Sustainability benefits of digital loyalty programs
Going digital: How switching to a digital loyalty program can contribute to a more sustainable use of resources and protect our environment
Digital loyalty programs are becoming increasingly popular, and there are good reasons for this. Not only are they convenient for customers, they are also more sustainable than traditional plastic cards. Furthermore, when used in a targeted manner, they form the basis for successfully retaining regular customers and thus for building a high-quality customer relationship.
In this article, we explain the benefits of digital loyalty programs in terms of sustainability and how companies can switch from paper invoices and plastic cards to a digital rewards system.
The four pillars of sustainability
Sustainability is a concept that has become increasingly important in recent years. It refers to the idea of meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
To achieve this, four important pillars must be taken into account: Environmental protection, economic development, social justice and cultural diversity.
Digitalization offers a wide range of opportunities within each of these four pillars by using resources in the most environmentally friendly but highly efficient way possible.
In marketing in particular, there are many new opportunities for brands and businesses, for example for improved customer loyalty measures or the use of a digital loyalty card via an app on the smartphone of regular customers.
Plastic cards and paper invoices: Water under the bridge!
Companies are increasingly recognizing the benefits of digital loyalty programs over traditional plastic or paper loyalty cards, including the reduction of environmental impact.
A digital loyalty app eliminates the need for physical loyalty cards, reducing the amount of plastic waste. It also reduces the paper waste generated by miles of printed invoices and other materials consumed when using traditional loyalty cards and analog checkout processes.
Paper and plastic waste: Problems of global proportions
Paper waste is a growing global problem. Every year, an estimated 300 million tons of paper and cardboard are produced worldwide, with only about half of this amount being recycled. This means that a large proportion of the world's paper waste ends up in landfill or is incinerated, causing unnecessary pollution. Sustainability is different.
Plastic waste is an even bigger global problem than paper waste, with an estimated 8 million tons of plastic entering the world's oceans every year. This pollution has a devastating impact on our environment and its inhabitants and leads to the death of hundreds of thousands of marine and wild animals every year. In addition, plastic particles have been found in drinking water - this is also referred to as "microplastics".
A loyalty app is an effective way for companies to move away from plastic cards and paper invoices. With a digital customer loyalty solution, customers can collect reward points with every purchase without having to carry a physical card or present a paper bill. Gone are the days of forgetting your plastic loyalty card at home and missing out on valuable loyalty points once again!
Customer loyalty in the 21st century - discover the loyalty solution now
Providing potential customers with the right information at the right time and in the right place is an art. Digitalized customer communication supports this principle of action - through perfectly timed push notifications directly to the customer's smartphone.
This not only strengthens the direct relationship and the associated trust in the brand, but also increases the customer retention rate in a targeted manner.
The more often a satisfied customer returns to the store to make another purchase, the more products they will buy over the course of their "customer life". By collecting loyalty points, customers can then reward themselves for their loyalty in the form of rewards.
Getting curios?
If you would like to find out more about targeted sales growth via the loyalty app, we have explained it briefly and concisely in our hello again in 80 seconds video.
