The Loyalty Newswire March 16, 2026

The Loyalty Newswire from The Wise Marketer

From the Editor

We just held a webinar on the topic of fan engagement featuring Twin Spires, NASCAR and Capillary Technologies and you’ll see the recording on our site in the next week. Fan fever continues as the San Antonio Spurs announced a new fan loyalty program this week.

That and much more is here for you in this week’s Newswire.

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Bill Hanifin, Managing Editor, The Wise Marketer

Short Takes

You are Invited to Loyalty Leaders Summit 2026

In an age defined by data, automation and elevated expectations, brands are reimagining how they connect with their customers. The theme of this year’s Leaders in Loyalty 2026 is Precision Loyalty: The Era of Intelligent Engagement.

Hear from Keynote speaker Kelly Mahoney, CMO Ulta Beauty, Loyalty Science Lab executives and more while networking with your fellow loyalty, marketing, and customer experience leaders during an immersive day exploring the future of intelligent customer engagement. Apply now.

San Antonio Spurs Launch ‘Spurs Rewards’ Fan Loyalty Program

The San Antonio Spurs announced the launch of “Spurs Rewards,” powered by Fanmaker, a new loyalty program offering fans a way to earn rewards, unlock exclusive experiences and receive value through their support of the Spurs.

“Spurs Rewards is about creating a smarter, more rewarding fan experience that recognizes the many ways our fans support the team throughout the season,” said Frank Miceli, Chief Commercial Officer at SS&E. “Whether it’s attending games, shopping or engaging digitally, this platform turns that support into meaningful value.”

Jackpot.com Launches First-of-Its-Kind Loyalty Program, “Jackpot Rewards”

Jackpot.com announced the launch of Jackpot Rewards, a new loyalty program designed to reward players for their engagement with the platform. The program is the first loyalty program offered by a lottery courier tailored to the lottery industry.

The program allows customers to earn points on every order while unlocking special challenges, exclusive promotions, and other perks. Players can redeem their points to order more tickets and get more chances to win.

International Loyalty Awards Update

The excitement for the International Loyalty Awards is building and you are invited to join the festivities in Atlanta on April 29-30, 2026. There has been an incredible range of submissions, showcasing loyalty programs and initiatives from across every continent.

2026 promises to be a landmark year for the loyalty community as Loyalty Connect Global expands to bring the world’s loyalty leaders together at major global hubs: Dubai and the United States.

Key Insights from Loyalty Summit CXM 2026

Loyalty Summit CXM was held in Chicago on March 11–12 and, according to Peter Vogel, it was content-rich, with a high level of strategic thinking, innovation, and practical insight shared by speakers. Peter cites four key insights from the event in this article, including:

Loyalty is emotional, not transactional
Loyalty is becoming an ecosystem
Loyalty must prove financial impact
Loyalty is an enterprise strategy

The Wise Marketer team was in attendance, with Aaron Dauphinee delivering results from the latest consumer research in Convenience Retail and Home Improvement categories and Bill Hanifin moderating a discussion with Bilt Rewards and Stake. Phil Rubin did a stellar job as program host.

Loyalty Juggernaut Appoints Stijn Hendrikse as Chief Marketing Officer

Loyalty Juggernaut (LJI), a global leader in enterprise loyalty-tech innovation, announced the appointment of Stijn Hendrikse as Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). Hendrikse will lead the development and execution of LJI’s global marketing strategy to elevate brand awareness, sharpen positioning across key industries, and accelerate growth.

Hendrikse built Acumatica’s marketing engine from zero to multi-million ARR in a company now valued at over $1 billion, has served as a fractional CMO for dozens of B2B SaaS companies, and authored T2D3: How some software startups scale, where many fail, the go-to-market framework used by SaaS leaders worldwide. He began his career at Microsoft, leading global product marketing for Office.

Alchemer Releases QSR Restaurant Loyalty Study

The 2026 Quick Service Restaurant Study from Alchemer offers a comprehensive understanding of consumer behavior and preferences related to quick service restaurant (QSR) loyalty programs — specifically how these programs influence purchasing decisions, engagement frequency, perceived value, and long-term brand loyalty.

The 2026 Quick Service Restaurant Study is titled “Winning the Cost-Conscious Diner” and highlights how cost of living pressures are redefining restaurant loyalty programs.

Millennials and Gen Z Accelerating Digital First Purchase Behaviors

This article from Merchant Advisory Group notes that the face of the retail industry continues to evolve, and the revolution is being fueled by customer demand for seamless shopping experiences across channels and increased personalization at every touchpoint.

A recent report found that Millennials and Gen Z, which are projected to comprise 67% of the U.S. population by 2030, are accelerating digital-first purchasing behaviors, presenting merchants with new opportunities to meet the shopping preferences of this growing cohort.

PAR Technology Announces Winners of the PAR Engagement Customer Awards

PAR Technology Corporation (NYSE: PAR), a leading foodservice technology provider, announced the recipients of the seventh annual PAR® Engagement Customer Awards. The awards recognize restaurant brands and leaders who set the standard for innovation and excellence in guest engagement, delivering measurable results across loyalty, digital, and operational performance.

Smoothie King, Dave’s Hot Chicken, Red Robin, Coconut Kenny’s, Norms, Denny’s, Jason’s Deli were among the brands recognized for their achievements. Evan Pardue and Pierson Matejovsky of Condado Tacos were honored as Marketers of the year.

How Do You Optimize Your Brand Content for AI Search?

Did you know that Gemini referral traffic rose 388% YoY, compared to 52% for ChatGPT referrals and that Google AI Overviews were 44% more likely than ChatGPT to surface negative brand sentiment in responses? These numbers warn that optimizing for ChatGPT alone is a visibility risk.

Brands now need to track performance across Gemini, Perplexity, AI Overviews, and other engines, as each evaluates brands differently. To rise to the top of search today, you don’t need to publish more, but you do need to reorganize content into a cleaner structure that search engines and AI systems can interpret. We have no stake in this company but provide this link as reference for your learning.

BI WORLDWIDE Launches Elevate Intelligence in EMEA to Support Enhanced Employee Recognition

BI WORLDWIDE (BIW), a global leader in employee engagement and recognition solutions, has launched its latest development of Elevate, Elevate Intelligence, a suite of AI-powered agents designed to make recognition more meaningful, timely and impactful.

Built on agentic AI – a more autonomous and proactive form of artificial intelligence – Elevate Intelligence helps organizations deliver recognition that’s faster, more consistent and aligned to business goals. The agents act on behalf of the user, identifying recognition opportunities based on behavioural patterns, programme rules and organizational values. For example, the recognition agent can alert managers when goals are met ahead of schedule or when a new joiner completes training early.

New Loyalty Roles Available

Engage People has an opening for a Client Director, Client Success. Please visit this link to learn more and apply if interested.

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