Latest / Leaders in Customer Loyalty, Powered by Loyalty360 / #512: Leaders in Customer Loyalty: Brand Stories | Designing Loyalty for the Way People Travel: Choice Privileges’ Evolving Value Strategy

Transcript

#512: Leaders in Customer Loyalty: Brand Stories | Designing Loyalty for the Way People Travel: Choice Privileges’ Evolving Value Strategy · Leaders in Customer Loyalty, Powered by Loyalty360

• 0:02
  SPEAKER_00: Good afternoon, good morning.
• 0:03
  SPEAKER_00: Mark Johnson from Loyalty360.
• 0:05
  SPEAKER_00: Hope everyone's happy, safe, and well.
• 0:07
  SPEAKER_00: I want to welcome you back to our Leaders in Customer Loyalty series.
• 0:09
  SPEAKER_00: It's the Brand Stories edition.
• 0:11
  SPEAKER_00: It's a Thursday, and it's great to have you with us.
• 0:14
  SPEAKER_00: As we know, the hospitality industry is changing fast, and in today's uncertain economy, loyalty has never mattered more.
• 0:21
  SPEAKER_00: Travelers want experiences, they want to feel recognized, they want to feel known.
• 0:27
  SPEAKER_00: But delivering on that while keeping the program simple and valuable can be a real challenge.
• 0:34
  SPEAKER_00: One brand doing this quite well is Choice Privileges.
• 0:37
  SPEAKER_00: In this conversation, we're joined by Nandika Suri.
• 0:40
  SPEAKER_00: She's the Vice President of Loyalty at Choice Hotels.
• 0:43
  SPEAKER_00: She's going to talk to us today about how tremble is abundant, the role of partnerships, and what the team is most proud of as they continue to shape the future of customer loyalty.
• 0:54
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome Nandika, how are you today?
• 0:56
  SPEAKER_00: It's great to have you here.
• 0:58
  SPEAKER_01: Great, Mark, how are you doing?
• 0:59
  SPEAKER_00: I'm doing well.
• 1:00
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you very much.
• 1:02
  SPEAKER_00: We'd like to start these off to give a little background on the individuals and brands we're interviewing.
• 1:08
  SPEAKER_00: So, first off, for those who may not know, can you give us a brief introduction to Choice Hotels?
• 1:13
  SPEAKER_00: You know, how the company was started?
• 1:17
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, of course.
• 1:18
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so Choice Hotels International was established as a brand back in 1939 by a group of uh seven Florida um motor coat owners.
• 1:29
  SPEAKER_01: And um since then, um obviously our brand has grown significantly.
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_01: We are one of the largest lodging franchisees, uh franchisers, and we have about um almost 7,500 properties covering 47 countries.
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_01: Um our portfolio is very diverse.
• 1:47
  SPEAKER_01: We have 22 brands in our portfolio, and um, you know, they represent brands such as Comfort, Quality, uh, our upscale brand, Cambria, uh, and our uh and the Radisson brand in the Americas.
• 1:59
  SPEAKER_01: And to our diverse portfolio, we're able to cater to the needs of different customer segments.
• 2:04
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 2:04
  SPEAKER_00: And you know, what's led to the great success, you know, in many countries, uh 7,500 locations, you know, great brands.
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_00: You know, what's led to the great success that Choice Hotels has seen?
• 2:17
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I think it's uh I would say it's not really one thing that has really defined our success.
• 2:22
  SPEAKER_01: It's been decades and decades of um very um, I would say, disciplined um franchising as well as brand clarity.
• 2:31
  SPEAKER_01: Um, we've also, as a brand, made significant um technology investments that have really helped us continue to grow and expand the portfolio to several countries across the globe.
• 2:41
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so I think that would be, I would say, the big thing that makes us stand out.
• 2:45
  SPEAKER_01: It's just the um decades of like, you know, commitment to um delivering value for our guests as well as our um owners.
• 2:52
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 2:53
  SPEAKER_00: Can you tell us a little more about your role at Choice Hotels uh and what you do on a day-to-day basis?
• 2:59
  SPEAKER_01: Sure, of course.
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_01: So um, you know, uh you'd already mentioned this.
• 3:03
  SPEAKER_01: I'm the vice president of loyalty.
• 3:05
  SPEAKER_01: My portfolio uh includes uh the strategy for the loyalty program.
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_01: So think about the tier structure, the benefits that the members enjoy as a part of the program, um, defining how member members earn and use their points.
