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© 2026 Leaders in Customer Loyalty, Powered by Loyalty360
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- Leaders in Customer Loyalty: for those looking to deepen customer experience, engagement, and brand loyalty. Each episode features innovative brands, industry experts, and executive leaders who share actionable insights, proven strategies, and real-world experiences designed to help marketers and brand professionals stay ahead in the ever-evolving world of customer loyalty.
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Send a text Nearly two decades after first firing up the grill, Hot Head Burritos, with its fiery mascot Leroy leading the charge, has grown from a Dayton favorite into a fast-casual brand with serious regional momentum. Known for bold flavors and an increasingly sophisticated digital loyalty strategy, the chain now spans 86 locations across nine states and continues finding new ways to connect with guests, from the counter to the app and everywhere in between. Peter Wiley has had a fro...
Send a text As loyalty programs move into 2026, brands are confronting a fundamental shift: loyalty is no longer sustained by accumulation alone. Points, miles, and introductory bonuses still matter, but they no longer guarantee relevance or emotional attachment. Instead, transparency, experiential value, and ongoing engagement are becoming the defining forces shaping how loyalty programs earn and maintain consumer trust. We recently spoke with Eileen Peacock, Senior Vice President, Gen...
Send a text Few restaurant brands carry the emotional weight of Friendly’s. Founded in 1935 during the Great Depression, the brand was built on a simple but enduring belief: even in hard times, people deserve comfort, joy, and togetherness. Nearly 90 years later, that purpose still anchors Friendly’s strategy. But executing Friendly’s brand strategy is rapidly evolving. Under the leadership of Erik Jensen, Vice President of Marketing, Friendly’s is in the midst of a renovation-l...
Send a text In the latest edition of Leaders in Customer Loyalty: Brand Stories, Loyalty360 spoke with Rachel Masocol, Director of Digital Marketing and Ecommerce for Jollibee Group, North America, about how the company’s rapid growth and loyalty program redesign are driven by increasing digital engagement. Jollibee has always been about more than just chicken—despite being voted America’s number one fast-food fried chicken two years in a row by USA Today. What began as a small ice crea...
Send a text As loyalty programs look toward 2026, few categories are under more pressure to evolve than travel. Shifting consumer expectations, accelerating AI adoption, and rising demands for immediacy are forcing brands to rethink how loyalty shows up, not just at booking, but throughout the entire journey. In this Supplier Voices conversation, Nowell Outlaw, Chief Executive Officer of Switchfly, shares how AI-driven planning, real-time relevance, and emotional engagement are reshapin...
Send a text Customer loyalty has become a cornerstone of modern brand strategy, but for shopping center owners, it has never been a simple equation. Without control of the point of sale and with thousands of independent retailers operating under one roof, building a cohesive loyalty program presents challenges most consumer brands never face. That tension is what ultimately shaped Simon+™: a loyalty program built to reflect how people shop today, across stores, channels, and exper...
Send a text For more than a century, Hilton has been shaping how people experience hospitality. Today, the company spans 26 brands, 9,000 properties, and 141 countries and territories, yet its loyalty strategy remains grounded in a simple idea: make travelers feel seen, valued, and supported at every stage of their journey. In this edition of Leaders in Customer Loyalty: Brand Stories, Loyalty360 spoke with Brad Anderson, Vice President of the Hilton Honors program, about how the brand ...
Send a text As loyalty leaders look toward 2026, the conversation is shifting away from feature sets and toward fundamentals: trust, relevance, and human connection. While artificial intelligence is accelerating what brands can do with data and personalization, it is also forcing a reassessment of what customers actually value in their relationships with brands. In a recent conversation with Denise Holt, Senior Vice President and Head of Strategy, Experience, Research, and Insights at P...
Send a text Papa Murphy’s has sliced out a unique position in the crowded pizza category with a simple yet transformative idea: pizzas made fresh in-store, taken home, and baked by the customer. With more than 1,000 locations across the U.S., including franchise-owned stores, the brand continues to differentiate through both product and experience. Loyalty360 recently spoke with Jason Focht, Vice President of Digital Marketing, about the uniqueness of the take-and-bake model and the lau...
Send a text Loyalty programs aren’t failing because they lack features: they’re failing because customers don’t feel value fast enough. As consumer budgets tighten and expectations accelerate, patience has become one of the scarcest resources brands contend with. Loyalty is no longer judged by what it promises over time, but by how quickly it proves its worth. We spoke with Don Smith, Global Chief Consulting Officer at Capillary, about what that shift means for loyalty strategy in 2026,...
