied that no two days would be the same.

MIRANDA BLISS: And that sort of long-term thinking about driving relationships.

MIRANDA BLISS: So I joined there 2013, and that was really about redesigning the program and making it more commercially viable.

MIRANDA BLISS: Then I moved to Vintage Sellers, which was originally part of Coles Liquor, which is in Australia, our second largest supermarket.

MIRANDA BLISS: And I looked after Loyalty, CRM and Digital there, really focused on sort of strengthening the proposition, value and I guess elevating life cycle strategy as well.

MIRANDA BLISS: Then in 2020, so deep COVID in Australia, I was given the opportunity to actually join Adore Beauty and create Loyalty from scratch, which was super exciting.

MIRANDA BLISS: A pretty rare opportunity as well.

MIRANDA BLISS: Generally, you’re moving into a fairly established program.

MIRANDA BLISS: And so that was great.

MIRANDA BLISS: So not only creating Loyalty, but also really redesigning their CRM strategy.

MIRANDA BLISS: And then almost a year ago, actually, I joined Miele in Australia leading Loyalty and CRM.

MIRANDA BLISS: So for anyone that doesn’t know, Miele is a premium appliance brand, globally run and has been in business since 1899.

CARLY NEUBAUER: Wow.

CARLY NEUBAUER: And see, this is going to be the great thing talking with you today is you’ve got this sort of two-speed style programs that you’ve worked in such different in category, in style, and discuss the nuances is just really exciting.

CARLY NEUBAUER: So great history and background.

CARLY NEUBAUER: Let’s talk about Miele.

CARLY NEUBAUER: So for those who may not know the program, if you can introduce that a little bit around the details.

MIRANDA BLISS: Yeah, absolutely.

MIRANDA BLISS: So Miele has Miele for Life, the loyalty program was actually established in 2012.

MIRANDA BLISS: It’s essentially a fairly traditional program around member-only offers, so things like exclusive promotions, early access.

MIRANDA BLISS: It has member pricing.

MIRANDA BLISS: So you touched on that sort of two-speed relationship.

MIRANDA BLISS: Basically, we have our appliances and the repurchase is 10, 15 years.

MIRANDA BLISS: But we also have a range of cleaning and care products, and that has a much greater frequency.

MIRANDA BLISS: So it is a really unusual, and something I had to get my head around because it’s very different to where I’ve come from, some sort of FMCG and retail, to this very different relationship with a customer.

MIRANDA BLISS: But a great challenge and I think a really important one for loyalty specialists to have more experience in, is it’s not just a rinse and repeat.

MIRANDA BLISS: The program also has invitation only experiences.

MIRANDA BLISS: So we work with a number of, not only culinary experts that we have in house, but also world renowned chefs.

MIRANDA BLISS: So we do a lot around the culinary space, and then around dedicated customer care as well.

MIRANDA BLISS: So really supporting our customers through the journey.

CARLY NEUBAUER: So one thing I’d love to talk to you about is that speed and frequency and that long-term loyalty, because it’s easy to assume, let’s say you’re not in the loyalty industry, that everything is that fast-paced retail consumer style loyalty program.

CARLY NEUBAUER: This has got a really different life cycle.

CARLY NEUBAUER: Tell us a bit about that journey, because you’re not always going to get the quick short term wins and that rush that you can get from seeing some big spikes in data.

CARLY NEUBAUER: How do you build this out?

CARLY NEUBAUER: How do you approach that?

MIRANDA BLISS: Yeah, it’s a great question.

MIRANDA BLISS: And as I touched on before, it is something that took me a little while to get my head around of how completely different it is.

MIRANDA BLISS: It’s kind of throwing everything you know about marketing and loyalty in particular out the window and sort of starting again.

MIRANDA BLISS: But I also am really thriving and loving the challenge of it, of thinking a bit differently and not sort of just repeating what I’ve known or done before.

MIRANDA BLISS: I guess from the kind of longer frequency from an appliance purchase, it’s really about maintaining a relationship with a customer and onboarding them and supporting them through that journey.

MIRANDA BLISS: So they really unlock the full potential of that appliance purchase.

MIRANDA BLISS: It is, you know, it’s a significant investment and you want to make sure they’re getting the most out of it.

MIRANDA BLISS: So it’s really about unlocking ways, whether that’s through content or experiences, how-to’s, those kind of deeper education and learning that’s really important to support them on the journey.

MIRANDA BLISS: It also means if you’re maintaining that relationship when they go to purchase another appliance and whether that’s a replacement or a new appliance, that you’re likely to be top of mind when they go to do so.