• 3:17
  SPEAKER_01: Um I'm also responsible for all the partnerships, and that includes partnerships like Avis, uh, Track House Learfield, as well as our co-branded credit card.
• 3:26
  SPEAKER_01: Um so, you know, and a large part of my team is also involved in the day-to-day loyalty operations, which is making sure that we're running the program and customers are having a great experience.
• 3:35
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, obviously, very important role in charge of partnerships, the technology, the customer loyalty focus.
• 3:40
  SPEAKER_00: You know, how did you get to where you are now?
• 3:42
  SPEAKER_00: Because there are a number of people uh that are members of multi 360R readers, they want to know how you get to that role.
• 3:49
  SPEAKER_00: Were there roles that you had before that were instrumental in getting you where you are today?
• 3:55
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I've actually uh been in the loyalty space for um over two decades.
• 4:00
  SPEAKER_01: I started my loyalty career back at United Airlines.
• 4:03
  SPEAKER_01: And uh in my time there, I really helped build up, I did different roles at royalty.
• 4:07
  SPEAKER_01: I helped build up um the rewards portfolio, uh, how members can earn their points and use their points.
• 4:13
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, when United merged with Continental, I helped uh lead the integration of the two loyalty programs.
• 4:19
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, and then after the integration, I actually led the go forward strategy for mileage plus and radically helped help radical drive a radical transformation of mileage plus.
• 4:27
  SPEAKER_01: Um, after that, I um got the opportunity to help uh uh the brand Under Armour launch their first ever loyalty program.
• 4:35
  SPEAKER_01: We launched um the program in many countries across the globe.
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_01: So uh, you know, I've uh I've had different roles in loyalty over the years, and I've really shaped my loyalty career, getting experiences and driving uh, you know, change and um evolving programs in different industries.
• 4:51
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 4:52
  SPEAKER_00: When you look at your role, uh you talked a little bit about it, uh technology's changing, uh, AI, uh expectations of customers are changing from a brand and customer loyalty perspective.
• 5:02
  SPEAKER_00: You know, what do you think are the biggest opportunities or even challenges that uh you know you're focused on in your role?
• 5:09
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I don't know if I'd call it an opportunity or a challenge, but I think something that um we're constantly looking at is the customer trends and making sure that we're hearing the customer feedback, hearing, seeing the customer trends and evolving the program based on that.
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_01: So for us, I think loyalty is not really a one-and-done thing.
• 5:26
  SPEAKER_01: We're like, it's not like a challenge that we're uh addressing at a time.
• 5:30
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, we want to make sure that we're keeping a pulse on the consumer.
• 5:33
  SPEAKER_01: And as those customer expectations are evolving, we're actually enhancing, evolving, and and you know, keeping our program abreast of you know the dynamic customers that we serve.
• 5:42
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 5:43
  SPEAKER_00: And our choice recently launched a new global campaign centered on travel values.
• 5:49
  SPEAKER_00: Can you tell us a bit more about that program, you know, how it came to be, what the importance and impact uh you're looking for in that program?
• 5:57
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah.
• 5:58
  SPEAKER_01: Um actually really excited about that campaign.
• 6:01
  SPEAKER_01: Um, that campaign really helps um uh show that um if you have the right stay, you can really help drive memorable experiences.
• 6:09
  SPEAKER_01: And um, the campaign really showcases how choice helps you get maximum value for um maximum value for your uh stay by really making a meaningful uh impact on the moments that really matter the most.
• 6:23
  SPEAKER_01: Um, if you look at the travel patterns, it's really tapping into how the travel uh patterns are emerging with guests today.
• 6:29
  SPEAKER_01: Guests are increasingly looking for experiences, they're looking for um more than just like things.
• 6:35
  SPEAKER_01: And uh the value has taken a very different meaning.
• 6:39
  SPEAKER_01: Uh today travelers want to stretch their travel and um stretch the dollars that they have for travel and use them for things like uh more events, more trips, more experiences, more moments.
• 6:50
  SPEAKER_01: So um we're really tapping on this shift in our campaign and really showcasing that um staying at Choice can really help you get most out of uh get you most out of your money and in you can make most of your stay and get a memorable experience.
• 7:04
  SPEAKER_01: So I think that's kind of been exciting how we've really leveraged the existing insights and the trends that we're actually seeing to shape that campaign.
• 7:13
  SPEAKER_01: Um in our campaign, we showcase um, you know, our brands that really help deliver and define this value.
• 7:20
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, we have uh right from our um call it the more familiar and easy uh comfort to our more upscale, elegant, um, you know, uh more of a local feel uh Cambria brand.
