ENTRIES are now Closed for The Loyalty Magazine Awards 2020
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About the categories 2020:
It has been a transformative year for customer loyalty, with many programmes revamping their offerings, and most companies looking afresh at how they reward their customers and how they connect with them.
The Loyalty Magazine Awards reflect this feeling of transition and new ways of thinking. We have renamed the Loyalty Without a Name category to Loyalty Re-defined because to some extent, this is what we are all doing with our businesses.
Other changes this year are that Best Loyalty Programme of the Year Retail and Best Loyalty Programme of the Year Non-Retail have been merged because there is so much cross over – and Best Use of Mobile Within a Loyalty Strategy (including mobile wallet) has been renamed Best Use of Mobile & Social – to reflect the evolution in the way we live our lives.
Lastly and significantly, we have a new category, called Eco-loyalty Initiative of the Year. Recent studies are showing that sustainability, a call for a reduced use of plastic, and the urgent need to address climate change are major concerns for customers. It seems only right that customer facing organisations should use positive eco behaviour both to reward customers for their actions, and to demonstrate their own commitment to helping the environment.
We expect entries to take many forms – from hotels rewarding guests for less use of towels or toiletries, through to retailers who commit to a lower plastic policy, or who, for example donate funds to sustainability initiatives to offset their impact on the environment. It could be an innovative or charitable approach to food waste, or a move away from carbon producing goods, services and transport. There are endless opportunities for organisations to demonstrate their green credentials in this category and we look forward to receiving entries that demonstrate the power of customer loyalty to bring about change.
Is 2020 YOUR year?
Every year the entries to The Loyalty Magazine Awards demonstrate the ability of our industry to show innovation, fresh thinking and creativity. Using technology, customer loyalty initiatives can be exciting, interesting and beneficial to all parties. We wish you success with your entries.
And remember – we are now global! and accept entries from everywhere in the world that people are doing exceptional things.
Please read the individual category criteria carefully, even if you are a regular entrant, because we have amended and adapted them to keep The Loyalty Magazine Awards relevant and up to date.
Change is in the air:
The last year has continued to be a period of great change for commerce. Technology is making the previously unimagined possible, and loyalty marketers are taking advantage of the changes, both in consumer behaviour and those brought about by regulation.
Using the branding opportunities and reach of the highly respected and well read Loyalty Magazine, the Loyalty Magazine Awards are perceived as the premier recognition for excellence and achievement in loyalty.
Winners of a Loyalty Magazine Award use their trophies and winner’s seal with pride, and rightly so. They are very difficult to win.
Reason for being:
The Loyalty Magazine Awards exist to pay tribute to excellence in the practice of customer loyalty and retention throughout the world and this definition is extended to encompass any type of customer interaction. It is not confined to reward programmes.
The story so far: The Loyalty Awards were launched in 2012 and year on year have increased the number of entries and geographical reach. Now covering the whole world, The Loyalty Magazine Awards are accepted as being the most important awards for the loyalty industry.
Categories cover the full spectrum of the loyalty business plus a nomination only category, Loyalty Industry Personality of the Year and of course our 30 Under 40 Loyalty Royalty list.
The whole whole entry process will happen online. Using the online entry form you will be able to submit company information, written PDF submission, logo and payment in one seamless process. Please see below for the full list of categories and their individual entry criteria.
Unless stated otherwise, the eligibility period for entries runs from January 1 to December 31, 2019 and entries should include information on results achieved during the eligibility period.
Please remember that you do need to pay an Entry Fee for each entry you make. The fee for 2020 is £295 per entry, plus UK VAT, if applicable. There is a special price of £230 per entry for those entering three or more categories.
