MediaLift

  By: Ray Chelstowski Consumers are continuing to embrace the idea of “buy now, pay later”. Though this type of payment plan has been available for years, it exploded in popularity during the pandemic as more people shifted to online shopping. Like its name suggests, "buy now, pay later" lets you make a purchase, receive it immediately, and pay for it at a later time usually over a series of installments. You can now use a buy now, pay later (BNPL) plan at most major retailers and there are many BNPL providers that have emerged in the past few years. Some of the most popular BNPL providers include Affirm, Afterpay, Zip, PayPal's 'Pay in 4' and Sezzle. As consumers flock to them to finance everything from clothing to travel to workout equipment, those of us in the loyalty space are beginning as wonder whether this approach will cross over to how members should be approached and rewarded. That kind of loyalty innovation requires a more progressive strategy and c...

  By: Ray Chelstowski If you’re like me, you probably are probably served click bait every time you arrive on a website. Most often, mine come in the form of articles on life hacks. Life hacks are quick solutions to everyday problems using common products in new ways. The one I see most often is for plastic bread bag clips. Who knew that there were so many other uses for these small pieces of plastic? From labeling spare keys, to fixing broken flip flops, bread bag clips have dozens of alternate uses that make life easier and more productive. Loyalty programs operate in a very similar way, helping marketing heads meet a variety of pain points head on. They no longer are just about rewarding repeat customers. At Kognitiv we are working with brands to reimagine what loyalty can do and applying our strategy services, data protocols, and PaaS platform in ways they have never before imagined. Subscription Upsells Any business that sells subscriptions is effectively in the loyalty ...

  By: Ray Chelstowski Young consumers are actively changing almost everything in society. Millennials and Gen Z'ers are driving the post-pandemic rethink of what modern day work environments look like, and their impact through social media on public perspectives on every topic imaginable is sizeable and immediate. Simply put they have clout. Moreover, Millennials are on track to become the richest generation in American History. That’s why all brands should be making engagement strategies against this audience part of their plan for long-term success. There are few ways to do just that.   1. Align with consumer preferences Younger consumers are making once rigid industries bend to their preferences. For example, healthcare has always been about in-person visits.   However, since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, consumers expect to have remote-friendly options when it comes to accessing healthcare. In turn, online doctor visits have become a common way for youn...

  By: Hilton Barbour Almost every planning meeting in history has a classic moment where a heated debate breaks out over whether something being discussed is a strategy or a tactic.  We’re of the school that a strategy is the WHAT you’re trying to achieve like, for example, gaining increased penetration of a new market sector. The tactic is HOW you’re going to do that which might involve launching a unique product purpose built for that audience or starting a loyalty program where that audience can earn more significant benefits than any other group. The same clarity is important when you’re discussing the difference between outcomes and objectives. An objective is something you plan for and actively drive toward. An outcome is what occurs when all your objectives are subsequently met. Many organizations will communicate profit as an objective when, in reality, profit can only be achieved after all the other objectives you set – keeping COGS low, negotiating favora...