• 7:32
  SPEAKER_01: And together these brands show how we can actually help guests get more value and cater to the needs of different types of guests.
• 7:39
  SPEAKER_00: You know, when you look at value, it's a pretty significant discussion right now in customer loyalty across all brands.
• 7:45
  SPEAKER_00: And we've had you know a number of discussions last week.
• 7:48
  SPEAKER_00: We've had a kind of a peer group that talks about value.
• 7:50
  SPEAKER_00: It's very important, but it also is uh kind of dichotomous.
• 7:53
  SPEAKER_00: Some brands are actually listening to and understanding their customers, they're making the program more rewarding, right?
• 7:59
  SPEAKER_00: Giving that customer more value, something they're asking for, which can obviously be very advantageous to the client, but sometimes they may be uh you know debasing the program in ways that doesn't resonate with the customer.
• 8:11
  SPEAKER_00: So, you know, how important is travel value now?
• 8:14
  SPEAKER_00: And you know, how are you leveraging it and how does it relate to customer loyalty?
• 8:19
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, no, I think that's an excellent question.
• 8:21
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and quite honestly, I think uh we're taking a very different uh path than what several of the other brands are doing.
• 8:27
  SPEAKER_01: We're really most brands today are actually, to your point, like devaluing the customers, we're taking a slightly different approach.
• 8:33
  SPEAKER_01: Um, when we look at value, I think what we've when we look at kind of what travelers are looking for, they're looking to get maximum values from the brand they exchange, uh they're engaging with.
• 8:42
  SPEAKER_01: It's not about an expensive room or a cheap room, it's not about you know an upscale room or an economy room.
• 8:48
  SPEAKER_01: It's more about no matter what they're spending, they're actually looking to get maximum value from that.
• 8:53
  SPEAKER_01: And so I think we've leveraged a lot of the enhancements that we've made in our programs are leveraging that insight.
• 8:59
  SPEAKER_01: Um, you know, we made last year we made some changes to our one night program, and that was really about providing more value to the guests, adding more flexibility, um, you know, more price points, different room times, just providing that value in that form.
• 9:12
  SPEAKER_01: Um, the uh with the changes that we've done now, we've actually again integrated very meaningful uh elements of that value.
• 9:18
  SPEAKER_01: Customers are telling us that they value programs that provide more frequent rewards and they provide more frequent recognition.
• 9:24
  SPEAKER_01: So as we've really taken this concept of value forward in the most recent round of changes that we uh or enhancements that we've made to the program.
• 9:32
  SPEAKER_01: Um and our enhancements include making it easier for members to get status, um, introducing milestone awards that actually recognize customers along their journey as they're building their way up to a higher status.
• 9:43
  SPEAKER_01: So I think those are the ways in which we're thinking about value in the context of um of our program.
• 9:50
  SPEAKER_00: You talked a little bit about some of the changes and enhancements you've made to the choice privileges, uh, milestone rewards that kind of reinforce uh kind of the value of the program, what they have.
• 10:00
  SPEAKER_00: And many brands are looking to do that, right?
• 10:02
  SPEAKER_00: Reminders at the end of the year or quarterly uh to say you've redeemed this many points or you've earned this much.
• 10:08
  SPEAKER_00: But you know, when you look at some of these milestone uh moments you put in and thresholds, you know, lower level elite thresholds, you know, how did you go about making or deciding to make these key and important and impactful changes to the program?
• 10:23
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I think it ultimately it all starts with the consumer.
• 10:26
  SPEAKER_01: If you think about it, the program has to really resonate with what guests and customers are looking for.
• 10:31
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so we've done tremendous amount of consumer insight work before we actually went ahead and made any of these changes, uh, grounded in thousands of customers that gave inputs on like the different things that really mattered.
• 10:41
  SPEAKER_01: And um, you know, what we heard loud and clear, uh, and I had mentioned this a little bit earlier, guests are looking for, members are looking for uh more frequent rewards, uh rewards within reach and more frequent recognition.
• 10:55
  SPEAKER_01: I think one of the biggest feedback was like many guests in loyalty programs feel like they never get there, right?
• 11:00
  SPEAKER_01: Programs are really geared towards elite members.
• 11:03
  SPEAKER_01: So, you know, we integrated all these insights to make sure that the program that we're developing is not just catering to the needs of one type of customer.
• 11:11
  SPEAKER_01: We don't we believe that you shouldn't have to be just a very frequent elite member or somebody who has to be a spending tons of time on the road to be able to enjoy your loyalty program benefits.