2020 Categories
Download Entry Form
RENAMED FOR 2020 “Loyalty Redefined”
Best Use of Gamification to Enhance Loyalty
Best Customer Experience
Best Use of Technology – Customer Facing or Back-End
Best Use of CRM (Customer Relationship Management)
Best Use of Customer Analytics/Data
Best Loyalty Industry Innovation
NEW FOR 2020: Eco-loyalty Initiative of the Year
Best Use of Communications (including social media)
Best Loyalty Programme Marketing Campaign of the Year
Best Loyalty Programme of the Year – Financial Services
COMBINED FOR 2020: Best Loyalty Programme of the Year – Food Retail & Non-food Retail
Best Loyalty Programme of the Year – Travel & Experiences (including airlines, hotels, comparison sites, car hire, restaurants & entertainment)
Industry Personality or Organisation of the Year The 30 under 40 list of Loyalty Royalty
RENAMED FOR 2020: Best Use of Mobile & Social
Best New Loyalty Launch of the Year
Best Coupon/Voucher Based Loyalty Programme – Virtual or Paper
Best Loyalty Programme of the Year – B2B
Best Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Initiative Linked to Loyalty
Best Short Term Loyalty Initiative
Change of Definition: Best Long-Term Loyalty Programme
REGIONAL Loyalty Champions
Regional Champion: Western Europe
Regional Champion: Central & Eastern Europe including Russia and Turkey
Regional Champion: Middle East & Africa
Regional Champion: Asia, including Australia, New Zealand, the Indian sub-continent and all areas East
Regional Champion: The Americas
The Categories in detail:
New for 2020: Loyalty Re-defined
Entries into this category must demonstrate how their organisation are approaching customer loyalty differently. This may be through the use of customer analytics together with creative and tempting customer communications to prompt enquiries, sales and repeat business. It may be through more exciting use of mobile & social. It may be through experiences or the subscription model. The judges would like to see evidence of what the programme is achieving, such as a rise in customer responses, examples of increased social media conversations, and a widening in reach of the business proposition. Nothing is out of bounds, beyond scope or outside of the rules, because in the online world, accepted, tried and tested practice no longer applies. This is a perfect category for those changing the rules, adapting the business model and carving a business in the new world of ‘online, available and willing to adapt’ commerce. Entries will be accepted from all sectors including retail, travel & hospitality and B2B. Back to the top Best Use of Gamification to Enhance Loyalty The award will go to the organisation or brand that has used game mechanics and processes to gain viral momentum and customer engagement resulting in an enhancement in loyalty. The entry should incorporate gaming mechanics such as points, leader boards, badges, incentives and challenges but does not have to be a game. Judges will be looking for the excitement factor, value and/or fun for the customer, commercial benefits for the brand owner and programme manager and enhancement of the brand. Back to the top Best Customer Experience Entrants will need to demonstrate a true understanding of their customers’ needs through the delivery of world class user experience for a product, service or brand. Judges will look for achievements and initiatives that show proof of the impact of an innovative customer care strategy on retention levels and customer satisfaction. Initiatives can refer to different channels of service including written, verbal or electronic communications. These need not necessarily be within a loyalty programme, but must lead to greater customer loyalty. Back to the top Best Use of Technology Best Use of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Judges will be looking for CRM programmes which demonstrate the use of new methods and channels to improve customer retention and utilisation. Entrants should include details, of how they have used CRM to offer more relevant products or services or better value to customers, increase customer revenues and return on investment. Back to the top Best Use of Customer Analytics/Data The winner in this category will have developed a loyalty programme based around information they hold about their customers to offer them a better proposition in 2019. Skills in statistical analysis, market research, spatial analytics and programme performance measurement will be considered in this category. The judges will look for effective targeting and modelling, profitable customer segmentation, and proof of a deep analytical grasp of consumer attitudes and behaviours. Blockchain, Internet of Things AI, AR and M2M initiatives may be relevant for this category. Back to the top Best Loyalty Industry Innovation Judges will be looking for innovations, technology based or otherwise, implemented or launched during 2019, that have increased the brand’s competitiveness and the effectiveness of the entering organisation or could be considered ‘firsts’ in the loyalty industry. An innovation can be a product, service, technology, app, system or procedure. Back to the top NEW for 2020: Eco-loyalty Initiative of the Year We invite entries from brands and customer-facing organisations that can show their commitment to sustainability and environmentally-friendly commerce.Whether a hotel chain