Guest Editorial: Dual Co-Brands, Driving Loyalty Revenues



Guest editorial from The Mallett Group

Is your loyalty program leaving revenue on the table? Over the past few years Dual (Jewel/UK lingo) card offerings have begun to be reluctantly embraced by the merchant networks to address acceptance issues. For those of us who have not encountered dual card offerings, they are co-branded credit card products that offer not one, but two network branded cards tied to a single consumer account. Meaning there may be a Diners Club card paired with a MasterCard that is placed into market within a merchant's co-brand card offering.

Why:
Because the dual network offering allows the issuer to garner all spend due to acceptance restrictions in certain markets. For example, American Express has more limited merchant acceptance in the UK market, so a companion Visa is offered to capture spend that otherwise would be relegated to other card products in wallet. Meaning it is better to have partial share than no share at all. Counter intuitive upon first blush, but potentially sound as one never wants to be late to the party.

Where:
We have seen these offerings in the UK – with the likes of Virgin Atlantic, as well as with airlines in Spain and India. And, watch this space as there are more to come!

Challenges:

  • Ego: When was the last time die hard competitors played together and were happy?
  • Commercial:  Complex negotiations to produce a consumer value proposition (CVP) that is acceptable to both networks
  • ROI: Projections of spend that relate to back-end compensation to the network, issuer and ultimately the brand sponsor
  • Marketing: Messaging correctly to acquire and retain.  Customer confusion can be a concern
  • Earn:  Internal network requirements place restrictions on enhanced and devalued mileage/point earn ratios
  • Benefits:  What card benefits get attached to what network offering
  • Negotiations:  How to please some of the people some of the time
  • Contracts:  How agreements are structured and how the money flows including VAT in some markets

Outcome:
The Dual Card offering can be a powerful measure to employ in a less than ideal market situation. However, one needs to navigate the obstacles in a sophisticated manner.  It takes more than the average plug and play solution, but in the end it can provide a robust product to consumers and reward the brand with enhanced commercials.

To learn more about loyalty co-brands and dual cards in particular, please contact Marc Berman, President, The Mallett Group by emailing him at mberman@mallettgroup.com. Marc will also be chairing the Co-Brand 2015 Conference in Chicago on 27 & 28 May 2015 and the Travel Co-Brand Partnerships Conference at Mega Event in San Diego on 4 & 5 November 2015 in San Diego
 

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