• 11:19
  SPEAKER_01: So we've really taken that approach and made uh, you know, enhancements to our program to make sure that we're resonating to all the guests and all the members that we have at the program.
• 11:29
  SPEAKER_00: You talked a little bit about uh, you know, kind of making sure that they get to that redemption opportunity, uh, making it more flexible to them, you know.
• 11:37
  SPEAKER_00: But you also mentioned that the frequent guest, the extreme traveler, he may have a different expectation than uh less frequent or maybe even extended say guests.
• 11:48
  SPEAKER_00: So, you know, how does customer loyalty kind of show itself in the diverse audience that you have?
• 11:54
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, absolutely.
• 11:56
  SPEAKER_01: So um I'll I'll maybe give a couple of examples of the things that we've kind of looked at to cater to the different needs.
• 12:02
  SPEAKER_01: Um, we when we made our reward night changes um and enhanced that program, we we made a couple changes that really made it easier for these different types of guests to take advantage of the uh program.
• 12:13
  SPEAKER_01: For example, we introduced this concept of different room types, premium room types.
• 12:17
  SPEAKER_01: We know that uh the same guests can have very different needs.
• 12:20
  SPEAKER_01: If they're on a business trip, they may not care about a big room, but they're traveling with their family, then the type of the room really matters.
• 12:25
  SPEAKER_01: So we've introduced things like that into the program.
• 12:29
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, we also expanded our booking window.
• 12:31
  SPEAKER_01: If you think about it, um, business travelers, typically folks that are traveling uh, you know, on business, they tend to have uh closer booking windows.
• 12:38
  SPEAKER_01: But if you're taking a family trip, you may be planning months in advance.
• 12:41
  SPEAKER_01: So we expanded our booking window, really allowing uh uh for our award nights, really allowing our member our different types of guests to be able to take uh you know take advantage of the awards based on the needs that you know they have.
• 12:53
  SPEAKER_01: Um so I think those are like a couple examples uh um that kind of demonstrate that flexibility that reflects our base.
• 13:01
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 13:01
  SPEAKER_00: When when you look at customer loyalty programs across the tribal and hospitality uh arena, uh it's very important, right?
• 13:08
  SPEAKER_00: It's uh the data source, it's an engagement paradigm and platform as well.
• 13:14
  SPEAKER_00: Uh but when you look at your program, you know, how do you think choice privileges stands apart uh in in in the competitive landscape, especially for you know everyday travelers?
• 13:26
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 13:27
  SPEAKER_01: I I think we've been unique with the enhancements that we've made in the program that we have, we have we've done a really um um interesting way.
• 13:36
  SPEAKER_01: We've set ourselves apart because we balance really well the aspirational elements of the program with attainability.
• 13:42
  SPEAKER_01: And you know uh there are uh features that we've introduced in the program that actually build on that aspirational value, such as like we have our new titanium tier um that will get this new reward, like titanium travel award, where they get like 50% off a redemption.
• 13:58
  SPEAKER_01: And and that really resonates to our the aspirational um aspects of the uh you know of uh the guests.
• 14:04
  SPEAKER_01: At the same time, we've actually made the program very attainable.
• 14:07
  SPEAKER_01: There are features in the program, for example, we introduced uh, I think it was very innovative in the industry, the return and earn benefit, which is if you are a traveler, you don't have to be a frequent traveler, you don't have to be an elite.
• 14:18
  SPEAKER_01: If you're a guest who comes back to us for the second and the third time in the same year, we will give you additional bonus points, making it more attainable, making your award a lot more attainable.
• 14:27
  SPEAKER_01: So there's not, you know, there's not too many programs.
• 14:30
  SPEAKER_01: I think we're innovative in the space.
• 14:32
  SPEAKER_01: There's not too many programs that actually have that type of a benefit today.
• 14:35
  SPEAKER_01: I think the other piece that um uh you're seeing a lot in the industry are um subscription tiers and um, you know, um subscriptions and then paid tiers that folks are introducing for their loyalty programs.
• 14:47
  SPEAKER_01: And I think we've taken a different approach.
• 14:49
  SPEAKER_01: I think we've enhanced the program for all.
• 14:51
  SPEAKER_01: Like I said, there's things that we've introduced for all of our tiers uh that is different.
• 14:55
  SPEAKER_01: Like we made our thresholds easy.
• 14:56
  SPEAKER_01: It's easier to get elite status.
• 14:58
  SPEAKER_01: We've introduced these milestone rewards that members can get between the elite status, but we've also made the program very attainable for someone who's not that frequent.
