Member Article

Collinson Group strengthens global loyalty proposition with asset purchase

Collinson Group, a global leader in influencing consumer behavior and driving customer devotion, today announced the acquisition of a number of assets from Linkable Networks. Purchase of the assets – including Linkable’s market-leading card-linked-offer (CLO) platform – has been supplemented by the employment of a number of former senior Linkable employees. Completion of the deal enables Collinson Group to immediately offer CLOs in the US. Work has started to enable provision of card-linked offers and rewards in other geographic regions through a number of Collinson Group’s business lines including loyalty, benefits and insurance.

Over the last six years Linkable Networks developed a pioneering platform that gives businesses the ability to reward and incentivize consumers across multiple channels, including online, mobile and in-store by linking offers to their payment cards. In the UK, Collinson Group is already delivering card-linked rewards in the form of payment-linked loyalty currency to companies including British Airways, Avios and Virgin Atlantic and their frequent flyer program members.

In highly competitive markets such as travel, banking and retail including shopping malls and airports, the ability to understand and influence where and when customers transact can significantly improve customer engagement – helping businesses to attract and retain their customers. Furthermore, consumers increasingly expect brands to recognise them and offer tailored, timely and personalised services and rewards across multiple channels. Consumer research conducted by Collinson Group revealed that 60% want to be able to earn loyalty currency both online and in-store. Card linking can play an important role in meeting this demand in-store, seamlessly and effectively.

Colin Evans, Chairman, Collinson Group said, “We continually look to innovate and provide clients with new ways to enhance the service, experience and rewards they offer consumers. Following the success of our existing UK card-linked rewards offering, the acquisition of Linkable Networks’ technology strengthens our capabilities in the US and internationally. We are seeing many airlines, hotel groups, banks and other financial service providers wanting to explore the ability to reward customers both off and online, seeking greater insight into consumer behaviour and to create lasting, more profitable relationships.

Tom Burgess, CEO at Linkable Networks commented, “The platform is designed as an omnichannel tracking solution for retailers and brands to measure attribution and drive online and in-store continuity. It’s a perfect addition to Collinson Group’s extensive reach across loyalty and rewards, and this is an exciting opportunity to combine our market-leading technology with their existing expertise to further unlock the potential of card-linking internationally.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Collinson Group .