Loyalty Programs

Gamification in marketing is the application of game-design elements—points, badges, leaderboards, progress bars—in non-game contexts to influence shopper behavior, drive urgency, and boost revenue. By tapping into psychological triggers like scarcity, FOMO, social proof, anticipation, and loss aversion, brands guide customers through a structured, playful journey that delivers measurable ROI.

Dec 18, 2025

Joining a loyalty program doesn’t occur by happenstance. Consumers are a logical and emotional bunch that base their decisions on relevance. And what’s one way of displaying relevance through a loyalty program? Providing value.

Apr 17, 2023

Considering loyalty programs are tailored to meet the growing needs of consumers, it’s no surprise that a program's success is largely dependent on its members.

Feb 20, 2023

Marketing staples aren’t just some random occurrence. They are tried-and-true tactics that through many industries, consumers and campaigns have proved worthy of being helpful to brands. Loyalty programs are a trusted marketing tool that provides consumers and brands with many benefits , but what makes them work?

Jan 25, 2023

Loyalty programs aren't just a designated channel for brands to offer personalized rewards and incentives to repeat customers. They’re also a strong platform for exercising consumer psychology principles. Scarcity marketing is a tool for encouraging urgency in consumers. Together, the two powerhouse marketing strategies help build brand loyalty — and fast.

Nov 21, 2022

Often when you hear brands concerned with consumer loyalty, it’s usually due to an overwhelming interest in how unwavering support is cultivated. But what about the factors that contribute to a decline in loyalty?

Aug 30, 2022

If you’re even the least bit familiar with consumer behaviors, you know keeping consumers excited is a large part of having a successful loyalty program. That might mean starting anew, trying different methods, or dissolving what doesn’t work.

Aug 25, 2022

Loyalty programs cracked the code on success when brands realized member retention was, in part, based on creativity.

Aug 22, 2022

Humans have an innate desire to compete. It gives them a sense of belonging and something to work toward. It also can evoke a sense of loyalty.

Jul 6, 2022

If you’ve followed the trajectory of loyalty programs since their start, you may have noticed the many iterations they’ve taken on.

Jun 13, 2022

The fast-food industry saw a rise in loyalty programs in the last few years as brands worked to find innovative ways to satisfy their customers when dine-in services came to a screeching halt. For a few select QSRs, the hard work has paid off significantly.

May 24, 2022

No matter what type of loyalty goal you're focused on, it’s safe to say that you want to meet your mark as soon as possible. In fact, the sooner the better. But you also realize loyalty isn’t something you can rush through. Building lasting relationships with customers takes time; your customers want to feel confident in their decisions , and once they do, you can trust they’ll stick with you for the long haul.

Apr 29, 2022

When it comes to giving customers what they want, restaurants have the recipe for success.

Feb 25, 2022

When you want to reward your customers for their patronage and encourage potential sales, loyalty programs are the way to go.

Feb 21, 2022

There’s no doubt about it — inactive loyalty program members are an unfortunate reality for most brands. As a marketer, it’s your responsibility to win them back and we’re here to help.

Jan 10, 2022

A designated channel for brands to offer personalized rewards and incentives to repeat customers, loyalty programs are a staple in brand marketing. We’ve laid out everything you need to know about this marketing channel, including its benefits, innovative tips to strengthen your loyalty program and more.

Dec 8, 2021

Marketers have a responsibility — not only to their brands, which benefit from higher levels of engagement, but to the consumers they are engaging. With so many companies vying for the attention of consumers, it becomes increasingly important for marketing campaigns to use innovative practices, like personalization, to enhance the customer experience.

Nov 19, 2021

Loyalty programs. You understand their benefits , you’ve seen some really great examples from leading brands , and you know how to engage program participants . While that information comes in handy, there’s more you’re interested in learning about, like how to make the most out of your loyalty program. We’ve got you covered. Here are 4 tips to help you get the best use out of your loyalty program.

Nov 9, 2021

Creating a strong loyalty rewards program takes effort and skill. While many brands have tried their hand at building a program that customers love, some have cracked the code.

Nov 5, 2021

Loyalty programs are growing in popularity. Customers want spaces that are specifically tailored to their interests and offer them immediate access to the brands they support.

Oct 21, 2021

Increasing loyalty program participation is high on the priority list for most marketers — and with good reason. L oyal customers can bring in greater profits , heighten brand awareness and strengthen the chances of a brand achieving longevity.