• 15:06
  SPEAKER_01: But we want to make sure that they feel rewarded for their loyalty and they're rewarded for when they come back to us.
• 15:11
  SPEAKER_00: When you look at the travel industry, the hospitality industry, you know, it's changing.
• 15:16
  SPEAKER_00: Many uh industries are changing.
• 15:18
  SPEAKER_00: It's always interesting to hear, you know, how uh those we interview think that the industry is changing, expectations potentially, customers.
• 15:25
  SPEAKER_00: So uh, and then in and potentially even how rewards can impact that.
• 15:29
  SPEAKER_00: So, you know, how how's the travel and hospitality industry changing?
• 15:34
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I think um, you know, I kind of talked about this whole concept of experiences becoming uh important.
• 15:39
  SPEAKER_01: I think that's one dimension that has really evolved in the last couple of years, and I see that continuing.
• 15:46
  SPEAKER_01: Another area that I think the industry has changed in the years is that this whole concept of value that we talked about.
• 15:52
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I also think that customers are looking for uh more simplicity.
• 15:56
  SPEAKER_01: And um in what we've just created with the program, it's it's a very simple uh program designed around the way people travel.
• 16:03
  SPEAKER_01: And so I think those are the themes that I'm seeing emerge in in the travel space specifically.
• 16:08
  SPEAKER_01: And we're like keeping a pulse on these things and making sure we're adapting our program as the customer adapts.
• 16:15
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 16:15
  SPEAKER_00: And when you look at uh that adaptation, right, that that can be very challenging because many brands talk about listening to and understanding their customers, but oftentimes they don't actually do that though.
• 16:25
  SPEAKER_00: But you know, the changes you made, making uh lower level uh engagement options, changing the you know, the the tiers that that resonate and can be attainable are very important.
• 16:36
  SPEAKER_00: So, you know, how do you do that organizationally?
• 16:39
  SPEAKER_00: Making sure that you know uh you listen to and implementing some of the things that customers are asking for.
• 16:45
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, no, that's a great question.
• 16:47
  SPEAKER_01: Um, like I said before, I think it all starts with consumer and um guest insight, but at any point, we're always keeping a pulse of what's happening in the competitive landscape, what's happening in travel trends, uh, understanding what's happening with the customer base.
• 17:00
  SPEAKER_01: And once we have ideas that we believe that we want to move forward with, I think that's where we are bringing together a lot of uh different stakeholders within the company.
• 17:08
  SPEAKER_01: Um, you know, in the loyalty space, uh, I consider loyalty almost like a nucleus of the company, right?
• 17:14
  SPEAKER_01: It's like a nucleus.
• 17:14
  SPEAKER_01: And uh every department, every every uh function of the company has to be like well integrated.
• 17:19
  SPEAKER_01: So the big job once you have uh concepts and ideas is how do you bring people along that journey?
• 17:25
  SPEAKER_01: Um and I and I feel like that's something that you know we spent a lot of time doing is making sure we have that internal alignment and early buy-in so that we're all moving uh, you know, uh in the direction of bringing this change to life.
• 17:38
  SPEAKER_00: Now, Nat, that's interesting as well.
• 17:39
  SPEAKER_00: You mentioned kind of the nucleus, that's a unique way to look at it.
• 17:43
  SPEAKER_00: But there is definitely a kind of a dichotomy between brands who view it as an investment uh and potentially those who may view it more as an expense and need to be marginalized, especially when you may have turnover, the C-suite, new CMO, new CFO.
• 17:58
  SPEAKER_00: But to have that organizational alignment, that's a big challenge for many brands.
• 18:02
  SPEAKER_00: We talk about that quite often in the communities.
• 18:04
  SPEAKER_00: How do you get that organizational alignment?
• 18:05
  SPEAKER_00: How do you drive it and how do you keep it so you can have that nucleus?
• 18:08
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, how do you do such an amazing job of having that organizational buy and that executive level uh you know commitment to the program?
• 18:17
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, we um at choice, we view loyalty more um as something that helps drive what we call the flywheel effect.
• 18:24
  SPEAKER_01: We know that if a customer and a guest are satisfied, that actually results in repeat stays.
• 18:29
  SPEAKER_01: And if we get repeat stays, that actually results in higher returns for our owners and then also for choice.
• 18:35
  SPEAKER_01: So I think for us, we we think about loyalty in in the context of this flywheel.
• 18:41
  SPEAKER_01: And that's why we've actually been able to make huge strides with all the investments uh that we've made in the customer, ultimately to drive more for our franchisees and choice.
