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The Loyalty NewswireJuly 21, 2025

The Loyalty Newswire from The Wise Marketer

From the Editor

Happy Monday!

The world is navigating how to best leverage the benefits of Artificial Intelligence while managing its risks. Case studies are coming to life and our story here shows Hertz may be learning that its roll out of AI damage assessment scanners have the potential to destroy customer loyalty.

New research is available from Kobie and arrivia that you should download and mix into your thinking. Kobie reveals how loyalty programs must evolve while arrivia has findings pointing to generational differences in travel loyalty behaviors.

We also share some great job opportunities in the industry.

You may notice we are giving more coverage lately to Google, Instagram, and TikTok, while treating topics like the evolution of search and ecommerce. That’s because loyalty isn’t just analog anymore and the customer journey begins online in ways that traditional loyalty marketing has not previously considered.

It’s time to spread your wings to compete into the future and we hope this Newsletter helps you keep up with all the change. We are here to help you succeed. Let us know how we can help.

Bill Hanifin, Managing Editor, The Wise Marketer

Short Takes

Why AI Powered Conversational Search is a Threat to Google

In June 2025, Google’s global search share slipped to 89.54%, with the first drop below 90% in October 2024. The numbers hint at a sweeping shift in the search market, where billions of queries are escaping Google and moving into new, conversational gateways.

Learn about the future of search via this article quoting Scott Cohen, CEO, InboxArmy “Brands that treat AI assistants like another search silo risk being left out of the conversation. You need to script your product narrative as if you’re speaking directly to your customer, because that’s exactly what’s happening.”

Google Says AI Won’t Replace The Need For SEO

Now for an opposing view on the topic. Google’s John Mueller and Martin Splitt discuss the question of whether AI will replace the need for SEO in this article. Mueller expressed a common-sense opinion about the reality of the web ecosystem and AI chatbots as they exist today.

Among many topics covered, the two touched on SEO basics that a business needs to know and asked if generative AI will make having to learn SEO obsolete or whether entering a prompt will give all the answers a business person needs to know. Keep up with these changes!

Why TikTok Is Beating Instagram at In-App Shopping

Social commerce is booming with global sales projected at $1.2 trillion in 2025, and TikTok is outpacing rivals thanks to its in-app shopping experience. TikTok is dominating the UK’s social shopping scene, with its in-app checkout and viral discovery model outpacing Instagram and redefining how micro-brands sell.

In contrast, Instagram’s shop still redirects users to external websites, adding friction and lowering impulse purchases. What is TikTok’s core advantage? Daniel French, a UK-based business advisor and digital strategist offers insights. @Businessmagnet.

Hertz AI Rental Car Damage Scanners have potential to destroy Customer Loyalty

Hertz is using AI-powered scanners to detect damage on rental vehicles, and some customers have reported being charged for minor damages, including processing and administrative fees, that they believe are unfair. These charges can be significant, even for seemingly minor issues, and the process of disputing the charges can be difficult.

The story here is representative of what is circulating among consumers today, i.e. “how you can protect yourself against the AI damage scanners used by Hertz”. This is an example of how brand loyalty and customer loyalty are inextricably linked. Significant brand damage can be perpetrated by new technology that is not quite ready for prime time. Maybe the newest tier perk from Hertz in its loyalty program should be “you get a human to evaluate your rental upon return”.

RaceWay Selects PAR® Technology to Power its New Rewards Program

RaceWay, a convenience and fuel retailer with 240+ locations across 11 states, is launching its first-ever customer loyalty program today with PAR Technology.  The program, built on PAR Retail, delivers personalized rewards, real-time offers and a seamless customer experience while helping RaceWay franchisees drive repeat visits and boost customer engagement.

This news comes as consumer expectations around convenience and value are at an all-time high, enabling RaceWay to build brand loyalty while maintaining its hometown store experience. Read the full press release here.

New Research from Kobie Shows Consumers Demanding More Than Ever from Brand Relationships

New Kobie research of 5,000 consumers reveals loyalty programs must evolve. Economic uncertainty has created sophisticated value evaluators who demand transparency and meaningful returns.