Oct 19, 2021

Being able to acquire a loyal customer base holds a particular level of importance; loyalty influences consumer buying decisions, whether or not customers choose to opt-in to certain promotions, and customer retention rates.

Oct 14, 2021

The subscription e-commerce market totaled at least $10 billion in 2018, according to a report by McKinsey .

Feb 19, 2020

After Amazon bought Whole Foods, marketers in the grocery space have been motivated to innovate more than ever before.

Feb 1, 2020

This post is part of a series called "A Quick Survey." The case for strengthening your brand’s loyalty program just became A LOT stronger.

Jan 27, 2020

In the first few months of 2019 alone, Nike , Starbucks , Reebok , The Vitamin Shoppe and Tim Hortons all made headlines around new or revamped loyalty programs. Zoom out to the last year , and the list expands to include Macy's , Nordstrom , Kohl's , DSW , Lululemon and more.

Apr 26, 2019

The emergence of services like GrubHub and Uber Eats over the last few years has completely transformed the way consumers dine. The appeal is apparent -- convenience, value, and speed. Using Amazon’s 1-click ordering, hungry consumers can repeat their previous orders within seconds and have their food favorites delivered to their door within the hour.

Sep 7, 2018

Timing is of the essence when it comes to brands deepening their relationship with loyalty members. In fact, 57% of U.S. consumers will abandon a loyalty program if it took too long to earn points. Failing to promptly engage new members can quickly result in customer lapse. Most brands tack on incentives to boost signup, but have a hard time driving stickiness and long-term program participation. Here are some ways to enhance your loyalty member onboarding strategy.

Feb 26, 2018

81% of consumers agree that loyalty programs make them more likely to continue doing business with a brand. While your existing loyalty program tactics may be consistent, there are some easy ways to turbocharge your efforts. From our recent Loyalty How To Guide , here are three tactics to layer onto your loyalty member acquisition strategy, that will drive new-to-file member rates and referrals:

Feb 19, 2018

The REI campaign “Opt Outside” involved shutting down business on one of the biggest, if not THE biggest profitable retail days of the year: Black Friday. The decision rested on value of a different kind, a concept far less tangible but much more rewarding. The company believed it could make up its Black Friday losses through gains in loyalty, by appealing to the emotional and ethical pith of its audience. And it worked.

Nov 9, 2017

Developing a loyal customer base is key to creating sustainable brand value. Leaders in Loyalty find success when they master constant growth of their loyalty program by acquiring the right new members. However, it's difficult to continuously find high quality new members efficiently and with scale. Referred customers have approximately 25% higher customer lifetime values than non-referred customers — even when you factor in referral costs (Warton Study). By incentivizing engagement and utilizing urgency marketing, the reach of a campaign can easily be amplified to attract new members and maximize results.

Oct 26, 2017

Offering exclusive access or promotions to loyalty members is a valuable strategy that can enhance the retail brand-consumer relationship.

Oct 23, 2017

Earlier this month, Quikly teamed up with Forrester to deliver you a webinar about the secrets behind motivating consumer behavior. Guest speaker and Forrester Senior Analyst, Emily Collins was joined by Quikly CEO, Shawn Geller to detail the challenging brand-consumer relationship. Watch it anytime.

Oct 18, 2017

Attracting new loyalty members is a key strategy to ensure long-term program growth. New members represent incremental sales and offset member churn. However, it’s difficult to continuously find high quality new members efficiently and with scale. It’s no secret that a loyalty program’s existing members are its best source of recruiting new members.

Oct 12, 2017

Your customers want value, and you want long-term, loyal relationships with them. More and more restaurants understand that building and maintaining an engaging and effective loyalty program is an excellent way to provide customers with value without simply cutting prices constantly.

Nov 19, 2015

More and more brands are building native apps as one prong in a multi-pronged loyalty strategy, sometimes instead of a browser-based app, sometimes in addition to one. After all, customers prefer apps to browsers, and native apps produce higher user adoption, usage volume and user engagement .

Aug 31, 2015

Differentiation is harder and harder to achieve in any industry, and loyalty programs are one way that brands in Retail, Food & Beverage, Consumer Packaged Goods, Hospitality, and Entertainment try to maintain a competitive edge.

Aug 17, 2015

Once or twice a month, we like to highlight one of the campaigns we're running so that brands who are considering a Quikly can see how it works in real time. What better way to see how it all goes down than to play along with a live campaign?

Aug 10, 2015