• 18:50
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 18:50
  SPEAKER_00: You know, beyond points and perks, uh kind of currency-based uh kind of reward options, you know, what creates the most engagement, emotional loyalty for choice guests?
• 19:00
  SPEAKER_00: And you know, where and how do you see that show up?
• 19:04
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I think um uh for emotional loyalty, if you think about it, like typically experiences are often the driver for travel, and people are looking to get those like elevated experiences, experiences that matter, and experiences that resonate with their passion points.
• 19:18
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, we have uh partnerships with uh Track House and Learfield, uh, and these are these are partners that we've introduced after knowing that our guests care about those types of experiences and benefits, and we're seeing a huge engagement and emotional connection that consumers and our members have as a result of making these um partnerships available to them.
• 19:38
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, excellent.
• 19:39
  SPEAKER_00: You know, you have partnerships uh with preferred hotels and resorts, Avis and more.
• 19:45
  SPEAKER_00: You know, partnerships are very important for brands.
• 19:47
  SPEAKER_00: Many brands struggle with regard to getting them integrated from a technology perspective, from even from a program perspective, right?
• 19:55
  SPEAKER_00: They're more bespoke now, they are uh, you know, they're custom, right?
• 19:59
  SPEAKER_00: Everyone wants to be unique.
• 20:00
  SPEAKER_00: So when you look at these partnerships, you know, how do they fit into the overall choice privileges strategy?
• 20:08
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, no, that's an excellent question.
• 20:10
  SPEAKER_01: You know, when we think about um guests and loyalty, guests are looking to travel, but they're they they have an end-to-end journey.
• 20:18
  SPEAKER_01: And they're looking for experiences to actually maximize that end-to-end journey.
• 20:21
  SPEAKER_01: They're looking for things outside of just hotel stays.
• 20:24
  SPEAKER_01: It's uh, you know, that they're definitely hotel is part of their journey, but that's not kind of the only thing that they're looking at.
• 20:29
  SPEAKER_01: They're looking for more experiences beyond that.
• 20:31
  SPEAKER_01: So when we think about partnerships, we're thinking about how can we elevate that end-to-end journey?
• 20:35
  SPEAKER_01: Which partnership makes sense that actually helps enhance that customer journey?
• 20:39
  SPEAKER_01: Um, from a loyalty dimension, uh, you know, members earn a lot of points.
• 20:44
  SPEAKER_01: And yes, they want to redeem their points for the hotel stays, but how do we provide more options that actually matter to them?
• 20:50
  SPEAKER_01: So for us, partnerships take both those dimensions, really enhancing that end-to-end journey where appropriate.
• 20:55
  SPEAKER_01: And then the other dimension is how do we provide more partners where they can earn and use their points so that they have more flexibility, they have more choice.
• 21:03
  SPEAKER_01: Um, because in today's world, uh customers may want to do different different types of customer segments, may want to do different things, and we want to make sure that we're providing them the flexible options to meet their needs.
• 21:13
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 21:13
  SPEAKER_00: And it's interesting, uh, the partnerships with preferred hotels and resorts, you know, many think that would be somewhat counterintuitive, right?
• 21:21
  SPEAKER_00: You have two uh hotel properties, uh, hostelity properties, but kind of an upscale property.
• 21:26
  SPEAKER_00: And we've seen across the uh, you know, many uh the industry that those can be very advantageous, right?
• 21:32
  SPEAKER_00: So how does the partnership with preferred hotels and resorts work?
• 21:35
  SPEAKER_00: Because it is somewhat competitive, potentially, you could be viewed as, right?
• 21:39
  SPEAKER_00: But it also can be very symbiotic as well.
• 21:41
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 21:42
  SPEAKER_01: I think we view it as very symbiotic because it's really giving our members another option to um use their points.
• 21:50
  SPEAKER_01: And um, you know, that's kind of how we see it.
• 21:53
  SPEAKER_01: And it's like expanding the breadth of options that they actually have.
• 21:57
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and we've seen like, you know, great engagement with our guest space.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_01: With those rewards.
• 22:01
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 22:02
  SPEAKER_00: You know, when you look at your uh program, you've been uh in charge of this amazing program for a while.
• 22:07
  SPEAKER_00: You know, what do you think you're most proud of?
• 22:09
  SPEAKER_00: What are two or three things that you're most proud of of the program as you've evolved it?
• 22:14
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I would say the I think the one number one thing for me is really having uh having launched a program that is really simple and designed for the way people travel.
