Every relationship cools eventually. That’s as true for brands and customers as it is for people.
The spark fades, familiarity sets in, and before long loyalty becomes… transactional.
At dentsu’s Missed Connections event on Tuesday, I joined Caitlin Ryan (Creative Partner, AI Transformation at Dentsu Creative) and Claire Lywood (CXM Strategy Director at Merkle) for a fireside chat exploring how creativity and customer experience can bring that spark back – and why data alone is never enough.
It was a particularly timely discussion, as loyalty today isn’t about collecting points; it’s about earning trust. And that requires head and heart in perfect balance.
From transactions to trust
Points still have their place, but only as part of a broader value exchange.
In a world of shrinking attention and expanding choice, loyalty must feel earned, not engineered.
That means rewarding engagement, advocacy, and alignment with brand values, not just transactions. It means offering benefits that feel exclusive, purposeful, and human. And it means using storytelling to reflect back to customers why they matter.
As Caitlin noted, “Storytelling is how you turn data into emotion. It gives customers a role in your narrative – not as buyers, but as participants.”
The age of intelligent imagination
AI is now rewriting what’s possible in loyalty and CRM.
At Merkle, we see its power not just in efficiency, but in effectiveness and experimentation (the “three Es” of AI’s creative potential).
Used well, AI gives brands the ability to listen smarter, prototype faster, and personalise with empathy at scale. It doesn’t replace creativity; it amplifies it.
When intelligence meets imagination, brands can move at the speed of culture, creating experiences that feel immediate, intuitive, and inspired.
Keeping the spark alive
If loyalty is an emotional relationship, then sustaining it demands constant care.
Brands must keep listening, keep evolving, and keep showing customers that they matter beyond the moment of purchase.
Because the future of loyalty isn’t about knowing who I am; rather, it’s about understanding why I care.
And that, ultimately, is what turns marketing automation into something more meaningful: a relationship built on connection, creativity, and trust.
Find out more
To explore what’s next for loyalty, download the latest Merkle Loyalty Barometer Report—our annual deep dive into the evolving drivers of brand love and customer connection.
Or, if you’d like to discuss how Merkle can help reignite loyalty for your business, do get in touch.