MIRANDA BLISS: And then on the flip side, because we have this range of cleaning and care products, so that’s everything from things like dish washing tablets and liquids to washing machine detergents, that a lot of the time people don’t necessarily know about.

MIRANDA BLISS: So firstly, it’s quite a big education piece, but has a much greater frequency.

MIRANDA BLISS: So that fits into more of that traditional kind of retail FMCG model, that you can have much greater frequency with your customer, and I guess get that kind of short term burst that you’re looking for.

CARLY NEUBAUER: Do you have any particular ways to approach?

CARLY NEUBAUER: I loved your point around unlocking the full value, because it could be easy for someone to come in, purchase the, make their very first purchase with you, which is the larger item, and maybe not realize the rest of the suite on offer to them.

MIRANDA BLISS: Yeah.

CARLY NEUBAUER: What would you do and how do you approach that?

MIRANDA BLISS: I think that’s exactly in that a lot of what we do is about trying to educate on the range and the services that we offer.

MIRANDA BLISS: We’re not great at shouting about it, but we’re doing a lot of work at the moment to really highlight it.

MIRANDA BLISS: Because I mean, I was blown away with what Miele actually offers as a brand to customers.

MIRANDA BLISS: It’s just not super easy to find out about everything.

MIRANDA BLISS: But that’s where I suppose, particularly from a CRM perspective, we have that opportunity to have multiple touch points to really make sure we’re guiding customers through not only their journey and their understanding, but having a really clear roadmap of what’s actually available and who to go to, or how you can access it.

CARLY NEUBAUER: That’s so interesting because the last thing we ever want to see is make the one first purchase and then trail off into the distance and we don’t see you again.

CARLY NEUBAUER: So CRM is one of your strategies?

MIRANDA BLISS: Yeah, definitely and I guess also I mean, loyalty in general, right?

MIRANDA BLISS: Because quite often the transaction ends once the item is delivered.

MIRANDA BLISS: That’s when loyalty has to really come into play and drive that longer term relationship.

MIRANDA BLISS: Because otherwise, it’s done and you might not speak to them for another 15, 20 years, which got a long time.

CARLY NEUBAUER: Yeah, absolutely.

CARLY NEUBAUER: Now, you do operate globally as well, correct?

MIRANDA BLISS: That’s right.

MIRANDA BLISS: Yes.

CARLY NEUBAUER: Any nuances in between different countries, regions?

CARLY NEUBAUER: What are the styles in that regard?

CARLY NEUBAUER: Because it’s one thing to look at different types of loyalty.

CARLY NEUBAUER: What about the regions that you’re operating?

PAULA: If you work in loyalty, you already know exchange matters.

PAULA: What many programs are still figuring out is this.

PAULA: The opportunity isn’t just to offer it, it’s to run it well.

PAULA: When exchange is actively managed, it can become a real growth lever.

PAULA: Driving stronger card engagement for financial institutions, meaningful accrual revenue for travel programs, and more flexibility for members.

PAULA: That’s the thinking behind Points, a Plusgrade company’s exchange solution.

PAULA: They help loyalty programs move beyond passive connectivity with a managed, fraud-secure approach built to improve performance.

PAULA: If that’s something you’re exploring, you can learn more in the full article linked in the episode notes.

MIRANDA BLISS: Yeah, that’s a good question.

MIRANDA BLISS: So yes, it is, we operate in Australia in quite a different model in that we are in a really fortunate position that we have the direct relationship with the customer.

MIRANDA BLISS: So although our products are available through retailers, we actually still have the order still goes through our system.

MIRANDA BLISS: We make the delivery, our teams do the installation.

MIRANDA BLISS: It’s our teams that do the servicing.

MIRANDA BLISS: It’s so it’s a much closer and connected relationship that we have, which varies globally because it sort of varies country to country as to how that business model is set up.

MIRANDA BLISS: I think also globally, working for a global brand is very different to anything I’ve experienced in the past.

MIRANDA BLISS: Pros and cons like with any business, I think it’s amazing that you can sort of access similar or greater expertise in your field in different areas that are all working in the same kind of way.

MIRANDA BLISS: So that’s a really special opportunity and something I’ve never experienced before.

MIRANDA BLISS: I have to say time zones are a challenge.

MIRANDA BLISS: It can slow things down because you’re waiting for responses, but at the same time, it can almost speed things up because people can be doing, you know, responding overnight and you’ve got that answer first thing.

MIRANDA BLISS: But yeah, it is just a very different way of working, but I have to say I love it.

