Loyalty

The report finds US consumers have tighter budgets, growing AI influence and high customer experience expectations heading into the holiday season

Droga5 São Paulo's Diego Limberti and Black Madre Studio's André Maciel explain why brand recall and emotional loyalty is built through authentic design, strong brand identity, and meaning rather than rewards.

Brands are moving away from purely transactional loyalty rewards towards incentivising content creation and advocacy. Charlie Casey, CEO of LoyaltyLion, wants leaders to “think about user-generated content as part of the value exchange.”

As Ramadan 2026 unfolds amid uncertainty, brands are discovering that loyalty is no longer driven by messaging. Instead, consistent actions, reliability, and meaningful customer experiences are shaping deeper emotional connections.

From pop-up collaborations to limited-edition drops, influencers and creators are stepping into the kitchen to co-create products that boost sales, drive engagement, and deliver shareable dining experiences.

As enterprises scale AI-generated content, the pressure to stay compliant, consistent, and brand-safe is rising. Without proper governance frameworks, even the most advanced AI can produce hallucinations, misinformation, and non-compliant messaging.

Around 25% of marketers cite difficulty in measuring ROI, and 21% struggle to scale their partner programs effectively. This has sparked a growing investment in technology platforms that streamline operations, providing fraud protection, unified reporting, and simplified partner payouts.

Automation, AI, and authenticity collide in modern social strategy. Emplifi’s Molly Pannell talks about crafting campaigns that resonate, not replicate.

Consumer sentiment is crumbling under inflation, layoffs, and tariffs. But in a downturn, opportunity belongs to brands that double down on trust, value, and CX.

Ramadan brings a surge in sales, but how can brands retain customers after the festive season? Discover data-driven strategies from Gameball and Braze to transform short-term shoppers into long-term loyal customers.