7 ways to build loyalty for the holiday season

1. Tailor loyalty to your audience

“I believe in shaping each program around the value your consumers care about most.” – Svetlana Dimitrova, VF Corporation

A strong holiday strategy starts with understanding your customer base and not treating each segment the same. Leading companies like VF Corporation, which owns brands such as The North Face, Vans, and Timberland, tailor their loyalty programs to fit each brand’s audience. Some focus on experiential perks, others on points and rewards. But the goal is always to align with what customers value most. It’s a fundamental principle to drive more meaningful engagement.

2. The danger of discounts and the power of exclusivity

“Exclusivity is the fuel of loyalty.” – Roger Williams, Marigold

While discounts can drive quick wins, they often erode long-term brand value and customer expectations. Roger emphasized that true loyalty is built on emotional engagement and perceived privilege. Strategies like early access, limited-time drops, and members-only perks create a sense of belonging that goes deeper than transactional rewards. These moments build a more enduring connection without undercutting your margins.

3. Start early and align your teams

“Brands that succeed in Q4 don’t start planning in October.” – Paula Thomas, Let’s Talk Loyalty

Great holiday campaigns don’t come together overnight. They require time to test ideas, fine-tune messaging, and build internal alignment across marketing, merchandising, legal, and frontline teams. The most successful strategies rely on strong coordination and clear communication.

Take a page from VF Corporation: daily check-ins, detailed forecasting, and real-time platform monitoring help their teams stay agile and aligned under pressure. When everyone’s in sync, the customer experience feels seamless, even during peak season. As Svetlana Dimitrova noted during the session, traffic can spike 100–200% above normal during peak season, making preparation even more critical.

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4. Prepare to pivot: Agility is the secret ingredient

“We always have a plan B or C, and we’re ready to change course quickly if a campaign underperforms.” – Svetlana Dimitrova, VF Corporation

Campaigns rarely go exactly as planned and that’s okay. The teams that thrive are the ones that can pivot, fine-tune communications, and respond quickly to real-time data. But that kind of agility isn’t luck. It’s the result of infrastructure built for flexibility. Always ensure you are building on a strong foundation.

5. Build a foundation for seamless execution

“Technology should be invisible. If it’s working well, your customer never notices.” – Roger Williams, Marigold

Stable infrastructure and operational discipline are the backbone of any high-performing loyalty strategy. That means getting ahead of potential issues with early upgrades, clear processes, and a firm code freeze during critical periods. This kind of planning helps your teams stay focused on execution instead of last-minute fixes.

6. Loyalty that learns

“If you’re not learning from every campaign, you’re just repeating activity, not building strategy.” – Paula Thomas, Let’s Talk Loyalty

The smartest loyalty teams invest as much in post-campaign analysis as in planning. Understanding what worked, what didn’t, and how behaviors are shifting helps brands evolve, improve, and connect with your loyalty members in more meaningful ways, even beyond holiday.

7. Turn behavior into personalized messaging

“You can’t send the same message to everyone. The more personal we get, the more effective we are.” – Svetlana Dimitrova, VF Corporation

Segmentation and personalization are fundamental. By analyzing behavior, engagement patterns, and purchase trends, you can create loyalty experiences that feel thoughtfully tailored.

Today’s shoppers, especially Gen Z, expect personalization. The challenge is making each interaction feel intentional and relevant. As Roger Williams shared in the virtual session, a late-2024 study found that 63% of Gen Z consumers planned to do their holiday shopping in physical stores, proof that your strategy must work seamlessly across both digital and in-store touchpoints.