Virgin Velocity points will shortly become currency at BP service stations after the pair struck a deal to allow customers to use points for petrol and store items.

The rise of ecommerce and the surge in consumer choice means organisations need to think of more innovative solutions to keep customers loyal.

Points-based customer loyalty programs are set for extinction as consumers push for more dollar-based rewards and earning points on credit cards becomes harder.

No two consumers attending the race track are going to be the same. And it’s this desire to better understand individual preferences and tailor experiences that triggered the Victoria Racing Club’s decision to overhaul its customer loyalty program.

In celebration of the book, Closing the Gap, authored by BrandHook’s CEO and founder, Pip Stocks, the brand insight agency collaborated with Publicis and CMO to host a panel of marketing and though leaders to discuss the challenges facing brands trying to better connect with their customers in today’s competitive marketplace.

Qantas will roll out high-speed Wi-Fi services across its Australian domestic fleet for customers after striking a deal to tap into the National Broadband Network.

Virgin Australia has highlighted strong customer loyalty program growth, along with the success of several new customer-led initiatives, as contributors to its strong first-half financial results.

Consumers will actively seek out certain types of mobile-based campaigns and promotional offers if they directly or immediately benefit them, a new report claims.

When you are taking on the giants in an industry, it pays to treat every customer like royalty. That starts with getting to know them better. But for fresh food retailer, Harris Farm Markets, the desire for better customer management was hampered by customer interactions that were fragmented across a number of channels.

Woolworths has confirmed customers will again be able to obtain Qantas Frequent Flyer points for shopping under the supermarket giant’s overhauled customer loyalty program from 2016.

​There’s no doubt consumers have become increasingly demanding around how brands engage with them via social media platforms. And the pressure is on marketers to quickly adapt their communications and engagement strategies if they hope to transform social interactions into customer advocacy and loyalty.

In the latest instalment of our customer loyalty series, we look at how data is playing a vital role in understanding and bolstering modern customer loyalty and engagement.

Qantas announced it partnered with nib to offer Frequent Flyer members a new raft of health insurance benefits as part of its new Qantas Assure program.

David Jones CMO, David Robinson, sees his role as one of business leadership and collaboration, as much as marketing strategy. For the past two years, he has been spearheading a transformation of David Jones’ marketing function, using customer insights, digital channels, content and data as his tools for change.

David Jones will launch a customer loyalty program as part of a three-pronged strategy to better understand and engage with its customer base.

It can be hard to build a relationship with someone whose name you don’t know. Turning anonymous transactions into relationships is a challenge that’s also confronted Australia Post, which each day provides services to tens of thousands of anonymous walk-in customers. Anonymous transactions deliver revenue, but they reveal nothing about the demographics, motivations or past histories of those making them.

The ubiquitous convenience store chain updates its loyalty program from punch cards to a mobile app for super-frequent patrons
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Shopping app, Catchoftheday, has launched its Club Catch loyalty program, a fee-based, online-only club where members are rewarded for their loyalty with perks like free shipping, priority access to deals and 7-day customer service.

Woolworths has insisted its decision to ditch Qantas Frequent Flyer points from its restructured customer loyalty program will benefit shoppers, despite social backlash from its customers suggesting the contrary.

For Crown Resorts CMO, Christopher Coyne, data-driven customer engagement and loyalty are key to long-term growth.

Etihad Airways has partnered up with Australia’s flybuys customer loyalty program allowing shoppers to accrue and redeem air miles on its international flights. The partnership is the first time the flybuys program has had an airlines partner since the demise of Ansett in 2001.