CrowdTwist Consumer Loyalty Study Shows 87% of Gen Z Consumers Want Omnichannel Loyalty Programs

NEW YORK, Oct. 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- CrowdTwist, an industry-leading provider of omnichannel loyalty and engagement solutions, today released a research report titled "Loyalty Research: Gen Z, Millennials and Beyond."

CrowdTwist conducted research into consumer attitudes towards loyalty programs, brand engagement, emerging technologies, and shopping experiences. This report, the second in a two-part series, shares an overview of those findings from a generational perspective and provides guidance for brands engaging across different generations. The first report provided an overview of the general findings, including an assessment by location and income, and an overview of the most popular loyalty programs in market today.

This report finds that the drivers of brand loyalty and what consumers find valuable in a loyalty program differ across age groups. Findings indicate that customer skepticism towards brands increases with age and affluence has no impact on a consumers' enjoyment of shopping. Notable is that while online shopping is highly preferred among consumers surveyed, in-store experiences are still important, particularly for Gen Z and Baby Boomers. Brands are missing the mark with personalization across all generations. However, it's telling that consumers who are willing to share information with brands have better experiences than those who aren't.

Key findings include:

• Consumers want omnichannel loyalty programs, particularly Gen Z. 87% of Gen Z consumers want to be awarded points for walking into a brand's location, restaurant, gym, or store.
• Gen X participates most in loyalty programs. 82% of Gen X consumers responded that they are active in at least one loyalty program. They also redeem more than other generations. 77% of Gen X program members redeem rewards at least once a quarter. The least active group is the Silent Generation ­– 35% responded that they don't participate in any loyalty program.
• Gen Z are more willing to pay a premium. 77% of Gen Z respondents understand the value of loyalty programs and are more willing to pay a premium in exchange for valuable perks like free shipping (for example, Amazon Prime). The Silent Generation was the only group where the majority (55%) answered no to paying a fee for a loyalty program.
• Loyalty programs provide brands with younger target audiences a competitive advantage. 72% of Gen Z and Gen X respondents answered that they could be persuaded to choose one brand over another due to the presence of a loyalty program, followed by 68% of Millennials, 56% of Baby Boomers, and 42% of the Silent Generation.
• This year has seen a decline in brand trust, but Millennials are most willing to share information. We found that only 46% of Gen Z consumers and 55% of Millennials (the most trusting generation according to this year's research) are willing to share their data in exchange for personalized experiences. The biggest skeptics are members of the Silent Generation: only 21% answered that they were willing to share personal information in exchange for personalized experiences.
• Most brands' personalization efforts are not effective. The majority of consumers want a personalized experience. Of the consumers we surveyed, 70% of Gen Z respondents, 64% of Gen X respondents, and 63% of Millennials want to receive personalized recommendations via an app while browsing in-store. However, current personalization efforts made by brands are ineffective. Only 42% of Millennials, 37% of Gen X consumers, 33% of Gen Z consumers, 29% of Baby Boomers, and 23% of the Silent Generation have purchased something that was recommended to them by a brand in the past six months. This is indicative that brand execution utilizing predictive analytics, while growing in popularity, is not meeting full potential.

Scott Matthews, CEO of CrowdTwist remarks, "The survey results provide an interesting view into the differences between generations, their attitudes towards loyalty programs, their shopping preferences and what motivates them to make purchases. This insight is helpful for brands to understand where opportunities lie in engaging different consumer groups and how to remove barriers and frustrations and demonstrate an understanding of who their customers are. Participation in loyalty programs remains high and has the potential to influence brand selection, but it's evident that there are opportunities for brands to create better value."

Download "Loyalty Research: Gen Z, Millennials and Beyond" to learn more about the survey findings and for guidance on how to tailor your loyalty strategy to meet the expectations of your customers.

About CrowdTwist

CrowdTwist is an industry-leading provider of a patented loyalty and engagement solution that drives incremental spend, leading to better customer data, stronger insights, and more personalized experiences. We are revolutionizing loyalty, helping top brands including Pepsi, Nestle, and Zumiez develop a deeper understanding of customers. Forrester recognized CrowdTwist as a Strong Performer in "The Forrester Wave™: Customer Loyalty Solutions, Q3 2017."

For more information, visit www.crowdtwist.com, email [email protected], or call 646.845.0646

To learn more about CrowdTwist, please visit www.crowdtwist.com.

SOURCE CrowdTwist

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