Loyalty programs are nothing new: Ancient Egyptians spent time in temple to earn tokens they could trade
for beer. In the 1850s, a baking soda manufacturer rewarded customers for collecting trademark stamps.
Even the punch card coupon has been around since 1890. But times have changed: Today’s shoppers
(usually) want more for their loyalty than free beer, and they don’t want to work too hard for those rewards.
But 80% of retailers are still figuring out how to ensure the success of their loyalty programs.
A successful loyalty program creates a personalized, emotional connection between you and your
customers, making shoppers feel seen, heard, and appreciated. When customers feel that love, they are
more likely to choose your brand even if a competitor offers similar perks or lower prices.
Emotional loyalty means consumers identify with, trust, and see a brand as part of who they are.
Retailers need to work a little harder these days to win that loyalty, though. According to Salesforce’s annual
Connected Customer study, 74% of consumers reported switching brands in 2024, a significant jump from
60% who did so in 2023. This is likely the result of economic pressures that caused consumers to make
more buying decisions based only on price.
The good news? By adding AI agents to the mix, it’s never been easier for retailers to offer more seamless
and personalized experiences, making it simple for customers to engage and feel valued.
Optimize Loyalty Program
Engagement with AI Agents
Consumers appreciate brands that provide exclusive, personalized experiences at every touchpoint.
Brands like Amazon, Netflix, Target, Starbucks, and Spotify have infused our daily routines with personalized
offerings, service, and proactive communication. These types of personalized experiences — often powered
by real-time customer data and AI — make it easier for shoppers to do business with you, helping boost
acquisition, retention, and lifetime value.
These days, that includes deploying AI agents. An AI agent understands and responds to customer
inquiries autonomously. They can increase your employee capacity across marketing and loyalty with digital
teammates that handle complex tasks with precision, accuracy, and personalization. Autonomous agents
can assist marketers in creating and revising loyalty promotions with conversational prompts grounded
in shopper, point-of-sale (POS), and segmentation data resulting in more personalized email content
and subject lines that increase customer engagement.
For example, Agentforce can generate campaign briefs, target audience segments, create content, and even
build customer journeys. And because agents are delivering and optimizing 24/7, they continually analyze
performance against KPIs, proactively recommend improvements, and ultimately deliver more personalized
loyalty offers and promotions at the most relevant times. This helps your team identify which rewards and
offers are most effective, ensuring that resources are spent on tactics that truly engage customers.
Integrate Loyalty Across
All Touchpoints
However, even a very curated and personalized loyalty program will fail if a shopper goes into your store
and has a less-than-satifying experience due to inventory availability, checkout delays, or return hassles.
To build genuine customer loyalty, AI-powered personalization must extend beyond the digital realm
and be fully integrated with in-store systems. While loyalty programs and personalized offers can be highly
effective online, if the in-store experience feels disconnected — due to outdated POS systems or lack of
real-time data access — customers may perceive the personalization as less authentic. AI can bridge that gap,
ensuring that the digital and physical experiences align for a seamless, customer-first approach.
To build genuine customer loyalty, AI-powered
personalization must extend beyond the digital realm
and be fully integrated with in-store systems.
Many brands are developing more expansive and individualized loyalty programs and deploying AI agents
that offer more ways to engage with the program, earn and redeem rewards, and build long-term trust.
Such programs create a sense of belonging and exclusivity that adds value to the shopping experience
and differentiates you from your competitors.