AIR MILES makes business sense

With the issuance of the billionth Air Mile, AIR MILES has proved itself in the market place as a successful multi-participant, multi-country loyalty programme. The leading loyalty management provider currently has over 250,000 active members in the UAE & Qatar, of which thousands have already redeemed, and more than 122,000 have enough Air Miles to redeem a reward if they choose. With the launch of the programme in Qatar, the number of participating companies has increased from 32 to 80 giving members in the two countries a huge range of choice with regards to where they shop.

The impact on AIR MILES participant companies has been immense, with participating companies reporting major increases in sales and turnover. For instance, HSBC has reported a 29% increase in customer spend levels and a 50% increase in card acquisitions.

Proven to be the most successful way to attract and retain customers, Air Miles provides businesses with world class Customer Relationship Management, enabling them to communicate and deliver more effectively to their customers. "We believe that the world's best practise loyalty is the deal clincher when other elements of a company's marketing mix such as product, price, location and service are well positioned," said Dave Battiston, General Manager of Rewards Management Middle East.

Over the last year, AIR MILES has seen a dramatic rise in the number of participants who are using the database to effectively communicate with the consumer, and understand the value of this powerful tool. " Participants also have access to the Middle East's largest retail database, which enables them to understand and target different segments of their own customers, whilst also being able to target the customer bases of other participants who aren't currently shopping with them" added Battiston. This "power of the coalition of Market leading companies" provides participants with the significant increases in incremental sales growth.

With the inclusion of Qatar into the programme, and future plans for launch in Saudi Arabia, Air Miles is proving to be strong proposition for retailers who are looking at the region as a source of incremental business.

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