CARLY NEUBAUER: Absolutely.

CARLY NEUBAUER: In regards to, say, measuring and any, how do you measure your success?

CARLY NEUBAUER: For example, you’ve got a longer term life cycle, an engagement cycle with your members.

CARLY NEUBAUER: How do you know we’re doing really well, we’re measuring strongly and we’re quite happy with this for this particular member, but hey, these guys have dropped off and it’s not going so well.

CARLY NEUBAUER: What are your measurement points when you’ve got a longer term cycle of this?

MIRANDA BLISS: Yes.

MIRANDA BLISS: I guess again, it’s twofold in that we’ve got those traditional KPIs that we look at for the short-term goals but then it’s really about, are they still engaging with our CRM strategy?

MIRANDA BLISS: Are they attending demonstrations and experiences?

MIRANDA BLISS: Are we continuing a relationship with the customer or have we lost them?

MIRANDA BLISS: That I think is really important because we need to maintain that and have a slow-burn longer-term relationship to continue driving results.

CARLY NEUBAUER: You’ve probably used the exact right word here.

CARLY NEUBAUER: It’s that relationship versus just a transactional measure.

MIRANDA BLISS: A hundred percent.

MIRANDA BLISS: Yeah.

MIRANDA BLISS: A hundred percent, which is where a lot of people get stuck on.

MIRANDA BLISS: They want, and it’s partly the world that we’re living in, in that instant gratification is so important.

MIRANDA BLISS: You want to see results.

MIRANDA BLISS: You want to prove the value.

MIRANDA BLISS: And it’s also important in loyalty because quite often it’s viewed as just a nice to have or an additional cost to the business.

MIRANDA BLISS: It’s really important to be able to deliver and drive and showcase that value that loyalty is delivering.

CARLY NEUBAUER: Such a great point.

CARLY NEUBAUER: And we do talk to so many different great professionals that touch on that.

CARLY NEUBAUER: How do you approach it, what are your tips and hints in this role or previous?

CARLY NEUBAUER: You’ve got some great experiences around engaging internally, stakeholders and bringing others on the journey.

CARLY NEUBAUER: Any tips or advice in that regard?

MIRANDA BLISS: Yeah, I think what you said in terms of I’ve always been a big believer that you’ve got to bring people on the journey.

MIRANDA BLISS: I think if you prepare your strategy and there’s no space for any involvement, you’re instantly going to feel that pushback.

MIRANDA BLISS: I think also with loyalty, it generally touches every department.

MIRANDA BLISS: So it’s really, really critical that you do have stakeholders from all departments, not only from an area of expertise, and it’s really important to get their thoughts and their ideas and feed that into your strategy, but also to have the buy-in and support because otherwise, you’re on an island and it’s very hard to execute a program when you don’t have full company support.

MIRANDA BLISS: Yeah.

CARLY NEUBAUER: And as you’ve said, and rightly so, loyalty does touch all areas of the business and it’s usually ingrained somewhere or needing support and some sort of impact.

CARLY NEUBAUER: So that’s such a great point as well.

CARLY NEUBAUER: What about some advice for someone that might be starting out in the industry?

CARLY NEUBAUER: Because you’ve got some fabulous experience across such a diverse style of industries and you’ve worked in loyalty in a range of ways.

CARLY NEUBAUER: What would you give some advice?

MIRANDA BLISS: Yeah, I’d definitely say try different industries.

MIRANDA BLISS: I think that has been really valuable in my career.

MIRANDA BLISS: But be open to new opportunities as well.

MIRANDA BLISS: You never know where they’re going to lead.

MIRANDA BLISS: I’d also say from a loyalty perspective, and this is quite specific to Australia, but there are other industry boards like this.

MIRANDA BLISS: I joined the Australian Loyalty Association a few years ago.

MIRANDA BLISS: And for me, that opened up a whole new world of not only networking, but education and events.

MIRANDA BLISS: And I think I’ve learnt so much through that opportunity, but also made great connections.

MIRANDA BLISS: And that’s a great way to learn from other people, to see different styles of programs, to really just kind of deep dive into the industry.

CARLY NEUBAUER: That’s such a great point, really ingrain yourself and get involved in the industry, not just in the role.

MIRANDA BLISS: Yeah.

MIRANDA BLISS: And even be open to speaking engagements and pushing yourself, I think, outside your comfort zone, which it can be very scary, but I think it pays off.

MIRANDA BLISS: And the feeling after it is amazing.

CARLY NEUBAUER: Great rush, but you’re right.

