In today's business world, loyalty programmes play an important role in retaining customers and increasing sales. However, companies face the challenge of continuously adapting these programmes to changing consumer needs and technological innovations. In particular, digital loyalty programmes and innovative concepts such as gamification are significantly changing the landscape of customer loyalty. At the same time, the responsible handling of customer data and the protection of privacy are becoming increasingly important. Anonymity in customer loyalty - once a side issue - is now more of a core strategic consideration. These aspects make it essential for companies to continuously evaluate and adapt their loyalty strategies in order to remain competitive and promote long-term customer relationships. With this in mind, this thesis aims to develop an in-depth understanding of the current use and characteristics of loyalty programmes by examining both the consumer and corporate perspectives. The thesis is divided into six chapters. After the introduction, the problem definition, the objective, the research question and the methodology, the second chapter provides a comprehensive definition of loyalty programmes for a better understanding of the term. The third chapter examines the use of loyalty programmes from a consumer perspective in the DACH region, while the fourth chapter analyses the characteristics of loyalty programmes from a company perspective, with a particular focus on gamification and anonymous customer loyalty. The fifth section presents the results of the DACH Loyalty Report 2024, an empirical study conducted by means of a representative survey. The methodology comprised a combination of literature research and empirical analyses. The DACH Loyalty Report 2024, which surveyed 1,500 consumers from Austria, Germany and Switzerland, provided the data basis for the empirical part of the paper. The results show that the use of loyalty programmes in the DACH region in 2024 is characterised by broad acceptance and a preference for digital programmes, with financial incentives contributing significantly to the use of loyalty programmes. In addition, more than half of respondents use loyalty programmes at least once a week. Gamification and anonymous customer loyalty also increase the attractiveness of these programmes. Gamification promotes consumer engagement through interactive elements and increases regular use. Anonymous customer loyalty effectively addresses consumers' data protection concerns and therefore also leads to a greater willingness to use loyalty programmes. Together, these characteristics contribute to loyalty programmes effectively strengthening customer loyalty in the DACH region in 2024.
Analyse der Nutzung und Charakteristika von Loyalitätsprogrammen aus Konsumenten- und Unternehmenssicht
Schartmüller, T. (Author). 2024
Student thesis: Bachelor's Thesis