#510: Leaders in Customer Loyalty: Supplier Voices | Inside Valuedynamx’s Perspective on the Forces Redefining Loyalty in 2026

As loyalty programs move into 2026, brands are confronting a fundamental shift: loyalty is no longer sustained by accumulation alone. Points, miles, and introductory bonuses still matter, but they no longer guarantee relevance or emotional attachment. Instead, transparency, experiential value, and ongoing engagement are becoming the defining forces shaping how loyalty programs earn and maintain consumer trust. 

We recently spoke with Eileen Peacock, Senior Vice President, General Manager, at Valuedynamx U.S., who shared how shifting consumer expectations, subscription-influenced behavior, and a growing desire for real-world experiences are reshaping loyalty strategy across industries. 

Transcript

Welcome And 2026 Trend Focus

SPEAKER_00 0:04

Hi everyone, this is AJ Schneider from Loyalty360, welcoming you to another edition of our Leaders in Customer Loyalty Industry Voices podcast. In these episodes, we talk to the leading agencies, technology partners, and consultants in customer channel and brand loyalty about technology trends and best practices impacting engagement and customer loyalty. This episode is part of our 2026 trend series where we're talking about the patterns and best practices we're likely to see in the upcoming year. Today we're speaking with Eileen Peacock, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Value Dynamics US. Value Dynamics is a leading global provider of curated, data-driven, omnichannel purchase rewards. The company is part of the Collinson Group, which delivers a travel ecosystem that helps leading airlines, banks, and hospitality brands strengthen customer loyalty and drive meaningful transactional engagement at scale. Welcome, Eileen. Thanks for joining us. Thank you for having me, AJ. I appreciate it. And I'd love to this is part of our trends kind of look back on 2025 and sort of to create a discussion about what we've seen over the last 12 months and where where the loyalty industry might be going as we move into 2026. So when

Transparency As The Loyalty Differentiator

SPEAKER_00 1:18

you look back, let's just start there. When you look back at 2025, what are the emerging kind of consumer behaviors, market conditions, you know, things of that nature that have had the greatest sort of effect on loyalty strategies, um, you know, the way that they were designed and that the way they've evolved over that time frame?

SPEAKER_01 1:38

I think the biggest one I'm seeing is people are finally recognizing, and people I mean programs, transparency is critical. If I do not know what I'm getting out of the program, what value you've brought me, you've already lost me. And so I think that being able to track, you know, have value trackers, for lack of a better phrase, really does change the attachment to the program. Umsistent value, and don't get me wrong, on the girl who signs up for all of those bonuses. I've got more credit cards than I should probably ever mention. Um, yay, thank you. Keep it up. But what happens after? So you've got me hooked right away. I've got those points, I've got those miles. How are you continuing to address me, to engage me? And so I think that then leads to how do you not have your loyal customers feel penalized? So I got that initial card. I'm now really excited. I use it, I get my benefit. It doesn't stay top of wallet because I'm already, I already feel like an afterthought. So I think it goes back to the people who are leading the way are the ones who are really addressing that value transparency issue and making sure that their members know why they, why they joined in the first place or why they took the card in the first place.

SPEAKER_00 3:03

Yeah. And that's probably a good segue

Blending Membership And Subscriptions

SPEAKER_00 3:06

into my next question. You you kind of alluded to it a little bit, but one of the things that we're seeing from a uh strategic standpoint is is kind of the blending of of different uh pieces of loyalty programs. So, so membership, subscription, um, you know, what are the benefits and and maybe complexities that that you're seeing from that convergence of those different kind of traditional pieces of loyalty programs? And and how how do you guys help your clients address those issues?

SPEAKER_01 3:39

So I think we're and full disclosure, I come from a long background of subscription marketing. Um, so I grew up in the magazine world, and so I'm familiar with that free-to-pay to that bringing someone in and continuing that relationship. I think what magazines figured out and other subscription products years ago is stop firing your most loyal customer. So don't give me that, you know, $5 for the first year and then charge me $40 in year two and make me feel bad. And so I think taking those lessons and bringing them into the loyalty space, I love the fact that my Netflix, my Apple TV, Amazon Prime, I feel like I'm an ad for everyone, um, are included in some of my cards and some of my loyalty programs. That's amazing and fantastic. And it does attach me to those cards and those brands in a very different way. So I think it's fun to watch the loyalty channel learn from that ancient subscription channel. You know, subscription marketing has been around for over 200 years, and I love that it's all being pulled in now. I think the again, that also feeds that first question around transparency. The fact that I can see who's giving me my Netflix or who's giving me my Prime again attaches me to that brand in a very different way.

SPEAKER_00 5:13

And and you mentioned um, you know, that there are there are certain loads of brands where let's say you have a credit card and that credit card unlocks, you know, a uh uh subscription to you know a streaming service or whatever the case might be. Obviously, partnerships are

Partnerships Beyond Earn And Burn

SPEAKER_00 5:30

still uh a huge, you know, hugely discussed topic and and and you know, many companies are are looking for that perfect you know combination. Um you know, as as partnerships extend beyond sort of the traditional earn and burn, you know, mechanics of a of a loyalty program, um, what are the the the new models, what are the tweaks to that that that you're seeing are gaining traction?