that is rewarding customers for using less toiletry bottles, or an airline working to reduce its carbon footprint, we want to hear from you. It may be a company that is working with its employees to be more sustainable, or a retailer who is replacing plastic with refillables and paper based packaging. Mayber your loyalty programme is now rewarding eco-behaviour with special loyalty points. There are thousands of ways, we simply need you to demonstrate what you are doing, and what the effects are, for wildlife, the environment, and your customers. Back to the top Best Use of Communications (Including social media) The winner in this category will have used customer communications in an innovative or otherwise exceptional manner to improve business performance and achieve objectives, including customer satisfaction and business profitability. Communications can refer to written, verbal or virtual interface with customers and includes all forms of social media. Back to the top Best Loyalty Programme Marketing Campaign of the Year Best Loyalty Programme of the Year – Financial Services The award will go to the organisation or brand in the financial services sector that can show how it has operated the best loyalty programme offering under one or more of the following criteria – value to the customer, commercial benefits for the brand owner and programme manager, enhancement of the brand for the programme partner, creativity, innovation, emotional engagement and an omnichannel approach. Back to the top NOW COMBINED: Best Loyalty Programme of the Year – Food Retail & Non-food Retail Best Loyalty Programme of the Year – Travel & Experiences The award will go to the organisation or brand in the travel sector that can show how it has operated the best loyalty programme offering under one or more of the following criteria – value to the customer, commercial benefits for the brand owner and programme manager, enhancement of the brand for the programme partner, creativity, innovation, emotional engagement and an omnichannel approach. Back to the top Industry Personality or Organisation of the Year 30 under 40 – The Loyalty Royalty List: We were stunned in 2018 by the standard of entries for the 30 Under 40 list. They were truly outstanding! In recognition this is now a firmly established category of The Loyalty Magazine Awards and those on the list even have their own exclusive life member club called Loyalty Royalty, with new members being invited to join each year – If they make the list! Re-named for 2020: Best Use of Mobile & Social Best New Loyalty Launch of the Year The award will go to the best new loyalty programme first launched or advertised during calendar year 2019. Judges will be looking for programmes which offer best value to the customer. Results should show that the initiative is able to achieve its first year objectives in terms of reach, value and volume. The judges will also be looking for creativity, innovation, emotional engagement, clarity of product information, including terms and conditions and the value of benefits. Back to the top Best Coupon/Voucher Based Loyalty Programme – Virtual or Paper The award will go to the organisation or brand that can show how it has operated the best coupon or voucher based loyalty initiative offering value to the customer, commercial benefits for the brand owner and programme manager, and enhancement of the brand for the programme partner. This category includes the use of virtual vouchers, coupons and similar initiatives, including mobile rewards and offers. Back to the top Best B2B Loyalty Programme This award will go to the loyalty programme that can show how it has focused on the business customer (large and small), under one or more of the following criteria – value to the customer, commercial benefits for the brand and the business user, and innovation. Best Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Initiative Linked to Loyalty Best Short Term Loyalty Initiative Judges will be looking for the programme or a number of short term initiatives that were running during 2019, which resulted in increased customer loyalty to the brand. Results which illustrate increased basket value, shopper visits, a propensity to remain loyal to the brand and increased market share for the brand will be viewed favourably by the judges. Short term loyalty is defined as a programme which runs for a limited time. Entrants should also be able to show how the scheme encourages long term loyalty. Data to prove an increase in sales is important in this category. Back to the top NEW CRITERIA: Best Long Term Loyalty Programme The award will go to the organisation or brand that can demonstrate the value of an outstanding, long-running programme which has resulted in increased customer loyalty to the brand. Entries should show increasing basket value, shower visits, a propensity to remain loyalty to the brand and raised market share for the brand, together with customer knowledge and insight. Long term loyalty is defined as a programme that has run for a minimum of FIVE years. Entrants should also be able to show a route map for the programme Back to the top Regional Loyalty Champions:Please note that you can only become a regional champion by entering one of the other categories in the awards. Entrants across all categories will then automatically be considered for the regional awards (for the specific regions within which they operate).– Western Europe– Central and Eastern Europe including Russia and Turkey– Middle East & Africa & India– Asia, including Australia, New Zealand, the Indian sub-continent and all areas East– The Americas Each award will go to the organisation or brand that can show how they have operated the most innovative and exciting loyalty programme within their region. The entries need to address one or more of the following: value to the customer, commercial benefits for the brand owner and programme manager, and enhancement of the brand for the programme partner. The judges are being asked to judge on excellence within their environment, geographic or otherwise. Back to the top