CARLY NEUBAUER: I mean, it can be pretty daunting as well.

MIRANDA BLISS: Definitely.

CARLY NEUBAUER: What would you say was one of your biggest challenges career-wise?

MIRANDA BLISS: It’s a tough one.

MIRANDA BLISS: I mean, I think probably when you’re trying to get the buy-in.

MIRANDA BLISS: So I’ve learnt very early on that it’s an education piece.

MIRANDA BLISS: And not only sort of you need to be very commercial and data-driven in this space, you need to be able to prove the value.

MIRANDA BLISS: If you don’t have sort of the trust and the understanding of what loyalty can deliver, it can be very hard to get anything through.

MIRANDA BLISS: So I think being very clear and data-driven, as I said, I think it’s got to be pretty black and white, which is not necessarily what you expect out of loyalty.

MIRANDA BLISS: You think it to sort of be a bit more fun and creative.

MIRANDA BLISS: And absolutely, it can be, but you’ve got to sort of have the bones of it and it not be just a cost center.

CARLY NEUBAUER: Love this.

CARLY NEUBAUER: And this is such a great thing.

CARLY NEUBAUER: I think anyone that’s really working solidly in loyalty would agree with you.

CARLY NEUBAUER: It’s such a breadth of the creative side of things, relationships and people.

CARLY NEUBAUER: But really, it really comes down to the numbers, right?

CARLY NEUBAUER: If we’re not measuring and you cannot prove performance, we’re not sustainable.

MIRANDA BLISS: 100 percent.

MIRANDA BLISS: And I think that just will continue to be more and more important as well.

CARLY NEUBAUER: Yeah, no doubt.

CARLY NEUBAUER: No doubt.

CARLY NEUBAUER: So thoughts on the industry overall.

CARLY NEUBAUER: Sometimes we talk about the good, the bad, the ugly, but more around what do you see that you think is going really, really well for the industry, areas of improvement possibly, and what’s in store 2026 and onwards?

MIRANDA BLISS: Yeah.

MIRANDA BLISS: Okay.

MIRANDA BLISS: So the good, the bad, the ugly.

MIRANDA BLISS: I guess the good is really when, and I don’t want to name names around programs.

MIRANDA BLISS: I don’t think that’s fair.

MIRANDA BLISS: But I think with loyalty programs doing the right thing is, they’re really simple to understand and engage with.

MIRANDA BLISS: They’re relevant and they have a very clear value exchange, and they’re really about that kind of habit building.

MIRANDA BLISS: So repeat purchases or engagement.

MIRANDA BLISS: I think there’s a lot of programs that have space to improve around the complexity, that quite often people are over engineering programs, and not only is it complex to understand, but also the UX is pretty poor and fragmented.

MIRANDA BLISS: So I think that becomes a real challenge.

MIRANDA BLISS: Then those that are the ugly, I think it’s where it feels sometimes, and this is where it gives loyalty a bad name, it’s where things, points are inflated or the value is hidden.

MIRANDA BLISS: It’s very transactional and a clear data grab without any value exchange.

MIRANDA BLISS: I think quite often in those cases, it’s better to have no program at all.

CARLY NEUBAUER: To your point.

CARLY NEUBAUER: And to your point earlier around no program is really at the moment standing out to you from a personal perspective, but also as a professional that actually show you that value.

MIRANDA BLISS: Yeah, absolutely.

MIRANDA BLISS: Absolutely.

MIRANDA BLISS: So you do.

MIRANDA BLISS: And customers are getting much smarter.

MIRANDA BLISS: They’ve got a much deeper understanding of how these things work.

MIRANDA BLISS: So you’ve got to be ahead of the game.

CARLY NEUBAUER: Any standout value items that you think are working really well?

CARLY NEUBAUER: Any that you go, look, actually, that is showing some serious value to members.

MIRANDA BLISS: I think when there’s a really seamless experience, that I think can be a real game changer.

MIRANDA BLISS: And almost it’s about just removing friction points that customers might not even notice that you’ve done something or that it’s improved their experience, but they aren’t concerned about the friction points and that’s not being highlighted.

MIRANDA BLISS: So it’s just super easy to know what rewards you have, to be able to redeem it, to engage in the program, that kind of seamless experience.

MIRANDA BLISS: And I think importantly, omni-channel, because so often now we are popping into a store, we’re ordering online, we’re looking at our app, having that same experience across all platforms is really crucial.

CARLY NEUBAUER: Oh, I couldn’t agree more.