Send a text As one of the fastest-growing fast-casual brands, Mediterranean eatery, CAVA, was founded in 2010 as a full-service restaurant. The company’s goal is to make delicious food that customers feel good about buying and eating. Today, the company has grown substantially, with more than 400 restaurants in 28 states across the country. In this edition of Leaders in Customer Loyalty: Brand Stories, Loyalty360 spoke with Andy Rebhun, Chief Experience Officer for CAVA, about the secr...
Send a text As brands enter 2026, loyalty strategies are being reshaped by economic pressure, rapidly shifting consumer expectations, and the accelerating role of technology. Rising costs, tighter margins, and changing audience behaviors have forced organizations to rethink how they create value that’s not just through rewards, but through relevance, ease, and emotional connection. We recently spoke with Ellen Green, Vice President of Loyalty Strategy at Bounteous, about the forces that...
Send a text White Castle’s loyal fan base has kept America’s “first fast-food hamburger chain” in business for nearly 105 years. What makes this brand still appeal to consumers and continue to expand, especially when other chains struggle to keep the doors open? Loyalty 360 spoke with Jamie Richardson, Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations at White Castle, on the brand’s longevity and its loyalty program, known as Craver Nation Rewards.
Send a text As brands look ahead to 2026, loyalty programs are evolving beyond transactions toward deeper emotional connection, relevance, and trust. Shifting consumer expectations and broader uncertainty are accelerating this change. We recently spoke with Hayley Hanel, Senior Manager of Strategic Consulting at Kobie, who shared how growing unease around social, political, and economic change is reshaping loyalty strategies and elevating the role of community and belonging.
Send a text Known for its irreverent attitude, unstoppable energy, and Seattle-style teriyaki bowls, Teriyaki Madness has always taken its food, but never itself, seriously. Founded in 2003 by friends who wanted to bring Seattle’s teriyaki culture to Las Vegas, Teriyaki Madness was purchased by its current CEO, Michael Haith, in 2016. Now headquartered in Denver, Colorado, the self-proclaimed “scrappy brand,” uses digital innovation to transform a fast casual dining concept from 30 shop...
Send a text Blings, a global company headquartered in New York, New York, is using patented AI-powered MP5 technology to help companies create personalized, interactive videos that connect with customers in real-time. The platform pulls in live data to create each video and customize loyalty offers and gamified experiences, engaging customers and boosting conversion for clients. Loyalty 360 spoke with Yonatan Schreiber, CEO and co-founder of Blings, about how this AI-powered personalize...
Send a text For more than 30 years, Toppers Pizza has gone beyond crafting inventive, high-quality pizzas to delivering an experience that keeps guests coming back time and time again. With 60 stores across 14 states, the Wisconsin-based chain has built a loyal following thanks to its fun, late-night-friendly menu, fresh ingredients, and a focus on community connection. The brand has become a fan favorite among college students, young professionals, and anyone looking for a unique pizza exper...
Send a text Collinson International, a privately-owned provider of global travel and customer loyalty programs, doesn’t offer your run-of-the-mill airport experience. Instead of being squeezed in plastic seating, knee to knee with fellow travelers in the main concourse, the company provides a premium airport lounge experience with a range of amenities. Loyalty360 spoke with Jeremy Dalkoff VP of Partnerships and Travel Experiences at Collinson International, the operator of the popular ...
Send a text Families searching for a relaxed, local restaurant to enjoy good food at a reasonable price, and avid sports fans looking for a place to munch on chicken wings while catching the latest game might find Wings and Rings perfectly meets their needs. Established in 1984 in Cincinnati, Ohio, the 41-year-old sports franchisee concept now has 85 locations, 60 within the U.S. and 25 internationally. Known originally as Buffalo Wings and Rings, the company has updated its look, its name, a...
Send a text Loyalty360 spoke with Mike Donini, Senior Buyer at Maritz, one of the largest full-service incentive and loyalty partners in North America. Maritz began in 1894 as a family-run wholesaler and manufacturer of fine jewelry and watches. During the Great Depression, Maritz pivoted its business to generate income, selling its merchandise to businesses as sales and service awards. The new direction kept it afloat and launched the beginning of what we know today as the incentive in...
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