This award will recognise the loyalty initiative that has shown innovation and best practice in the use of information and communications technology. Entries are encouraged from organisations which can demonstrate and measure the use of information technology as an enabler for business and customer advantage. Judges will be looking at cost-effective projects where technology has played a key role in enhancing quality, functionality, efficiency, better customer service etc. The Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Augmented Reality (AR) and other connected environments such as Blockchain and Machine to Machine (M2M) initiatives, mobile wallet, and retail launches can be entered into this category. We welcome entries in trial or beta as well as full roll-out due to the fast moving nature of technology. Back to the top
Loyalty is moving very swiftly from being transactional to emotional, and one of the areas that is triggering some extremely emotional responses is the ability for brands to demonstrate their committment to sustainability, plastic-free initiatives, and the off-setting of carbon use. Caring for the environment can take many forms and therefore it is only right that this category is a broad one.
Open to all loyalty programmes that have conducted a marketing campaign during 2019. Entrants should outline, within the context of an overall marketing strategy, how their organisation has used an integrated campaign featuring a number of techniques to improve market penetration, enhance customer usage, target specific or new markets etc. Results will be assessed not only on empirical measures (number of new customers, activity levels) of the campaign, but also its creativity and its contribution to building brand values and awareness. In addition, judges will be assessing how clearly the information within the campaign has been communicated to ensure understanding from customers. Do you run a direct to the consumer/fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) loyalty initiative? Make sure you enter! Back to the top
The award will go to theretail organisation or brand that can show how it has operated the best loyalty offering under one or more of the following criteria – value to the customer, commercial benefits for the brand owner and programme manager, enhancement of the brand for the programme partner, creativity, innovation, emotional engagement and an omnichannel approach. Back to the top
(including airlines, hotels, comparison sites, car hire, restaurants & entertainment)
This very special award will be presented to an individual or team that has made an outstanding contribution to the advancement and success of the loyalty industry. Nominations may be made from anyone in the industry and are not restricted to programme managers or service providers. Additionally, judges will nominate candidates they feel qualify for this award,
Nominations are for people under 40 who are thinking out of the box and challenging the existing rules. We urge you to nominate those in your organisation who are doing great things. Please send your nominations to: amcintosh@theloyaltymagazineawards.com
This category is constantly changing and as mobile becomes an intrinsic part of our daily lives, it makes sense to focus on how companies are combining the use of mobile with social media. The award will go to the organisation or brand that can show impressive use of mobile & social within a loyalty initiative that takes advantage of the fast pace of change and innovation within the sector, following the criteria of: value to the customer, commercial benefits for the brand owner and programme manager, enhancement of the brand for the programme partner. The mobile business sector itself has a vibrant and innovative loyalty reputation, and the judges are anticipating strong entries from across the regions that demonstrate business growth through creative customer engagement and a real understanding and meeting of customer needs and expectations.
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The judges will be looking for a project, illustrating results achieved during 2019, which has effectively delivered its corporate and social responsibility objectives. This could be an international, national, or local project and should demonstrate a coherent and integrated approach to the practical demonstration of CSR policies around community, social, ethical or reputational issues in action. Judges will also welcome programmes which aim to improve responsibility or education to key stakeholder groups, such as customers or employees. We welcome schemes that are innovative and fun. Back to the top
