Customer Retention & Customer Loyalty Programmes
Why are good Loyalty programs a must? Why is loyalty more important than engaging new customers? This morning’s Keynote Panel Presentation, “Customer Retention & Loyalty” provided an insightful discussion for the CXO Leaders Summit attendees. This session was moderated by Paul Bennett, Head of Marketing, MetLife and featured panelists: Tim Hernadi, Head of Brand Marketing, Suncorp, Jo Reilly, Head of Brand Marketing, Australian Super and Caroline Morgan, Head of Insights & innovation, Samsung.
Paul began this session by asking, “What is the winning loyalty program from a customers perspective?” Tim’s response was that, “You have to earn loyalty,” speaking on the process of aligning yourself with a brand through experience & trust; comparing it to that of any personal relationship. Jo challenged the concept of customer loyalty…questioning the companies price as the end-all. Caroline emphasised a balance between, “What you have to achieve as a company and the customer ultimately wants out of the program.”
Paul Bennett, Head of Marketing and Client Experience, MetLife. Paul Bennett joined MetLife Australia in October 2014 as Head of Marketing and Client Experience. Paul has an extensive background in marketing, digital and technology, with a proven ability to drive commercial results through strategic leadership and a focus on the customer. He previously worked for Sapient Nitro as Vice President and National Managing Director where he focused on digital transformation, digital strategy, customer experience and marketing. Prior to this, Paul worked in executive leadership roles for EuroRSCG, BBDO Proximity and Lowe Worldwide and has nearly 20 years marketing and communications experience across a range of categories including FMCG, Travel and Tourism, Healthcare and Financial Services.
Jo Reilly, Head of Brand Marketing, Australian Super. As the Head of Marketing at AustralianSuper, Jo Reilly is responsible for the fund’s marketing and media strategy, as well as the market research program. Prior to moving into the financial services industry, Jo has held communication, marketing, sales and project management roles in the hospitality, hardware, childcare and local government industries. Working across such diversified industries in different roles has provided Jo with the opportunity to master both the strategic and executional facets of marketing, and truly understand how to impact and influence the customer journey, using metric driven approaches. Jo has a degree in Public Relations, majoring in Politics from RMIT, and a Master in Marketing from Monash University.
Tim Hernadi, Head of Brand Marketing, Suncorp. Tim Hernadi is currently the Head of Brand & Marketing for Suncorp Group’s Personal Insurance Division. Tim has oversight of the marketing program for 9 of Suncorp’s retail brands, which include AAMI, Apia, GIO, Suncorp and Shannons. With 20 years experience in marketing, Tim has a strong grounding in brand strategy, digital, customer experience, 1-1 marketing and consumer research and has held several senior marketing positions over this time. Outside of work, Tim is a loyal family man who has a passion for the ocean and mountains.
Caroline Morgan, Head of Insights & innovation, Samsung. Caroline Morgan is an internationally recognised leader in insights and market research across retail, e-commerce, banking and technology. Currently, she is Head of Insights and Innovation at Samsung, responsible for insights and strategic planning initiatives across all product categories. Prior to Samsung, Caroline was Director of Global Marketplace Insights at American Express’ global HQ in New York City. While at American Express, Caroline worked on a diverse range of challenges including partnership development, NPD, brand enhancement and launching the new cross-category loyalty program ‘Plenti’. Before American Express, Caroline was at Tesco’s HQ in the UK where she leveraged Clubcard loyalty card data, ethnography, semiotics and other advanced techniques to understand deep consumer insights which drove significant market growth.