Business-to-Business<\/em>), aimed at commercial intermediaries, including distributors, owners and sales staff.<\/p>\n\n\n\nAmong the most popular loyalty schemes in Poland in 2020 were: Orlen Vitay, Moja Biedronka, Lidl Plus, Klub Rossmann and Payback. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
How do you set up a loyalty scheme?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Setting up a loyalty programme involves a complex, multi-stage process. To begin with, you need, amongst other things, to define your objectives precisely, analyse your competitors\u2019 activities, understand the preferences of future participants and calculate the incentive ratio. Next, you need to define the legal and tax framework and develop or implement a suitable IT system. After that, you must design and test promotional materials, as well as sign contracts with reward suppliers, whilst planning all the logistics of their distribution. All these activities must, of course, be funded once the necessary resources have been secured or the Board has been persuaded to allocate the budget. The next stage involves measuring effectiveness and efficiency and drawing up a risk management plan. Finally, all the tasks listed must be implemented on time, whilst maintaining ongoing communication with participants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As you can see, this is a complicated procedure. Despite this, many organisers do not immediately decide to work with an external partner. Usually, the first thought is to carry out the whole process on your own<\/strong>. This approach may work, but only if the organisation has the appropriate human resources, skills and expertise. Organising a loyalty programme involves a wide range of issues, such as tax models, IT systems, and marketing and creative initiatives. Many people assume that doing it all on their own will simply be the cheapest option. Indeed, this may be the case, but the results are unlikely to be the best. It is highly likely that many mistakes will be made due to a lack of experience. It is wisest to implement loyalty programmes correctly the first time. Repeated attempts damage the company\u2019s reputation and also expose it to significant losses. For this reason, mistakes and shortcomings should be avoided at all costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat can you do if you need help? One rather extreme option is to join an existing multi-partner or coalition programme<\/strong>. This makes the whole process of implementing a loyalty scheme much easier. All the tasks involved in launching and running such a scheme have already been completed. It is integrated into an existing framework, which is why ready-made solutions are used.<\/p>\n\n\n\nTo explain this issue, we can use an automotive analogy. Creating and implementing a loyalty programme on your own is like buying your own car. You own it, so you can do whatever you like with it. You can go wherever you like at a time that suits you. However, you have to maintain the car \u2013 pay for fuel, insurance, repairs, and so on. Joining a multi-partner programme is more like travelling by bus. You don\u2019t own the vehicle, so you can\u2019t influence its route or timetable. However, you can get to where you need to go simply by paying for a ticket \u2013 the cost of which is a tiny fraction of the expenses involved in owning a car. What\u2019s more, in the event of a breakdown, traffic jams or other inconveniences, you can always simply get off and switch to another mode of transport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Both of the options presented are rather extreme. There are also other, hybrid solutions. A convenient alternative is to outsource some of the activities involved in developing, implementing and maintaining the programme<\/strong>. In this way, it is possible to supplement your existing expertise, human resources and tools with support from an external company. By outsourcing specific tasks, the entire process can be made considerably easier and more efficient. Assistance is usually required with setting up an IT system, marketing activities (including website development) or the entire logistics process involved in purchasing and distributing prizes.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhich of these implementation options is the best? There is no single, definitive answer to this question. The decision should always depend on individual circumstances and capabilities, as well as the available budget.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why is it not a good idea to run a loyalty scheme without the help of specialists from an external company? <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The question central to this article can be answered by referring to one of the arguments in favour of this solution, namely experiences<\/strong>. Support from specialists who are suitably qualified and have been involved in the design, implementation and supervision of loyalty programmes for many years offers nothing but benefits. By establishing such a partnership, you can draw on all the necessary knowledge, expertise and experience. Such professionals are fully aware of all possible pitfalls and risks, and know how to avoid them. With their help, you can minimise the risk of any shortcomings, of which there would certainly be many if you were to attempt to organise the programme entirely on your own. By paying a fee, you therefore gain access to many years of practical, hands-on expertise, which will certainly help you achieve specific, pre-defined objectives.<\/p>\n\n\n\nAnother reason why implementing programmes on one\u2019s own is not very beneficial is the need to invest in the necessary tools<\/strong>. These include not only professional computer systems, but also storage space and even desks for new recruits. Using ready-made, specialised and, moreover, tried-and-tested infrastructure is more convenient, or indeed more sensible.<\/p>\n\n\n\nAnother important point is that a much lower cost<\/strong>, which stems from the issue described earlier. There is no need to buy tools, hire new staff or rent warehouses. All of this is already organised and paid for, and the cost of using an external company will always be lower than financing and maintaining all the necessary infrastructure yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\nUltimately, the following are also of great importance: time and quality<\/strong>. Implementation carried out by specialists takes less time, and the results are always better. Attempting to do it yourself only leads to mistakes, corrections and delays, all of which affect the end result.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat should you look for when choosing a partner to manage your loyalty scheme?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
A manager planning to launch or run a B2C or B2B programme who is looking for a professional agency to which they can entrust some or all of the work must make a sensible decision. If the choice is the wrong one, it will have an impact on the time, costs and quality of the entire project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In practice, most people are guided by highly subjective criteria, such as the way they communicate or mutual trust. Such feelings are important, but they should not be the deciding factor. Objectively speaking, one should focus on the five most important issues. These are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- experience gained whilst working on similar projects,<\/li>
