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Send us Fan Mail It was in McAllen, a small town just over 300 miles from Austin, where Donna Varner had a revelation about her new employer. Varner had been hired by Schlotzsky's Deli as Chief Brand Officer, and one of her first tasks was to lead the deli franchise through a rebranding effort.   While trying to get back to Schlotzsky’s home base in Austin one day, a storm in Texas led to canceled flights, and so Varner and a handful of other people decided to carpool there together instead. After telling her fellow passengers where she worked while passing through McAllen, something stuck out to her: All of them referred to Schlotzsky’s as Schlotzsky’s Deli.   Although the company had dropped Deli from its name during a previous rebranding, Varner realized how important it remained to its identity among its longtime customers.   “Every single person in that car knew Schlotzky's because they were Texans. But they all called it Schlotzsky’s Deli,” Varner said. “So, one of the things that we found out is even though the brand has had a lot of names and we've dropped deli over the years, we still had a deli heritage.”  Loyalty360 spoke to Varner about her rebranding strategy, how the company continues to innovate its loyalty program, and the challenge of attracting a younger generation of diners, while continuing to deliver the service and menu that its most devoted customers expect.  

Send us Fan Mail For most consumers, telecom is largely invisible. It powers everyday moments, streaming, messaging, navigation, but rarely commands attention. When it does, expectations are straightforward: reliable service, fair pricing, and a seamless experience.  For Deutsche Telekom AG, meeting those expectations is only part of the equation. The company is focused on extending its role beyond connectivity, building a model where it becomes a meaningful part of customers’ daily lives through added value and relevance.  Loyalty360 spoke with Arnab Goswami, VP of Customer Engagement and Partnerships, about how Deutsche Telekom is rethinking loyalty through its Magenta Moments program, creating a partner-driven ecosystem, and scaling a unified experience across diverse markets. 

Send us Fan Mail For most consumers, banking isn’t something they think about every day, until they need it. Opening an account, managing expenses, planning for the future. In those moments, the expectation is simple: clarity, confidence, and a sense that their bank is working in their best interest.  For PNC, meeting those expectations goes beyond products or transactions. It’s about delivering a consistent, human-centered experience that makes customers feel valued at every interaction.  Loyalty360 spoke with Victoria Dravneek, Head of Loyalty Strategy and Platforms at PNC, about how the company is building its PNC Total Rewards program, aligning the organization around the customer, and translating that approach into a scalable loyalty strategy. 

Send us Fan Mail For many consumers, dining out isn’t just about the food. It’s about the occasion. A birthday celebration. A long-overdue dinner with friends. A familiar favorite that brings back memories of why you fell in love with a brand in the first place.  For P.F. Chang’s, those moments have always been part of its identity. Known for its Pan-Asian cuisine, distinctive ambiance, and shareable dining experiences, the brand has built its reputation on delivering more than just a meal. But as guest expectations evolve and competition intensifies, P.F. Chang’s is taking a fresh look at how it creates value, drives loyalty, and brings customers back through its doors.  Loyalty360 spoke with Holly Smith, Chief Marketing Officer at P.F. Chang’s, about how the brand is balancing its legacy with innovation, rethinking its loyalty program, and leaning into experience as a core differentiator. 

Send us Fan Mail For many brands, the future of customer loyalty is increasingly unfolding on mobile phones. Mobile engagement platforms are quickly becoming central to how brands build relationships, deliver timely value, and personalize experiences at scale.  As loyalty programs evolve from transactional reward systems to continuous engagement ecosystems, mobile messaging is emerging as one of the most effective ways to maintain that connection. Alex Campbell, CIO and co-founder of Vibes, a mobile engagement platform, believes the shift reflects a broader change in how consumers interact with brands in a digital-first environment. 

Send us Fan Mail For most consumers, auto parts aren’t something they think about until something goes wrong. A dead battery before work. Worn brakes before a long trip. An unexpected repair that can’t wait.  In those moments, the expectation is simple: get what you need, quickly, confidently, and at a fair value. For Advance Auto Parts, that reality has shaped its business for more than 90 years, now driving a renewed approach to customer loyalty.  As the automotive aftermarket evolves and economic pressures heighten sensitivity to value, the company is rethinking how loyalty programs can better serve both professional customers and everyday drivers.  Loyalty360 spoke with Bruce Starnes, Executive Vice President and Chief Merchant at Advance Auto Parts, about the company’s recent rewards program launch, which focuses on simplifying and modernizing its loyalty strategy, listening more closely to customers, and delivering meaningful value without added friction. 

Send us Fan Mail Laundry is one of life’s most universal routines, something every household manages, yet few people genuinely enjoy. For Tide, long recognized for its leadership in laundry products, that everyday challenge has become an opportunity to rethink how garment care services can deliver convenience, care, and loyalty.  Through Tide Services, a subsidiary of Procter & Gamble, the brand has expanded beyond detergents into service concepts designed to simplify laundry. With more than 200 franchised Tide Cleaners locations and a growing number of tech-enabled Tide Laundromat sites, the company is exploring how technology, personalization, and loyalty can transform a routine household task into a more engaging experience.  Loyalty360 spoke with Mike Trozzo, Vice President of Product and Innovation at Tide Services, about how the company is evolving laundry services through technology, data insights, and a simplified loyalty strategy. 

