RESUMEN EN ESPAÑOL:

 

Este artículo trata de explicarnos como los programas Multisponsor (Coalition Programs) no han sido tan exitosos en Estados Unidos pero si en otros países. Sin embargo, vemos como estos casos de éxito empiezan a ser un interés para Norteamérica ante la crisis que están pasando.

 

El artículo define un programa multisponsor como una opción para que los clientes pertenecientes a diferentes programas tales como: Programa de viajero frecuente, Programa de empresas gasolineras, farmacéuticas, retail,  supermercados y banca acumulen puntos a través de una sola tarjeta con el objetivo de mejorar la redención de los puntos en menor tiempo y en mejores premios.

 

Como nos dice el artículo, estos programas son poco comunes en Estados Unidos. No obstante, varios expertos de la industria analizan la entrada de este tipo de programas al país norteamericano.

 

El artículo nos muestra cuales son algunas de las ventajas y desventajas.

 

Desventajas o barreras de entrada:

 

-       Regionalización o falta de cobertura a nivel nacional.

-       Posicionamiento de Marca

-       Confusión entre programas multisponsor y alianzas entre programas propios.

-       Dificultad para entender a quien es fiel el participante del programa: ¿Fiel a la marca o fiel al programa? Sin embargo con seguridad capta nuevos clientes que antes no compraban esa marca.

 

Ventajas u oportunidades de entrada:

 

-       Costos e infraestructura compartida compartidos

-       Acceso a mejores premios

-       Oportunidad de aparición en medios masivos.

-       Dificultad de copia ante la competencia

 

 

En conclusión, la clave para decidir sobre la inversión en un programa multisponsor es analizar cuáles son las empresas con las que se va a compartir el programa, entendiéndose como empresas que generen sinergias y beneficios entre sí. De esta manera compartir datos y clientes podrá resultar positivo para las diferentes marcas pertenecientes al programa. No obstante, el nombre del programa multisponsor se beneficiará a través de estas marcas y así se podrá diferenciar de otros programas multisponsor en el mercado.

U.S. Ripe for Coalition Loyalty Programs Finds DMA Panel 
November 24, 2009 

By Donna M. Airoldi

Popular in Canada, Brazil, Germany, Australia and elsewhere around the world—but not yet in the United States—coalition loyalty programs are being positioned as the “next big thing” here by participants in a panel titled “Loyalty Leaders Tell All: Coalition Programs from Around the Globe,” held during the U.S. Direct Marketing Association’s (DMA) annual meeting last month in San Diego. They say it’s no longer a matter of “if” but rather “when” these programs will take off across the United States.

Coalition programs allow a consumer to use a single card to earn points on travel, gas, grocery, drug store, department store and credit card purchases, which enables them to accumulate points faster in order to redeem them for hundreds of different rewards from a multitude of merchants. 

“With successful programs, you’re looking at a broad reach into the mainstream retail market,” says Bryan Pearson, CEO and president of Dallas–based LoyaltyOne. “We operate Canada’s Air Miles, a coalition program with participation from 70 percent of Canadian households, FlyBuys in New Zealand has a 75 percent reach. Each is significantly higher than the typical 30 to 50 participating rates in the United States. In the 17 years we’ve been running Air Miles, we haven’t had a single year where we saw a decline in points issued.”

In addition, according to statistics from Colloquy, a research subsidiary of LoyaltyOne, U.S. retailers see annual sales lifts of 15 to 25 percent among loyalty participants compared to non-members. Coalition retailers, however, have seen up to a 42 percent increase in member spend.
The panel experts also agreed that the coalition model’s differentiator is leveraging consumers’ everyday spend in high-frequency categories to offer attainable rewards that can’t be earned as easily in U.S.-style sole-proprietor programs. Using Air Miles as an example, a family spending the national average on groceries, gas, credit cards and other basics could earn merchandise rewards such as a new iPod in just four months and travel rewards for a free flight in nine.

Barriers and Benefits to Entry 

So why haven’t these programs previously taken off in the United States, and what makes the landscape different now for their success?

One of the barriers is the “regionalization of critical player and categories,” says Pearson. “Think petrol, groceries, pharmacies, there are very few players that have national coverage.” But that’s starting to change, as companies expand their presence into new regions, whether organically or through mergers. An “ideal” U.S. coalition, according to Pearson, might include Kroger or Safeway, BP or Shell, Starbucks, McDonalds, Barnes & Noble, Target or Macy’s, and either Bank of America or Citibank. 

Another reason is when you look at the development of loyalty program, [single-issuer] proprietary programs came first in the U. S., whereas the coalition market came first in the other countries. “In the U.S., it’s a bit of a conquest mentality—it’s all about the brand and companies must own it,” says Pearson. “A true coalition program is run by a third party and uses branded currency. Multiple companies work together and share a database, and run joint marketing programs as well on the national level.”

Some people might mistake partner programs for a coalition program, such as U.S. airline loyalty programs, because points can be earned from and redeemed at multiple retailers, however they’re still owned and operated by a single company. 

Shared Costs & Need for Differentiation 

Coalition programs also share cost infrastructure and efficiencies around communications and award procurement. The absolute cost for the retailer or partner can be lower that what is spent in a proprietary or partner program.

“On the radio and TV in Canada, there are ads for five times or twenty times the points, this weekend only, in coalition programs,” says Pearson. “There’s no mass marketing [of loyalty programs] in the U.S.” 

Also in many categories, proprietary programs have become discount based, getting away from points and essentially just a two-tiered pricing program that isn’t even deferred in some cases, Pearson says. “There’s a lack of differentiation, and we believe U.S. companies will start to explore coalition programs, because they’re harder to replicate by competitors.”

Plus, “lack of liquidity and low consumer confidence may lead to a short-term weakening in company investment in sole-proprietor loyalty offerings,” says Kelly Hlavinka, managing partner of Colloquy, a loyalty research subsidiary of LoyaltyOne, who chaired the DMA panel discussion. “That same environment could fuel a need for U.S. companies to share marketing costs and control program liability, which would drive demand for coalition loyalty models.”

Potential Drawbacks 

The big tradeoff is loss of control. “Sometimes people raise the issue of who is the customer loyal to, me or the coalition brand?,” admits Pearson. “But I say we also bring you people who didn’t shop at your place before. That’s why we aim for the best companies to participate in the programs, to share brand and service propositions.”

Additional panelists included Germany’s Alexander Rittweger, CEO of Payback- Loyalty Partner Group; Australia’s Phil Hawkins, general manager of FlyBuys Australia; and David Rochon, president of Newton, Mass.–based Upromise, one of the few coalition programs in the United States. It helps families save for college and has more than 10 million participants. 

A full transcript of the discussion will be available in December at www.colloquy.com/loyaltyleaders.


Fuente: www.incentivemag.com/msg/content_display/incentive/news/e3i1d1971e2de4d5eb368727877a044399c