Personalization and data are currently dominating discussions in retail marketing circles—for good reason. Research has found that the vast majority of consumers, particularly a younger demographic , prefer personalized experiences. From what I have seen, retailers that successfully leverage data and AI to tailor each and every brand interaction are the most likely to secure long-term, mutually beneficial relationships with shoppers.

By analyzing available data and adjusting their marketing strategies to reflect unique shopper trends, the most forward-thinking brands are successfully delivering the customized interactions people crave. These experiences often feature seamless, end-to-end shopping and savings experiences from browsing through reward redemption.

Thanks to real-time customer insights available through brand interactions (e.g., purchase history, rewards redeemed), retailers can analyze patterns throughout each customer journey and tailor promotions, rewards, incentives, and interactions at a personal level. In addition to loyalty program offers, it’s even possible to connect offers and promotions to the credit and debit cards used to make purchases. Recent insights from Upside suggest that providing these truly one-to-one engagements can create brand “super users” who are more likely to frequently shop with a specific retailer—and spend more—than everyday loyalty program members.

Gamification is also becoming more commonplace, and we’re seeing an uptick in retailers creating data-informed loyalty program engagement strategies that are inclusive of games, sweepstakes, and contests to encourage adoption and minimize defection. While, of course, elevating brand experiences to make shopping and earning rewards more fun.