Wellness And Experiential Rewards Rise

SPEAKER_01 5:58

I think the biggest one I'm seeing, and the one I'm probably the most excited about um are the wellness pieces that are coming in. And those can be both earn and burn. So whether it's a wellness subscription to a fitness program, to a meditation program, whether it's an experience, and I love that wellness is extending into experiences. You know, one of the things that research has already taught us is when people go to a live event, it dramatically changes their mental wellness. Um, they're there with other people, they're engaged with other people, they feel part of a community. I was using the example recently of one of my children used points to buy another one, a Christmas present, which was a all the tuna you can eat in 90 minutes. Um and they bring in this giant tuna, love New York City. It's broken down in front of you. And if you can keep going, you keep going for 90 minutes. PS One child dropped out at 13, one dropped out at round 24, I think. Um, but they'll remember that. They will carry that card forever because of that experience. And I think the more people are attaching themselves to those types of experiences, the better off those loyalty programs are because again, it's not, and it's what flights have been forever. You know, I flew to Portugal on vacation. I feel very attached to the airline that got me to Portugal because of my miles. Now they're taking it a step further, and you can actually do more than just get to the destination. You can do something really spectacular when you're there.

SPEAKER_00 7:38

You know, you you were just talking about the the the wellness uh sort of category, I guess. Is is that one that you think will really take off in 2026 and beyond? And and if and if not, or in addition to what are some of the other ones that you think are gonna be uh really uh popping as we move forward?

SPEAKER_01 7:58

I think wellness is gonna lead the way. Um, absolutely. And again, it's not just gonna be the um, you know, the mindfulness apps and all of those things that are fantastic, and I love that programs are giving access to those, but it's also going to be again the experiential, the um building a community. So if it's something as simple as a step challenge and those types of things that now programs are attaching themselves to, if it's donating time. So, you know, finding that subgroup of people, and I've got a very local um loyalty program that actually brings people together on weekends and we do things around the community. Beyond the fact that I live there, I'm incredibly loyal to that business because it's introduced me to new people in my community. Every time I drive by somewhere we worked on, I'm thrilled and I'm seeing that expand. So I think those wellness, those sort of charity and not in the standard. And I say very respectfully, years ago, everybody had a had to have a I can donate some of my miles or points to a charity. People spent a ton of time and money building those. Not a lot of people actually donate. Being able to donate your time or your points to um to do something on a local basis, again, I think is a trend that we're going to see more and more of.

SPEAKER_00 9:26

It's the that kind of um dichotomy between, you know, digital kinds of rewards and and you know, and loyalty programs that are sort of have based their um, you know, their interaction with their members on a digital journey, if you will, versus some of the physical ones that you're describing is is really interesting in in the current environment. So everybody is,

Craving Human Connection And Events

SPEAKER_00 9:53

you know, we hear all kinds of news stories and so on about, you know, 15-second attention spans because of social media and so on and so on and so on. It is is the physical journey, if you will, the the physical components of loyalty programs, will that do you think become more uh popular in 2026 because humans are sort of craving uh you know more human interaction, more physical experiences as opposed to just staring at their computer?

SPEAKER_01 10:24

I think that hit the nail on the head. Absolutely. I think those, the ability to be with other people and share an event. I had an email this morning from one of my loyalty programs, which I'm a member that let me know that I could use some of my points to not only stay somewhere, but be part of these really unique experiences. And in this case, it was six or eight people. And I had used this program last year to take a cooking class in Paris. And I literally was sitting, I could see Notre Dame out the window of the cooking school, and I was learning how to make what I won't try to pronounce because my French is atrocious. Um, but it was again, here I am a year later, talking about that experience and looking at the next one. So I do think we're craving that desire to be with people, and it doesn't have to be a stadium of, you know, 40,000. It can be six people in a cooking class, it can be, you know, 20 people eating a giant tuna. Um, so I think there's so many experiences that are available now. And if people look in their programs and if you start to sort of demand more of that from your programs, those again are the people that I think are going to win in this space. You've got to offer that to your customers.

Retail And Hospitality As Experience Hubs

SPEAKER_00 11:48

And I and I are are there specific um, you know, types of brands, uh, you know, let's say retail or hospitality that lend themselves better to those kinds of experiences than maybe some others? And and and for example, in retail or hospitality, would you see them, you know, they have a physical presence that people are interacting with at, you know, at a hotel or you know, at a restaurant. Um, do is that really are are those going to be the leaders? Um, or does it even matter because there's partnerships and and so on?

