Loyalty & CX awards gala celebrates brands connecting in new ways
The annual Irish Loyalty & CX Awards, sponsored by Visa, pay tribute to the brands building lasting and profitable customer relationships through innovation
The RDS in Dublin was the setting for this year’s Irish Loyalty & CX Awards, with SuperValu scooping the overall prize for Customer Loyalty Programme of the Year 2023.
The Irish Loyalty & CX Awards, sponsored by Visa, recognise and pay tribute to the brands building lasting and profitable customer relationships. This special global competition brings together the leaders in loyalty, to celebrate innovation and creativity. This year’s ceremony was hosted by comedian Barry Murphy.
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Established (5 years+) Loyalty Programme of the Year:SuperValu – Real RewardsImage 2 of 7
Retail Loyalty Programme/Initiative of the Year: Tesco | dunnhumby – Building long-term loyalty using personalisation science to reward customersImage 3 of 7
Customer Experience of the Year Award: Energia – Energia RewardsImage 4 of 7
Financial Services Loyalty Programme/Initiative of the Year: permanent tsb– Explore AccountImage 5 of 7
Best Customer Experience in Travel & Leisure:WIN | WIN Group – Early TableImage 6 of 7
Technology Programme/Initiative of the Year:KFC – KFC Rewards ArcadeImage 7 of 7
Loyalty Industry Innovation of the Year:Vodafone – Shake to WinFor the past four years, the Awards have provided a platform for loyalty initiatives to get recognised and set a new standard for customer experience, and this year’s gala event brought together a diverse range of leading Irish brands and professionals for a night of celebration, endorsement and networking.
Personalisation, the convergence of physical and digital loyalty programs, the rise of digital loyalty initiatives, and a focus on sustainability and social responsibility are all trends seen across the 2023 entrants.
Commenting on this year’s Awards, programme co-founders Marian Kelly and Eileen McGuinness said that the entries demonstrated how the loyalty marketing landscape continues to evolve in 2023, with businesses adopting new technologies and approaches to engage and reward their customers.
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There were a range of winners in the Loyalty All Stars categoryImage 2 of 8
CSR/Community/Green Loyalty Programme or Initiative of the Year: AXA - Axa Parks – Coming Together for ActionImage 3 of 8
Loyalty Programme Marketing Campaign of the Year:Sky – Sky VIP, it’s the treatment you deserveImage 4 of 8
B2B Loyalty Programme/Initiative of the Year:Dulux Paints Ireland – Dulux Trade PointsImage 5 of 8
Employee Recognition of the Year Award: Marks & Spencer – Delivering unique benefits to help colleaguesImage 6 of 8
Loyalty Partnership Programme/Initiative of the Year: Electric ireland – Electric Ireland Rewards and SuperValu Real Rewards Loyalty PartnershipImage 7 of 8
Best Utilities Loyalty Programme/Initiative of the Year:SSE Airtricity – SSE Reward – Rewards Worth ExperiencingImage 8 of 8
Irish Loyalty Personality of the Year:Jeff Harbourne – Head of Personal Banking – permanent tsb“Over the last few years, we have witnessed the loyalty marketing profession truly elevate itself and rise to the multiple challenges that have come its way. In moments of hard times, we have seen loyalty programmes and initiatives that have engaged and inspired their customers here in Ireland.
“We are incredibly proud of what our loyalty industry in Ireland has achieved and as we move forward in 2023 where shopping habits, customer preferences, and expectations of brands have experienced a watershed, and where consumers are regularly reassessing their brand loyalties, it is crucial we not only deliver what people want, but look further into the future and think about how we deliver beyond the products and services and develop a holistic loyalty strategy that goes beyond just transactional benefits.”
Commenting on the future of loyalty programmes, Kelly and McGuinness said: “This year and beyond will continue to test Irish enterprises – and in today’s highly saturated competitive market, loyalty can be a fickle thing. We have to constantly adapt and determine the best possible loyalty initiatives to achieve success. With price no longer the only determining factor, exceeding customers’ expectations is what helps companies stand out from the crowd.”