Send us Fan Mail As brands enter 2026, loyalty is being reshaped by a blunt reality: customer acquisition costs keep climbing, and retention is now a core growth lever. Loyalty programs are no longer viewed as optional perks or promotional add-ons. They’re becoming strategic moats, powered by first-party data, lifecycle marketing, and increasingly, AI-enabled decisioning.  We recently spoke with Luke Kline, Founding Marketer at Hightouch and author of the Lifecycle Leaders newsletter, about how loyalty strategies are evolving in response to rising costs, changing consumer expectations, and the accelerating pace of marketing technology. 

Send us Fan Mail For many brands, figuring out how to improve loyalty outcomes in 2026 can feel a bit like searching for the meaning of life: Complex, constantly evolving, and deeply personal. What drives loyalty today isn’t one universal formula, but a shifting mix of data intelligence, emotional relevance, and contextual value that looks different for every customer.  Sean Claessen, EVP of Innovation and Chief Strategy Officer at Bond Brand Loyalty, believes the industry might have reached an important inflection point. As he put it, “we may have hit peak loyalty in 2025.” Participation levels across many industries are already high, meaning future success will depend less on enrollment growth and more on intelligence, differentiation, and emotional relevance. 

Send us Fan Mail What if hotel loyalty wasn’t built just for road warriors, but for the way the average person actually travels? That’s the question driving the evolution of Choice Privileges. As travel behaviors shift and consumers demand more flexibility and recognition, Choice Hotels International is reshaping its loyalty strategy to deliver rewards that feel achievable, relevant, and worth coming back for.  For more than 85 years, Choice Hotels has shaped how travelers experience hospitality. With more than 7,500 properties across 50 countries and 22 brands, it’s a company with significant influence.   In this edition of Leaders in Customer Loyalty: Brand Stories, Loyalty360 spoke with Nandika Suri, Vice President of Loyalty at Choice Hotels, about how the Choice Privileges program is evolving to balance aspiration with accessibility, simplify engagement, and strengthen loyalty in an increasingly dynamic travel landscape. 

Send us Fan Mail Nearly two decades after first firing up the grill, Hot Head Burritos, with its fiery mascot Leroy leading the charge, has grown from a Dayton favorite into a fast-casual brand with serious regional momentum. Known for bold flavors and an increasingly sophisticated digital loyalty strategy, the chain now spans 86 locations across nine states and continues finding new ways to connect with guests, from the counter to the app and everywhere in between.  Peter Wiley has had a front-row seat to that evolution. Now serving as Vice President of Marketing and IT, he’s been involved since day one. “My brother called me and said, ‘Hey, I’m starting a brand. Can you work on a website and a logo and some graphics?’” he said.   Over time, that creative support expanded into leadership over marketing, loyalty, and IT, roles that increasingly intersect as the brand grows. 

Send us Fan Mail 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. 

Send us Fan Mail Few restaurant brands carry the emotional weight of Friendly’s. Founded in 1935 during the Great Depression, the brand was built on a simple but enduring belief: even in hard times, people deserve comfort, joy, and togetherness. Nearly 90 years later, that purpose still anchors Friendly’s strategy.   But executing Friendly’s brand strategy is rapidly evolving.   Under the leadership of Erik Jensen, Vice President of Marketing, Friendly’s is in the midst of a renovation-led revival that touches everything from restaurant design and franchising to customer loyalty. At the center of that work is a renewed focus on listening, particularly when customers signal that something isn’t working. 

Send us Fan Mail In the latest edition of Leaders in Customer Loyalty: Brand Stories, Loyalty360 spoke with Rachel Masocol, Director of Digital Marketing and Ecommerce for Jollibee Group, North America, about how the company’s rapid growth and loyalty program redesign are driven by increasing digital engagement.  Jollibee has always been about more than just chicken—despite being voted America’s number one fast-food fried chicken two years in a row by USA Today. What began as a small ice cream parlor in the Philippines, founded by Tony Tan Caktiong, has grown into one of the fastest-growing quick-service restaurant brands in the world. 

Send us Fan Mail As loyalty programs look toward 2026, few categories are under more pressure to evolve than travel. Shifting consumer expectations, accelerating AI adoption, and rising demands for immediacy are forcing brands to rethink how loyalty shows up, not just at booking, but throughout the entire journey.  In this Supplier Voices conversation, Nowell Outlaw, Chief Executive Officer of Switchfly, shares how AI-driven planning, real-time relevance, and emotional engagement are reshaping what effective travel loyalty looks like, and where many programs still struggle to keep pace.