60 percent of consumers value loyalty rewards

• The most valued are discounts, followed by price improvements compared to other customers

• Few are unaware of the advantages of loyalty programs, only 10 percent of respondents

Loyalty programs remain important as an instrument to achieve a lasting relationship with consumers, as well as contributing to their becoming brand ambassadors.

A study on relational marketing conducted by Mediapost and the Marketing Association of Spain, realizes that 57, 4 percent of consumers in Spain give value to the discounts offered by brands in these loyalty programs.

They follow the advantages that can be offered against other consumers, in terms of price (19.7 percent) and attractive gifts (12 percent).

A sign of the significance of these programs is that according to the research, only 11 percent of the participants were unaware of the advantages of being "loyal."

Age matters

Those who use these loyalty programs most are adults 35 to 44 years of age, with 64.5 percent, especially to obtain significant discounts on their purchases.

Personal information…

According to the I Study of Relational Marketing, having to give personal data to become part of these clubs divides the opinions of the respondents.

On the one hand 33.6 percent have no problem transferring them, as long as they are not sensitive data – if the program benefits them, while 35.3 percent say "you do not like to receive communications or promotions … if they have to give your personal information."

If there is a contest or discounts involved, participants assured in 16.5 percent of the cases that they agree to transfer that information, while 14.6 percent like to give their information so that communications or promotions are customized

Trust brands

57.4 percent say they trust how the different brands that request them use their personal data. Of this group, 27.7 percent do so because they have never had problems; 18.1 percent "because they gave their consent to receive information" and 9.5 percent, "because what they receive fits their tastes."

At the other extreme, 42.6 percent of consumers do not trust how brands – and physical or online points of sale – manage their data their data.

The most used channels

According to the report, online chat is the channel that Spanish consumers like most when it comes to online shopping, (41.3 percent), followed by email (34.8 percent) and telephone (15 percent) .

The development of a good loyalty program as part of the relational marketing strategy is essential to create and strengthen a relationship with the consumer in the medium and long term, which in addition to the advantages for this, will result in the improvement of the brand image .