- a professional information security management system,<\/li>
- its own, functional IT system,<\/li>
- its own logistics facilities,<\/li>
- a well-established, tried-and-tested legal and tax compliance system.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
It is also worth finding out whether the work process is to be supervised by a team of experienced managers under the guidance of a managing partner. This is a very important issue, yet one that is often overlooked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Experience gained whilst working on similar projects. <\/strong>It is not without reason that experience is regarded as the most important requirement in tender procedures for the management of a loyalty or incentive scheme. Only through first-hand experience can one know how to properly carry out the various stages of designing, implementing and overseeing such a project.<\/p>\n\n\n\nSuch a long-term partnership, which involves the exchange of sales data and personal details of business partners, clearly cannot be established with entities that have experience in serving customers from competing companies. It is standard practice to ensure sector exclusivity. For this reason, it is best to select partners with experience gained on similar projects, but in different market sectors. It is also always a good idea to verify the references provided at source, for example, by speaking to project leaders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Information Security Management System. <\/strong>In the implementation of a loyalty or incentive programme, the exchange of sales data \u2013 which is required for calculating points or rewards \u2013 is of paramount importance. Databases containing sales volumes or values are often highly detailed. Care must therefore be taken to ensure that they are not lost or disclosed to third parties. Furthermore, the organisation must, after all, continuously generate reports that form the basis for awarding rewards and making further decisions. Consequently, the partner must ensure the integrity of the information and maintain its confidentiality.<\/p>\n\n\n\nOf course, one cannot rely solely on the provider\u2019s assurances. One should only choose agencies that hold ISO 27001 certification \u2013 confirming compliance with the international standard governing information security management systems. To be on the safe side, you can also check the body that carried out the audit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
IT system. <\/strong>In the market, one of two solutions is most commonly used \u2013 bespoke software, developed for a specific organisation, and publicly available tools based on the \u201ebox-style\u201d<\/em>. In the first case, the software is perfectly tailored to your needs and is ideally suited to managing loyalty schemes. The second option, however, involves using a programme with limited functionality.<\/p>\n\n\n\nAs you might expect, if you value security, experience and quality, the most sensible choice is to select a company with its own proprietary system, ideally hosted on a dedicated server at a reputable hosting centre. This will allow you to avoid the sub-contractor\u2019s mark-up with every change, and you won\u2019t have to disclose confidential information either.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Our own logistics centre. <\/strong>Rewards play a key role in loyalty and incentive schemes. If they are physical items, they need to be stored somewhere. What\u2019s more, space is required for their inventory management, as well as for packing, addressing and dispatch. If a partner outsources logistics to another company, they will once again be passing on loyal customers\u2019 personal data to an external party. Such practices unnecessarily compromise confidentiality.<\/p>\n\n\n\nFurthermore, this solution entails additional costs and complications. This may lead to problems arising from limited flexibility, relating, for example, to the timing of prize dispatches, the ability to deliver the service by a specified deadline, or even working hours. All of this may affect the overall work schedule.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Legal and tax safeguards. <\/strong>When running a loyalty scheme, it is particularly important to bear in mind the legal and tax risks. It is essential to take a rigorous approach to the recognition and documentation of taxable income arising from the awarding of prizes, as well as to issues relating to VAT, the invoicing of the service component and prizes, and the preparation of accounting entries.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe organisation to which one wishes to entrust the organisation of the entire operation should have a proven legal and tax compliance system in place. Ideally, this should be supported by individual tax rulings, etc.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Specjali\u015bci zajmuj\u0105cy si\u0119 prowadzeniem program\u00f3w lojalno\u015bciowych posiadaj\u0105 odpowiedni\u0105 wiedz\u0119, do\u015bwiadczenie oraz narz\u0119dzia, dzi\u0119ki czemu pozwalaj\u0105 obni\u017cy\u0107 koszty przedsi\u0119wzi\u0119cia, a tak\u017ce skracaj\u0105 czas realizacji. Argumenty te wyra\u017anie przemawiaj\u0105 za tym, \u017ce nie op\u0142aca si\u0119 zajmowa\u0107 takimi dzia\u0142ami na w\u0142asn\u0105 r\u0119k\u0119. Je\u015bli jednak chce si\u0119 skorzysta\u0107 z pomocy zewn\u0119trznej firmy, nale\u017cy j\u0105 wybra\u0107 na podstawie kilku wa\u017cnych…<\/p>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1326,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1320","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-programy-lojalnosciowe"],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":33,"label":"Programy lojalno\u015bciowe"}]},"featured_image_src_large":["https:\/\/i360.com.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/program-lojalnos\u0301ciowy-zewne\u0328trznie.jpg",640,425,false],"author_info":{"display_name":"Tomasz Makaruk","author_link":"https:\/\/i360.com.pl\/en\/author\/autor\/"},"comment_info":0,"category_info":[{"term_id":33,"name":"Programy lojalno\u015bciowe","slug":"programy-lojalnosciowe","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":33,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":24,"filter":"raw","term_order":"0","cat_ID":33,"category_count":24,"category_description":"","cat_name":"Programy lojalno\u015bciowe","category_nicename":"programy-lojalnosciowe","category_parent":0}],"tag_info":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/i360.com.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1320","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/i360.com.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/i360.com.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/i360.com.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/i360.com.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1320"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/i360.com.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1320\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/i360.com.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1326"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/i360.com.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1320"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/i360.com.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1320"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/i360.com.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1320"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}