The Story Wave 30

1: Loyalty Programs are Hot: 3 Ways Brands Can Grow Customers – AdAge Op-Ed

In a recent op-ed for AdAge, Harris Poll co-CEO Will Johnson explores consumers’ interest in customer loyalty programs, and how these programs impact consumers’ purchasing behavior. Here are a few key takeaways:

• Saving money is top of mind: Two-thirds (68%) of loyalty program members consider a program’s discount details before deciding whether to enroll.
• Racking up the rewards: Female shoppers (61%) more often than male shoppers (47%) consider their ability to accumulate points and rewards when deciding whether to join a loyalty program.
• Generational gap: Younger adults (ages 18-34) (81%) belong to customer rewards programs more often than older adults (ages 55+) (72%).
• When to engage?: Most US adults (62%) like to engage with customer loyalty programs during the checkout process.

Takeaway: “Now 90% of brands have loyalty programs, according to Queue-It, and the best-performing ones increase revenue from the most loyal customers by 15% to 25%.” – Will Johnson

It’s essential for companies to understand how consumers choose to engage with customer loyalty programs in order to attract new members and encourage repeat business. Want more data on customer loyalty programs and other retail trends? Check out our retail industry report.

2: Sephora Builds Brand Equity Through Genuine LGBTQ+ Support – Brand Story

Consumers want more than empty platitudes; they demand that businesses back up their words with actions. This can especially ring true with the LGBTQ+ community and other minority groups who can feel overlooked and undersupported.

• Sephora has long been a vocal LGBTQ+ advocate. This June (Pride Month), Sephora participated in several cities’ Pride parades, and they partnered with The Trevor Project to raise money for suicide prevention and crisis support for LGBTQ+ youth.
• Using QuestBrand data, we tracked Sephora’s brand equity (the value consumers see in a brand at a moment in time) from January through October across three groups: the general population of US adults, female consumers, and LGBTQ+ individuals.

• Women are Sephora’s largest consumer group, and typically award Sephora the highest brand equity score. However, starting at the beginning of Pride Month, and continuing for several months after, Sephora’s brand equity score was higher among LGBTQ+ respondents than female respondents.

Takeaway: Sephora’s QuestBrand data shows how Sephora’s steady support of their LGBTQ+ employees, consumers, and the wider LGBTQ+ community has positively impacted this group’s perception of the Sephora brand. Other brands should take note that they must genuinely champion the LGBTQ+ community if they hope to gain their support.

Want to know more? Read the full brand story now!

3: Holiday Shopping Stress? You Aren’t Alone. Instacart-Harris Poll

The holidays are firmly upon us. With Thanksgiving in the rearview mirror, we have less than four weeks until Christmas! In addition to feeling the holiday magic, stress can creep in as we realize just how much we must do to prepare before the big day. A recent Harris Poll survey conducted on behalf of Instacart explores Americans’ holiday shopping plans:

• One third (37%) of those celebrating Christmas this year plan to wait until the very last minute to complete their Christmas shopping.
• Americans’ least favorite parts of preparing for Christmas? – Shopping for (27%) and wrapping (27%) gifts.
• When Americans purchase last-minute gifts, they are often for family – spouses (39%) or children (36%).
• Last minute oops! – Instacart’s most ordered non-food items on Christmas Eve 2022 included:

Check out the full article to discover what holiday foods made the list of most ordered last-minute food items.