May 19, 2026
Most loyalty programs are designed around rewards: points and discounts that give customers a reason to return. That design produces a specific problem. When the incentive expires or another brand matches it, the customer accepts the offer and does not return.
The companies that retain customers year over year treat loyalty as a relationship, not a transaction. Most companies have not made that shift yet.
In this episode of Doing CX Right℠, Stacy Sherman examines that problem with Martin Villanueva, Global Head of Personalization and Loyalty at IKEA. They explain why most loyalty budgets stay underfunded, what that costs in long-term revenue, and the specific steps leaders need to take first.
You will learn how to:
- Position loyalty as a growth engine, not a cost center, when making the financial case to the C-suite
- Use customer journey mapping to align CX, support, personalization, and marketing teams around a single experience
- Design a value exchange that gives customers a clear reason to share their data
- Apply AI to personalization in a way that increases relevance, not just message volume
- Measure customer loyalty through repeat purchase rate, active member rate, CLTV, and whether customers are sharing more data over time as a signal that they believe the brand delivers value
Final Thoughts
Customer acquisition costs rise every year. A loyal customer base reduces dependence on that spending. The leaders who make that investment first hold an advantage that competitors cannot easily replicate.
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