Loyalty drives customer attraction and retention for modern brands
Customers have more options than ever online and offline. Here are four ways to beat your competition by using loyalty programs:
Offering a unique loyalty experience
Companies can increase their value by adding features to enhance the customer experience. For example, Tru’s loyalty programs include custom designs for web portals, cards and card carriers. This is important because a brand’s visual presentation is often the first touchpoint on a customer’s journey. Some companies, like American Express, famously indicate tiered card rewards based on a card’s colour. As a result, the AmEx brand retains customers from hip-hop to transit.
Attracting customers with referrals
Today, 90% of companies employ a customer engagement or loyalty program. At the same time, 61% of customers switched at least some of their purchasing from one brand to another in the last year. This means companies must reconsider where they spend on loyalty and how they aim to attract new clients.
One option is to focus on retention through highly satisfied clients. For example, cities (i.e. Mississauga) running successful Tru Prepaid Programs may lead to interest from local associations (i.e. Pearson International Airport). Importantly, brands must appreciate the power that modern consumers have through online reviews and word-of-mouth advertising. Social media’s reach increases this power. So, brands retaining their most satisfied customers may rely on those customers’ relationships to recruit new customers while retaining current ones.
Using data to drive smarter decisions
With data collection, ‘the sooner the better’ is always the best answer.
Former Yahoo! CEO Marissa Meyer
Former Yahoo! CEO Marissa Meyer said, “With data collection, ‘the sooner the better’ is always the best answer.” In loyalty programs, this means organizing customer activity and analyzing to understand consumer habits. Global companies like Amazon, Apple and Google study enormous amounts of data, but your business can make smarter strategic decisions from your current customers too. There are many free data analysis tools to get you started.
For instance, if customers prefer converting points to crypto rather than spending points as cash online, then your business can tailor more rewards to crypto users. Moreover, this may give you a new lead when identifying new markets—a valuable time saver from the information you already collect.
Diversifying services in competitive industries
Modern customers are increasingly fond of do-it-all platforms— termed super apps— where products and services are centralized. But some industries, like Insurance, do not benefit from digital experiences like tech companies. This is because many insurance customers value price over features. In turn, insurance companies race for the lower price, creating high customer churn.
The solution is to offer loyalty programs that form relationships with customers and their families— loyalty drives customer attraction. Certainly, this type of personal relationship is useful in an industry like insurance, where children of adult customers will eventually purchase insurance too. Some loyalty examples include limiting rate hikes for minor accidents or improving reward quality over time. These adjustments retain customers in industries where “shopping around” is normal.
Contact us to grow your business through the power of intelligent loyalty.
Nikko is a talented Art Director with over three years of experience at Tru Universe. He seamlessly blends creativity and analytical thinking to develop innovative solutions that drive project success. His proficiency in design software enables him to craft visually stunning designs that align with client branding and compliance standards.
From print materials to digital campaigns, Nikko is dedicated to helping clients achieve their goals and make a lasting impact. His collaborative approach and keen eye for detail have enabled him to elevate brands and deliver impactful visual identities that resonate with target audiences.
Junius Cheng CBAP® | C.Mgr. | CAPM® | CCMP™
Senior Director, Strategy and Business Enablement
Junius is an international strategist with business analysis, project and change management skills, experience in managing clients and stakeholders to improve operations efficiency and realize business opportunities through structured problem-solving and business process optimization.
He possesses the ability to get people to work together. He is also a versatile contributor who can deal with ambiguity or develop processes, seamlessly providing value through making viable business recommendations, brand building, client relationship management, and delivering success to companies.
Jamie Rust
Global Sales Director
Jamie is a seasoned Global Sales Director with over 20 years of experience driving sales optimization, business development, and exceptional customer service. He has a proven track record of success in implementing new programs and fostering strong client relationships. By actively collaborating with internal teams and external stakeholders, Jamie has consistently exceeded sales targets and increased customer retention rates.
He has cultivated and maintained strong relationships with key decision-makers, resulting in increased customer retention rates. Additionally, he has worked with cross-functional teams to develop and execute sales plans, setting targets and KPIs, and tracking progress over time.
