The State of Global Loyalty: A Conversation about Turkey
What does customer loyalty look like outside of the US? How are companies around the world addressing the evolving challenges of customer retention? And what can US loyalty marketers learn from their global counterparts?Welcome to our Global Loyalty Series! Seeking to find those answers, I recently posed questions to loyalty experts in our Maritz Motivation Global Partner Network, challenging them to offer insights unique to their regions around the world.
This week, I connect with Enis Karslioglu, CEO of Sanal Magaza in Istanbul.
1.What are some of the biggest challenges companies in your region are facing when it comes to retaining loyalty program members? What opportunities do you see for these brands/marketers?
In larger scale programs such as airline companies and the banking industry, redemption is always a major challenge. In order to retain and convince the customers to come back, the rewards offered play a very important role in the programs. We highly advise to our customers to design the program to deliver related, high perceived value rewards, within a reasonable time frame to their target audience and program participants.
2. What cultural changes are you seeing in Turkey that are effecting customer loyalty?
Loyalty concept awareness is a big hurdle in Turkey. Offering high value rewards and a large variety of rewards is extremely important and challenging. Heading 3 different segments is a major challenge for our sales and marketing team with very little events.
3. What does customer retention mean to you? What does the ideal, loyal customer look like?
The ideal loyal customer is the customer who comes back often and makes new, frequent purchases with the brand. They are the member who engages new members and creates word of mouth about the brand in the market.
4. What do you believe makes a loyalty program successful?
The two main components of a successful loyalty program are creating a strong relationship with the consumer and increasing sales through the loyalty program.
5. What advice do you have for loyalty marketers?
- Create your own permission based CRM
- Engage your customers
- Mine and launch individualized campaigns
- Increase your penetration and sales
6. Are you a member of any loyalty programs? If so, which do you believe is the best loyalty program?
Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles program is one of my favorite loyalty programs I participate in. I really feel rewarded and excited each time I spend my miles on ticket redemption. I also enjoy shopping in the www.shopandmiles.com Rewards Portal.
7. What is your wish-list for an ideal loyalty program? What would this program look like for participants?
First, an ideal loyalty program should be laid out on the proper technology. Rewards should be designed to fit perfectly to the target audience and program members. KPI's should be set properly and aimed to be fulfilled from within the program. The program should be impressive and engaging enough to evoke the target audience to become members instantly and retain them for a long time. We aim to make every loyalty program create long-term value for both our customers and their customers.
8. How concerned are you about loyalty program fraud? Do you have any tips on how to be mindful of loyalty fraud?
Fraud is a major topic that should be taken into consideration at the very beginning of developing the program. Every measure should be taken both operationally and technically while developing the software, all the way to project launch. Correction of fraud later might create a big cost and tarnish the company's reputation.
About Enis
Enis, originally an Electronics Engineer from Hacettepe University in Ankara, has a wide experience in Media, including his past management of CINE 5, the biggest Pay TV of Turkey. He received an Executive MBA at Harvard and participated in the General Management Program at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.
Enis established BIGGPLUS GROUP in 1999 and is the CEO of the group, including SANAL MAĞAZA INC. He has been focused on customer loyalty programs, E- Commerce and E-Rewards as well as merchandise development, carrying the company up to the leading position in Loyalty sector in Turkey, serving thousands of corporate clients such as Nestle, Unilever, P&G, Philip Morris, Axa Insurance, Bosch, Goodyear, Coca Cola, Loreal, Turkcell, Ford, Shell, BP, Castrol, and Turkish Airlines, etc.
About Our Global Partners
Maritz Motivation partners with top loyalty practitioners worldwide as part of the Global Strategic Partner Network. Carefully vetted, trained in Maritz Motivation’s solutions and in regular communication with our solution leaders, Strategic Partners bring geographic market-specific expertise to our global clients.