CARLY NEUBAUER: And to your point, I love that around, it’s usually when things are going wrong or there are friction points, that’s when we notice.

CARLY NEUBAUER: We don’t notice it as consumers when it’s beautiful and seamless, but we know we’re happy to engage again.

CARLY NEUBAUER: There’s a subtle subtlety to it.

CARLY NEUBAUER: Yeah.

MIRANDA BLISS: Correct.

CARLY NEUBAUER: What about yourself?

CARLY NEUBAUER: Tell us a bit about you.

CARLY NEUBAUER: What are you most proud of?

MIRANDA BLISS: Look, I think probably continuing to drive my career in a pretty complex environment, but also doing that whilst juggling being a mum to a toddler.

MIRANDA BLISS: And I’m actually a solo mum by choice.

MIRANDA BLISS: So look, the greatest experience of my life, and I think being able to do both at the same time, I have to say I’m pretty proud of myself.

MIRANDA BLISS: I don’t think about it that often.

MIRANDA BLISS: When you ask the question, you do have to sort of stop and think about it, but yeah, that would definitely be it.

CARLY NEUBAUER: As you should be.

CARLY NEUBAUER: It’s brilliant.

CARLY NEUBAUER: Absolutely.

CARLY NEUBAUER: You mentioned a little bit future.

CARLY NEUBAUER: Anything you’d like to share or anything we should think about in the roadmap for the Miele program?

MIRANDA BLISS: So I guess from the Miele program, I can’t give too much away.

MIRANDA BLISS: There is some exciting things in the works, and I’d have to say join the program and find out more.

MIRANDA BLISS: I’ve actually opened it up to people that don’t have appliances because our cleaning and care products are outstanding and definitely worth having a look at.

MIRANDA BLISS: I guess from an overarching industry perspective, obviously data and privacy is going to be a growing concern and we have to be at the forefront of that.

MIRANDA BLISS: And I think also consumers are really more aware of their rights as well and much more sensitive to data protection.

MIRANDA BLISS: So it’s something we’ve got to be really, really careful with.

MIRANDA BLISS: I think as we touched on earlier, that instant gratification, we’ve got to be very careful not to go down that route and erode any emotional loyalty.

MIRANDA BLISS: It makes a program really just purely transactional, and I think that’s a sad state to get to.

MIRANDA BLISS: Look, obviously, AI is already and will be a growing area.

MIRANDA BLISS: It’s really that balance of how we use it in a useful way and a meaningful way, and not to be too creepy and intrusive, I think is going to be critical.

MIRANDA BLISS: But I think also, I guess, from what the industry looks like in the future is, I think it’s all going to be much more integrated.

MIRANDA BLISS: I think there’ll be a lot of work around omni-channel.

MIRANDA BLISS: I think and I really hope that experience will start to matter more because as we start to move into more of that, even a gentry commerce, that in-store experience will be even more critical for customers.

MIRANDA BLISS: I think turning loyalty into a core business or almost like a profit center will be more and more important and the value of loyalty program particularly relating to first-party data is going to be more and more important.

CARLY NEUBAUER: Gosh, no doubt at all.

CARLY NEUBAUER: To go back to one of your points on the instant gratification because it’s so tempting, right?

CARLY NEUBAUER: I think in most programs, even just in marketing itself, it is very tempting to go down the instant gratification path.

CARLY NEUBAUER: See a quick spike in engagement, acquisitions or redemptions.

CARLY NEUBAUER: Any tips around holding back?

MIRANDA BLISS: Yeah, look, I think there’s always an element of that, and it really depends on who your target market is because it doesn’t necessarily resonate with every market, but I think it’s having a balance.

MIRANDA BLISS: So you, you know, you still want some, whether it’s promotions or some kind of value that customers can enjoy instantly, but you’ve got to remember that that’s not what’s going to build that long-term relationship.

MIRANDA BLISS: That’s not going to strengthen and deepen the relationship.

MIRANDA BLISS: They’re not going to look at you next time with, you know, great integrity and respect.

MIRANDA BLISS: It’s really thinking more long-term and how you build that.

MIRANDA BLISS: And I think that’s value beyond discount is critical.

CARLY NEUBAUER: Yeah, so, so true.

CARLY NEUBAUER: Well, thank you so much.

CARLY NEUBAUER: I’m looking forward to seeing the next roadmap for your current program and also tracking where you end up in the future yourself and which type of program you’re working on next.

CARLY NEUBAUER: But thank you once again for your time, Miranda.

CARLY NEUBAUER: It was so good to see you.

MIRANDA BLISS: Thanks, Carly.

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