• 22:24
  SPEAKER_01: Um, like I said, in a world where everybody's devaluing, we're actually taking a very different approach and um and and we're seeing the program resonate really well.
• 22:31
  SPEAKER_01: So super proud of that.
• 22:33
  SPEAKER_01: I think the other piece, which uh I touched upon this a little bit earlier, right?
• 22:36
  SPEAKER_01: Loyalty being a nucleus, but um really to do something uh that is that significant of a change, um it requires a lot of collaboration um across different stakeholders of the company.
• 22:48
  SPEAKER_01: So we're incredibly proud of like how uh as a team, as team choice, we've kind of brought it to life uh um in such an impactful way.
• 22:58
  SPEAKER_00: Excellent.
• 22:59
  SPEAKER_00: And when you look at uh you know, what's next?
• 23:02
  SPEAKER_00: Everyone's talking about AI, you talked about experiential rewards, you talked about personalized rewards uh being very, very important in recognition.
• 23:11
  SPEAKER_00: You know, what do you think the next big thing in customer loyalty and customer experience is for your brand?
• 23:17
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I think we've um with the changes and enhancements that we've uh made to the program, we've really elevated our uh our rewards.
• 23:26
  SPEAKER_01: Um, we've really elevated how members earn status.
• 23:29
  SPEAKER_01: I think an area that we're gonna continue to look at is partnerships and how we can actually uh you know bring more to our guest space through our partners so that we can really have that better end-to-end journey.
• 23:40
  SPEAKER_01: So we're constantly looking at and evaluating the right types of partnerships that are meaningful uh for our guest space.
• 23:47
  SPEAKER_01: So that's definitely an area.
• 23:49
  SPEAKER_01: Um as we did these changes, we've also made significant enhancements to our um our capabilities, and we are really looking forward to further enhancing how we're personalizing, leveraging the data that we're collecting on our guests and how we actually can be more meaningful and personalized to them.
• 24:04
  SPEAKER_01: So those are the two areas that you know we're really focused on to continue to build and enhance.
• 24:10
  SPEAKER_00: That's awesome.
• 24:11
  SPEAKER_00: Are there any new uh partnerships uh that that uh you have on the horizon for you know 2026?
• 24:17
  SPEAKER_01: We're always talking, like you know, as as any business, we're always talking to a lot of partners.
• 24:22
  SPEAKER_01: I think there are you know there's there's definitely a lot that we're exploring right now, but more to come.
• 24:27
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 24:28
  SPEAKER_00: And last question, a little bit self-serving.
• 24:30
  SPEAKER_00: You know, what can Loyalty 360 do to help you and your team with their customer loyalty efforts?
• 24:35
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, no, and I think we really love the collaboration that we've had with um with um with you guys.
• 24:41
  SPEAKER_01: I think you provide an excellent forum where folks can share kind of the latest trends, the innovation, what's happening in the industry, what's working.
• 24:49
  SPEAKER_01: And I think we're really looking forward to continuing to collaborate on that so that we can continue to share our ideas and you know help shape um innovation in the industry.
• 24:59
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, excellent.
• 25:00
  SPEAKER_00: Well, thank you very much for that.
• 25:01
  SPEAKER_00: Uh now we have some uh we used to call these quick fire questions.
• 25:04
  SPEAKER_00: I'm not sure what we call them now.
• 25:06
  SPEAKER_00: I'll have to ask Ann and the team.
• 25:08
  SPEAKER_00: But uh, you know, when you look at customer loyalty programs, are there some uh customer loyalty programs that you're uh you know a member of or participant of?
• 25:16
  SPEAKER_01: Many, many of uh work with, you know, definitely United Under Armour and Choice.
• 25:23
  SPEAKER_01: Uh but there's several others.
• 25:25
  SPEAKER_01: I I consider Amazon Prime a loyalty program because of its you know subscription nature.
• 25:30
  SPEAKER_01: Um Sephora is another one that I participate in and Nordstrom's.
• 25:33
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, there's a whole bunch, but I think those are the few that um that I use more frequently.
• 25:38
  SPEAKER_00: Excellent.
• 25:39
  SPEAKER_00: And when you look at these customer loyalty programs, you know, what customer loyalty program or your brand in general are you most loyal to and why?
• 25:48
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, for me, um I'm really loyal to Sephora as a brand.
• 25:51
  SPEAKER_01: Um, you know, I I think they do a really great job with their loyalty program.
• 25:54
  SPEAKER_01: They make sure that, you know, um when I go to the websites, their recommendations are personalized to me.
• 26:00
  SPEAKER_01: Um when I go to the store, I get really great benefits from the loyalty.
