Top 12 customer loyalty trends for 2012

Marketers will reach a critical juncture in 2012. According to Loyalty 360 – The Loyalty Marketer’s Association, customer loyalty, versus acquisition, is critical for driving sustainable growth. Yet, businesses report that retaining and engaging customers remains one of their greatest challenges.

To help marketers develop more effective loyalty strategies, Loyalty 360 has suggested they identify the main trends influencing this field. And it has come up with 12 of its own:
 

1. Customer engagement is the journey, loyalty is the destination. Loyalty is a much bigger, broader, richer and growing ever more complex idea than it has been in the past. Loyalty is no longer about points, discounts, miles, rewards; it is about the way the processes, technologies, ideas, interactions engage an individual with the brand. The only way to achieve loyalty is through deeper engagement.
    
2. There will be a renewed (and well-needed) focus on customer retention and loyalty vs. customer acquisition. Customer loyalty has been identified as the top non-financial business challenge facing companies in 2012 (Protiviti). While daily deals like Groupon, LivingSocial are generating lots of buzz, marketers are realizing that these price-based technologies have taken their focus away from the real prize: customer loyalty.

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