Welcome to MarTech Cube, Sarah. We’re glad to have you with us to explore the future of loyalty programs, the role of AI, and what to expect at the 2025 Asia Pacific Loyalty Conference.
To begin, can you share a bit about your professional journey and what inspired you to launch the Australian Loyalty Association?
Prior to founding the Australian Loyalty Association (ALA), I was General Manager of Loyalty at Myer, overseeing the MYER one program. After leaving, I started a loyalty consultancy and began hosting informal catch-ups with clients, friends and industry peers. Loyalty was less prevalent here in 2012, and those early gatherings created a space for shared learning and discussion. Many of the people who joined back then are still involved today. What began as networking grew into something much bigger, and over time, it evolved into what is now, the Australian Loyalty Association. The ALA is the largest dedicated loyalty association in the APAC region, providing research, education, events and an amazing, highly-connected professional community.
With AI set to be a central theme at the 2025 Asia Pacific Loyalty Conference, what excites you most about its potential to reshape loyalty programs?
AI is both exciting and a little unnerving, and we’re only at the beginning of its impact. Right now, AI enables loyalty to become more dynamic and hyper-personalised, with programs responding in real time to individual behaviours and context. That opens the door to seamless, intelligent and far more relevant interactions. Looking ahead, agentic AI where agents can answer queries from members will be a game-changer. And unfortunately, put call centres out of business! We’ll be exploring aspects of this in detail at this year’s conference, with Salesforce and Robert Lopez from The Norths Collective diving into their AI journey live on stage.
ALA’s latest research highlights a growing gap between personalization expectations and customer comfort with data use. How should brands navigate this tension?
Transparency and control are key. Our research consistently shows that customers are willing to share their data if they understand how it’s being used and see clear value in return. It’s about delivering a fair exchange. Brands that personalise responsibly and communicate openly build stronger, more lasting trust. We’ve also seen how poor data use — or lack of clarity — can backfire. As regulations tighten globally, including the ACCC changes here in Australia, legal compliance is becoming a non-negotiable aspect of the loyalty professionals’ daily life. That’s why we’re hosting industry legal experts like Lincoln Hunter and Veronica Scott at the conference this year to unpack what brands need to know.
What role do you see AI playing in strengthening personalization without compromising consumer trust?
AI can be a powerful trust-builder if used ethically and transparently. It should be about enhancing relevance, simplifying decisions and helping customers feel understood, not surveilled. AI can help brands improve products and experiences in ways that genuinely benefit the customer, particularly when used to analyse customer reviews or service feedback. That can build trust. But brands need to avoid the “creepy” factor — overly personal messaging, as an example, will do the opposite. In my view, it all comes down to clear intent, value and respect.
Based on current trends, what are the most common missteps brands make when implementing AI-powered loyalty strategies?
Over-automation is a major one. Brands sometimes rush to implement AI tools without fully understanding the customer journey or the necessary data foundations. This can lead to clunky, impersonal, or disconnected experiences. Another misstep is treating AI as a one-time solution rather than a long-term strategic capability. Without the right governance, testing, and human oversight, AI can easily miss the mark. It should support your loyalty strategy, not replace it.
Communication preferences seem to vary widely among customers. How can loyalty programs strike the right balance between convenience and intrusion?
The key is adaptive communication. Brands should use AI to understand not just what customers respond to, but how and when they prefer to engage, and then respect those preferences. Giving customers simple ways to set their communication settings and honouring them builds loyalty. With today’s more discerning, tech-savvy audiences, messaging needs to feel relevant, timely, and helpful – not invasive. And, because the customer journey is never linear, seamless omnichannel coordination is essential. With all the developments around data warehouses, CDPs and other technology platforms, this is attainable for both the SMB and enterprise players in the market.
In what ways will the 2025 conference equip loyalty leaders with practical tools to future-proof their programs?
Our 2025 Asia Pacific Loyalty Conference theme this year is ‘Understanding the Customer of the Future: Inspiring Member Loyalty in 2025 and Beyond’. The agenda is designed to bridge vision with execution. Attendees will gain real-world insights across AI, privacy, innovation, behavioural science and loyalty strategy. We’ll hear from major brands like NAB, Myer, Woolworths, Z Energy, Telstra, and TerryWhite Chemmart, all sharing case studies, practical frameworks and lessons learned. There’s a big focus on future-proofing: how to evolve your program today to stay relevant tomorrow. And of course, the networking and peer-to-peer learning are second to none.
From a strategic perspective, how do you personally stay ahead of the curve when it comes to loyalty innovation and evolving tech?
It’s a constant process. My team and I stay close to the market by talking to members, attending global loyalty and retail events – including recent trips to Singapore and Dubai – and keeping up with emerging trends, whether it’s retail media networks or agentic AI. I also teach our accredited, peer reviewed Loyalty Education Course. That keeps me continually thinking about what’s next. Undoubtedly, the pace of change is accelerating, and what we’ll see in the next 12 months could outpace the last five years or more!
“AI can personalise at scale, but real loyalty comes from remembering there’s a person behind every data point.”
What advice would you offer to loyalty professionals who are just beginning to explore AI-driven solutions?
My advice is to focus on your long term objectives. Talk to and learn from others in the industry who are using AI to achieve similar goals. Events like the ALA Conference are a great way to learn from others, share experiences, ask questions, and learn what’s working (and what’s not). There’s a strong sense of community in loyalty, and people are usually very open to helping each other out.
Finally, any closing thoughts on what the future holds for loyalty programs in a world increasingly influenced by AI and customer data?
Loyalty is only becoming more important to companies and consumers. With loyalty comes rich customer insight, and AI gives us the tools to analyse and use that data in meaningful ways. The real opportunity is in using these capabilities to create more relevant, valuable and trusted experiences for customers. If we stay focused on that, the future of loyalty looks incredibly promising.
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