Clubbed to Death

Consumers like to belong, but they're sick of frequent-shopper cards. There are better ways to retain loyal customers, says PreVision Marketing principal Dierdre Girard. She suggests these alternatives for loyalty clubs:

Bingo programs are getting popular. Consumers collect points for a few months to earn rewards. A retention program can string together bingo games at key times throughout the year.

Occasion clubs let marketers automatically enroll key consumers for occasion-based incentives - a Birthday Bonus Month or Summer of Fun discounts. Short-term programs keep interest high.

Use a newsletter format. Consumers give the same information to apply for a free subscription, and mailings can carry the same offers a loyalty club makes.

Service is cheap to offer and means a lot to consumers. Create a free special service for those key customers.