Lisette Anciaes
Senior Program Director
Lisette is a seasoned Senior Program Director with over 5 years of experience in strategic planning, sales effectiveness, and client relationship management. Her expertise in program management ensures the successful delivery of complex projects, from inception to launch. With a strong background in business administration and marketing, Lisette is adept at aligning business objectives with innovative strategies.
Her ability to exceed build lasting client relationships has made her a valuable asset for Tru Universe .
Roy Murad
Chairman
Roy is a seasoned investment banking and corporate finance specialist with over 40 years of experience. He has been instrumental in launching, participating in, and providing advisory services for various business ventures and community projects. His deep understanding of the finance industry, including complex transactions, enables him to deliver strategic financial solutions.
Huguette Masse
CEO
Huguette is a proven, result-oriented leader of Tru Universe with 30+ years of experience in the financial services industry. She possesses unparalleled expertise in developing and launching innovative loyalty and payment initiatives.
Her wealth of experience and expertise within the industry assures you that your program and portfolio’s operations can be successfully delivered and launched. Her expertise ensures that your program and portfolio will be fully compliant and well-organized, both operationally and financially.
Mira Tzur
Senior Vice President
As Senior Vice President, Mira oversees media and marketing initiatives, leading a talented team and serving as the company’s official spokesperson. Her key contributions include elevating brand visibility, expanding global reach and facilitating legal compliance.
Her expertise in crafting compelling content, building strong brands, and leveraging strategic partnerships has been instrumental in elevating the company’s global presence.
Chris Michaelis
Vice President of Marketing
Chris is an experienced Marketing Professional with 15+ years of experience in the prepaid and financial services industry. Bringing a wealth of knowledge and creativity to the Tru Team, Chris is responsible for the planning, creation, execution and on-going measurement of the company’s internal and external marketing activities. He oversees the creative process from concept to execution, ensuring client needs are met while maintaining the profitability and quality of each program.
His creativity and wealth of experience guarantee that your marketing plans are well-formulated and well-thought-out.
Diana Marie
Payment Consultant
Diana brings more than 30 years of experience in banking and payment solutions to the company. A pioneer in creating innovative banking products, her work has involved developing core banking solutions for non-profits, private companies and governments across the globe. Among her industry firsts, Diana worked with the Government of Canada to launch the country’s first cash back points program for all of Canada’s sports associations. Diana also led the development of the first web-based digital currency platform in the world and advises central banks worldwide on payments and innovation.
Lauren Weekes
Vice President of Operations
Lauren brings over 20 years of experience to Tru Universe. As the VP of Operations, she oversees the organizational activities supporting operational leadership in multiple departments from finance and IT to human resources and accounts payable.
Her role encompasses many duties, including managing client technical issues, strategizing process improvements, and liaising with banking submissions. Lauren’s thorough knowledge of internal processes has allowed for many successful programs.
Dianne Dickens
Senior Vice President of Customer Service
Dianne brings a wealth of experience to address any unique scenarios of issues, disputes, or discrepancies that cardholders face. Through her years of experience and expertise, she has supervised, coordinated and managed the company’s client management process and functions. She has been a key pillar of the firm’s Customer Services team, guiding and directing the Customer Services team to achieve company, team, and individual goals.
Her experiences and her team assured clients and cardholders that their issues would be addressed quickly, so you can trust your issues are in good hands.
Aysha Shahid
Risk & Compliance Manager
Aysha leads our compliance team, bringing extensive expertise and recognized international credentials, including the ICA Specialist Certificate in Conduct Risk (International Compliance Association), ICA Certificate in KYC & CDD (International Compliance Association), and Complaints Handling Specialist (Redcliffe Training, UK).
In her role, she ensures strict adherence to regulatory requirements while maintaining the highest standards of security and trust that aligns with the needs of our banking partners.
Ray Forzley
Chief Financial Officer
Ray has 15 years of expertise in leading companies adhering to financial and accounting best practices. He oversees financial operations to ensure the company’s continued financial strength and regulatory compliance.
Nikko Pangilinan
Junius Cheng 
Jamie Rust
Lisette Anciaes
Roy Murad
Huguette Masse
Mira Tzur
Chris Michaelis
Diana Marie
Lauren Weekes
Dianne Dickens
Aysha Shahid
Ray Forzley