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Have you seen The Customer-Focused Marketing Playbook?

This comprehensive and practical guide to the latest ideas in customer-focused marketing hands you over 200 packed pages of strategy, best practices, do's and don'ts, practical know-how, facts and figures, and ideas to optimise your marketing strategy, boost sales, market share, increase ROI and profit.

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Loyalty points are paying for the holidays

Some 62% of global travellers say it 'feels like a dream come true' when redeeming points from their loyalty programme all in one go, resulting in 65% of them increasingly turning to loyalty programmes to help fund their holidays and 37% even organising an entire holiday using points alone, according to research by InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG).

The research by IHG Rewards Club surveyed more than 10,000 of its members across 13 countries to reveal further insight into both the emotional and practical benefits that members get from their loyalty programme. Some 69% of the respondents felt that points were a reward in exchange for their loyalty, whilst half (49%) even said that the personal welcome they received from IHG hotels, was the top reason they choose to be part of IHG Rewards Club.

In addition to making holidays a reality for many, the study also found that rewards programmes are increasingly used to enhance travellers' holidays. Some of the top choices for point redemptions include holiday accommodations (70%), hotel upgrades (32%) and even booking an extra week on an existing holiday (24%).

"Loyalty programmes play an important role in helping guests enjoy and get the most out of their holidays. But this research shows that there is an emotional attachment too, in helping dreams become a reality," said said Susanna Freer Epstein, senior vice president of customer loyalty marketing for IHG. According to psychologist, Art Markman, "Most people talk about wanting to find moments of joy in their lives when most of what they feel is stress, anxiety and the pinch of pressing budgets. The way you remove stress is to pursue the wonders of life, to seek and attain your desires. Fulfilling your dreams through travel is a good way to find joy and stay happy."

As part of its global survey, IHG Rewards Club launched a 'rewarding experiences' online hub which showcases the experiences available to programme members around the world, ranging from cultural experiences to family celebrations and relaxing spa experiences. The hub also includes reviews from members and travellers from all around the world.

Additionally, from July 2014 onward, members also earn more IHG Rewards Club points when they stay at any of the 178 InterContinental Hotels & Resorts worldwide. For every US$1 of qualifying spend during these stays (including food and drinks) members now earn 10 IHG Rewards Club points.

IHG Rewards Club currently claims nearly 79 million members worldwide, and is available in over 4,700 hotels around the world (including a family of 9 hotel brands). The programme offers perks such as free internet access for all IHG Rewards Club members worldwide, and no blackout dates on reward nights.

Sources: InterContinental Hotels Group IHG / The Marketing Factbook.
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Categorised as:

Customer Experience
Customer Loyalty
Knowing The Customer
Marketing Know-How

Have you seen The Customer-Focused Marketing Playbook?

Learn the insider's tricks and techniques to turn every customers into a 'super spreader' for your brand. It's better than free advertising. Once you start this ball rolling, your brand can grow rapidly through word-of-mouth, advocacy, influencers, and customer loyalty. Super-charge your company's marketing strategy, build up your market share, and make more sales through repeat business and customer loyalty.

Find out what works - and what doesn't - and who's succeeded, and how they did it. See how the world's top brands keep their competitive edge against all odds.

The Customer-Focused Marketing Playbook walks you step-by-step through the techniques, metrics, reporting, analysis, marketing models, technologies, tools and innovations for successful marketing strategies - both traditional and emerging - with expert guidance from thought leaders in every major market. Find out the best ways to gather, analyse, and act on customer data to increase profitability, build your brand, empower your customers, beat the competition, reduce churn, and increase customer profitability. This is a marketing book you simply can't afford to be without.

This book aims to hand you all the facts, figures and research data you need for the best decisions for a more profitable, more engaging marketing strategy. It also highlights all the facts, forecasts and trends identified by our experts from the global Marketing Factbook's vast database of market data, news, studies, research and articles, and presents you with an invaluable library of ideas and practical support you can call upon at will.

With The Customer-Focused Marketing Playbook at your side, you'll have instant access to a true goldmine of easily adaptable and up-to-date strategies, walk-throughs, trends, research and market data, plus all the supporting arguments you need to build a solid, profitable marketing strategy.

Get it on Amazon (Kindle/Print)