• 26:04
  SPEAKER_01: So that's one brand that for me stands out.
• 26:06
  SPEAKER_01: And they do a really great job celebrating milestones like your birthday.
• 26:10
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so that's one brand that I often talk about um, you know, going back to.
• 26:15
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 26:16
  SPEAKER_00: Uh a lot of reading uh in customer loyalty.
• 26:19
  SPEAKER_00: It's always interesting to hear.
• 26:20
  SPEAKER_00: Kind of a favorite book that uh individuals like to read.
• 26:23
  SPEAKER_00: Is there a book that you uh are a big fan of?
• 26:26
  SPEAKER_00: You like to recommend to colleagues?
• 26:28
  SPEAKER_01: Um I was gonna give a non-loyalty book, but more of a leadership book uh book for this time, like True North.
• 26:34
  SPEAKER_01: Uh that's a book I just finished reading.
• 26:36
  SPEAKER_01: It's it's really um an interesting book that talks about authentic leadership.
• 26:40
  SPEAKER_01: Um it's it's not loyalty-centric, but it's really talks about how uh if you leverage your own internal compass, you can help create lasting impact and and you know, lasting influence on the team, on the business.
• 26:53
  SPEAKER_01: Um that's one book that I've been reading that I'd love to recommend.
• 26:56
  SPEAKER_00: That's awesome.
• 26:57
  SPEAKER_00: Uh I think it's in my audible book.
• 27:00
  SPEAKER_00: I think I purchased it uh like 700 there that I haven't gotten to.
• 27:02
  SPEAKER_00: So uh I'll have to put uh put that to the top.
• 27:05
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it it takes courage to be authentic, for sure.
• 27:08
  SPEAKER_01: Because you know, you always aspire to be like another leader, and this book is all about you know, breaking that paradigm.
• 27:14
  SPEAKER_00: Excellent.
• 27:14
  SPEAKER_00: And you look at uh your uh profession, very successful, but it would there be something maybe you'd like to try different if you could do it again, or yeah, is there kind of another field you may like to get involved in?
• 27:27
  SPEAKER_01: Oh yeah.
• 27:28
  SPEAKER_01: I think uh if I weren't doing this, I would probably be an academia, a professor.
• 27:33
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 27:34
  SPEAKER_00: And and who inspired you to become the person you are today?
• 27:38
  SPEAKER_01: I think there have been this was a tough one.
• 27:40
  SPEAKER_01: Uh that there are many folks that have actually helped me along my entire journey.
• 27:45
  SPEAKER_01: My parents definitely, you know, they told me I always should be believing in myself.
• 27:49
  SPEAKER_01: So there's definitely that.
• 27:51
  SPEAKER_01: But along my entire career, I've actually met some very impactful people.
• 27:55
  SPEAKER_01: And I'm like a student, like I will always look at my environment and say, what can I get out of it?
• 28:00
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and I've always been, I've always found one or two leaders where I would be like, Yes, I wish I could be like them.
• 28:06
  SPEAKER_01: And I think that gives me the inspiration and helps shape me and and continue to evolve uh who I am as a person and as a leader.
• 28:14
  SPEAKER_00: And last question, you know, how do you want to be remembered by friends and family?
• 28:19
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, this was a this is a the tough one, I think.
• 28:22
  SPEAKER_01: Um but just as someone who cares and has and has had a lasting impact or some type of an impact on their life.
• 28:29
  SPEAKER_00: That's awesome.
• 28:30
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 28:30
  SPEAKER_00: Well, Nadika, thank you very much for taking the time to join us today.
• 28:33
  SPEAKER_00: It was a pleasure speaking with you and and learning more and getting an update on the Choice Hotels uh customer loyalty program.
• 28:39
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, you guys continue to set the bar.
• 28:41
  SPEAKER_00: And obviously, uh talking to you today was uh it had been a while since we connected, but your passion for customer loyalty, kind of the authenticity you have around the customer was great to hear as well.
• 28:52
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you.
• 28:52
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you, Mark.
• 28:53
  SPEAKER_01: It was great to reconnect and appreciate the time.
• 28:56
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
• 28:56
  SPEAKER_00: And thank you, everyone, for taking the time to uh join us today.
• 28:59
  SPEAKER_00: Make sure you join us back every Thursday for a new episode of our Leaders and Customer Loyalty series, the brand stories podcast.
• 29:06
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, make sure to subscribe and follow us on YouTube and other social media channels.
• 29:09
  SPEAKER_00: And until then, have a wonderful day.