SPEAKER_01 12:23

That's really interesting. I think hospitality, I definitely see it. And part of that is the partnerships that they've created in the markets they're in. So again, it goes back to that partnership. You know, this was a hotel that had a partnership with the cooking school. I think retailers do have a really amazing benefit in this space. And there's a large um US bookstore chain that does extraordinary things with release parties. And the number of people that will show up at midnight and they'll be in costume for, you know, if it's an anime event, if it's uh and stand online to get that book and to all be together and to meet this sort of like audience is extraordinary. I mean, those are really fun events to go to. And to your point, I think retailers having locations and using those, but a fashion retailer that used to use it for fashion shows. And I can tell you when they pluck someone out of the audience and said, We have the perfect outfit for you to walk down and you know, try on, be part of the fashion show, those people left with those outfits. So they were creating a moment, they were creating a community, and they were frankly creating a sale. Um, and all of those people would come back to the next one, and they'd bring their four friends hoping that they'd all be plucked. So it's, I think it's a really great time for people to take advantage of those assets like a physical location, the partnerships that they can create. I love having my streaming services. I'm a big fan of being able to, you know, watch my whatever cooking competition at you know, 11 o'clock at night on a Friday night. That's perfect for me. But I also want to have the option to be able to interact with humans. And these are the opportunities that I think the loyalty programs can bring.

Measuring Impact And Next Best Action

SPEAKER_00 14:19

It it strikes me that with the introduction of those types of experiences, and maybe I'm overthinking this, but that that it adds a layer of complexity to the measurement of you know whether this program has been a success or not. Um I mean, obviously there's there's traditional KPIs that that you know you can look at to sort of determine the the success or or whether a program needs to be um tweaked. When you look at at metrics now, what are you seeing what you know which ones are are are sort of the most predictive of whether a program is going to be successful for the long term?

SPEAKER_01 15:05

Um ordering I'm ordering the question to try to answer in the most um thoughtful way. I think the certainly the engagement with those new features, with those behavioral features, if you will, and seeing, you know, the typical the click, but then the actual you know conversion and following that journey through. So again, going back to the tuna event, they actually asked if they could take pictures and post them. And that made perfect sense. And this was a bunch of 20-somethings who were delighted to have that done because they live on social media. And so suddenly something that I, you know, someone else might have clicked on, they were now clicking and hearing the video of you know, a bunch of these people saying this was the most amazing thing. I can't wait to do it again. You're gonna go a little further. So being able to create that full circle and measure, okay, we found a partner, we hosted an event, we got people to go to it. The next time we put it up and we actually had photo, video, everything from the event, how much more did that drive? And so again, I think looking at that full circle, I think using, you know, AI is here, and I think there are extraordinary uses for it. Um, but I think that next best action is really the key to it. And so going back to those metrics, and you know, we know average auto value, we know, you know, click-through, all of those things we've all measured forever. But using AI to start to say, okay, you've done events in these cities, here's the look-alike city that you should be doing in, or you have the same similar demographic audience base here, loyalty program. Have you thought about doing something similar here? I think that's where you really are going to start to be able to use those new metrics to help decision make, if you will.

SPEAKER_00 17:13

Gotcha. Well, let me let me ask you kind of a a wrap-up question as as you look

Final Advice And Closing CTA

SPEAKER_00 17:20

at you know different brands, and I understand there's not a one size fits all sort of answer for every brand, but when you look at, you know, at their programs, um, you know, and and and they say, hey, what what's something that you're seeing that that we could improve? You know, most often, where are you telling them to look? Like what is there a is there a common denominator when things aren't going well that you say, all right, is you know, is it basic blocking and tackling stuff, or is it a lack of innovation? Um, you know, where for the ones that may be falling behind, what what's your first go-to um you know response? Hey, you need to look at this.

SPEAKER_01 18:00

Are you looking at the relationship you have with your customer, not just the transactions? So, you know, yes, what do they do when they come to your program? But what are you putting in front of them? Are you giving them an ecosystem that includes, you know, absolutely cashback, card linking, all those things are extraordinary. And that's how I'm gonna earn to be able to take advantage of things, you know, on the redeem side. But what else am I doing? What else are you not doing, frankly, is the most common question. How are you not, where are you not meeting your customer? Because you've got to meet them where they want to be. And I know that's easier said than done, but they give us so many clues about what they want. And if we're not listening and paying attention, if we're only looking at what they've done versus what they're looking for, we're missing a huge opportunity.

SPEAKER_00 18:57

Makes good sense. Makes good sense. Eileen, thank you so much. It's been a pleasure to have you on the podcast, and we look forward to hearing more from Value Dynamics as uh as we move into 2026.

SPEAKER_01 19:08

I appreciate it, AJ. You're a fabulous host. Thank you so much.

SPEAKER_00 19:12

I want to thank everyone for tuning into our Leaders in Customer Loyalty Podcast series. If you haven't already, please subscribe to the Leaders in Customer Loyalty Podcast and follow Loyalty360 on YouTube and LinkedIn. The links are provided below. Please join us every Tuesday for another edition of our Industry Voices podcast.