Solution gives marketers a path to sustainable loyalty

Merkle, a leading technology-enabled, data-driven performance marketing agency, today announced the launch of its Human Loyalty Maturity Assessment. The Assessment is part of Merkle’s Human Loyalty solution, which includes digital promotions, gamification, engagement hubs, and loyalty programs, all of which are designed to create enduring brand-consumer relationships and serves as a source of identity needed to fuel personalized brand experiences.

The Assessment enables marketers to self-evaluate a loyalty marketing program on a five-stage directional scale, based on Merkle’s extensive research and expertise in creating loyalty and engagement solutions for brands. Categories within the scale are scored ranging from “Valuable” to “Emotional,” and Merkle then provides next steps and guidance to help optimize programs and better inform future strategies based on a brand’s score. For example, brands with a stage-one maturity level should focus on adding engagement levers to the program structure, sparking excitement and the opportunity for non-transactional data collection.

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In this rapidly evolving consumer landscape in which we have the COVID-19 pandemic, the deprecation of the third-party cookie, increased privacy regulations, and other factors , customer loyalty is more critical than ever. First-party data is becoming the new currency. Loyalty programs fuel customer identity and first-party data – all to create personalized experiences that meet consumer needs over time. Enduring brands understand that loyalty marketing programs create deep and sustainable customer relationships that insulate the brand, helping marketers withstand industry challenges and succeed in the new economy.

“The Human Loyalty Maturity Assessment is Merkle’s next step in offering best-in-class services, and it is the first step that every loyalty marketer should take in creating a differentiated loyalty marketing program,” said Chris Wayman, executive vice president and general manager, Promotion & Loyalty Solutions at Merkle. “We don’t believe in cookie-cutter solutions. Experiences that work for one brand’s consumers aren’t always right for another, even in the same industry. That’s why our Assessment is designed to help identify specific opportunities that make sense for our clients’ business needs.”

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Merkle has received industry recognition for its Loyalty services, and was named a Strong Performer in The Forrester Wave™: Loyalty Service Providers, Q3 2019. Examples of brands that have worked with Merkle’s Promotion & Loyalty Solutions group include Samsung, for which Merkle has driven purchase and engagement across its B2B and B2C ecosystems. Intuit has also worked with Merkle on engaging small businesses both within and outside of the financial industry.

In conjunction with the launch of the Assessment, Merkle is offering Human Loyalty Blueprint consulting services to help marketers address gaps in their current program through an evolved strategy and execution plan designed to drive increased ROI, leading to tangible business growth. Components of the Blueprint can include:

• Strategic execution plan
• KPIs and audience alignment
• Evolved solution concept and value proposition
• Rewards/incentives plan
• Measurement plan
• Financial modeling and ROI analysis

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