  • Key findings: 67% recognize loyalty program value when they see exact savings, 85% want better discounts beyond token rewards, and data sharing jumps from 82% to 94% when brands offer reasonable value in return.
  • The reality: traditional points-and-perks programs are failing. Today’s shoppers want transparency, substantial discounts, and surprise value during uncertain times.
  • For marketers: brands delivering real financial benefits will thrive; those clinging to outdated rewards risk losing increasingly discerning consumers.

Read the press release and learn more here.

Hightouch: How to merge offline customer behaviors with online identities

Businesses in industries like retail, food and dining, and hospitality have customers who interact both online and offline. If those businesses want to truly personalize their customers’ experiences and maximize performance, they need to be able to tie together their offline and online data into a comprehensive customer profile.

This article from Hightouch, a data and AI platform for marketing and personalization, shows you how to avoid the pitfalls of buying a “black box” CDP solution and walks you the strategies you can employ to merge offline and online customer identities.

Curve Pay and Thales join forces to securely transform Digital Wallets on iPhone

Curve, known as the ultimate digital wallet, announced deepening its collaboration with Thales, the global leader in advanced technologies, delivering secure modern payment solutions for financial institutions. This partnership comes on the back of Curve launching Curve Pay on iOS, marking a watershed moment in mobile payments.

This partnership is a significant step to reshaping everyday spending, allowing Curve customers to benefit from NFC payment directly in the Curve App for contactless payments in store for all end-users on iOS and Android. Curve Pay is underpinned by Thales’ D1 platform on iOS and Android in Europe which allows customers to digitize a payment card through a mobile wallet.

Morrisons Partners with Google Cloud to Launch AI-Powered Product Finder

Morrisons, one of the UK’s largest supermarkets, is enhancing the shopping experience for its ten million weekly customers with the launch of a new in-app Product Finder. Built with Gemini AI models on Google Cloud’s advanced platforms, including BigQuery and Cloud Run functions, this innovative tool helps shoppers quickly locate products within stores, even during busy periods and seasonal rearrangements.

The Product Finder allows customers to simply type in a product name and instantly receive information on its aisle and precise location within the store. Peter Laflin, Chief Data Officer at Morrisons, highlighted the impact of this new solution: “Having all our data in BigQuery has allowed Morrisons to create new solutions for customers that wouldn’t have been possible before. The Product Finder is a prime example of how we’re leveraging technology to make shopping easier and more efficient for our customers.”

AI Large Language Models: new report shows small changes can reduce energy use by 90%

New research published by UNESCO and UCL, shows that small changes to how Large Language Models are built and used can dramatically reduce energy consumption without compromising performance. Generative AI tools are now used by over 1 billion people daily. Each interaction consumes energy—about 0.34 watt-hours per prompt. This adds up to 310 gigawatt-hours per year, equivalent to the annual electricity use of over 3 million people in a low-income African country.

This new report Smarter, Smaller Stronger, Resource Efficient AI and the Future of Digital Transformation advocates for a pivot away from resource-heavy AI models in favour of more compact models. Used together, these measures can reduce energy consumption by up to 90% and calls on governments and industry to invest in sustainable AI research and development to better understand the environmental impact of their AI use and make more informed decisions.

Will the “Genius Act” Bring Crypto into the Mainstream of Payments?

U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday signed a law to create a regulatory regime for dollar-pegged cryptocurrencies known as stablecoins, a milestone that could pave the way for the digital assets to become an everyday way to make payments and move money.

The law is a huge win for crypto supporters, who have long lobbied for such a regulatory framework in a bid to gain greater legitimacy for an industry that began in 2009 as a digital Wild West famed for its innovation and speculative chaos.

Jobs in Loyalty

There are many talented people looking for full time and contract positions in loyalty marketing. Fortunately, there are opportunities available from both brands and providers. We list a sampling of what we are aware of here.

Please click through the links if provided or contact us here to learn more and apply for these positions.

Please Subscribe to our “Wise and Weekly” Newsletter, published each Friday.

Stay. Loyal. Always.