For years, loyalty programs only measured one thing: what the customer bought.
We rewarded transactions, tickets and volume.
But consumer behavior has changed.
Customers are not just buyers: they are users, browsers, recommenders, creators, and community members.
Loyalty now forms long before — and long after — the purchase.
The right question is no longer:
What did they buy?
But rather:
How do they buy, when, why, and what do they do before and after?
Welcome to the new era: from SKU to behavior.
What does it mean to measure “behavior” in loyalty?
When we think about loyalty, we usually think about transactions.
But behavior is a much larger universe:
Real behavior signals:
- Website visits without purchase
- Items added to cart
- Discounts activated but not used
- Browsing frequency
- Wishlist activity
- Information requests
- Clicks on emails or notifications
- Referrals
- Reviews
- Event participation
- Time spent in app or website
- Interaction with content
None of these are purchases, but all of them are signals of intention.
Why SKUs are no longer enough
A purchase tells you what happened, not why it happened.
A customer that buys once a year, but:
- always buys from you,
- recommends you,
- and speaks positively about your brand,
is more loyal than someone who buys every week without any emotional attachment.
On top of that:
- Inventory changes
- Prices change
- Purchase cycles vary
Loyalty is not about frequency, it’s about emotional consistency .
Behavioral signs that predict loyalty
This is where Machine Learning and predictive models come in.
What matters now is not the SKU, but the pattern :
Patterns to observe:
- Navigation frequency
- Time between purchases
- Action Triggers
- Navigation routes
- Affinity by categories
- Mentions on social media
- Repetition of behavior
Early signs of churn:
- Reduction of interaction
- Fewer clicks in email/App
- Shopping cart abandonment
- Pause in repurchase
Modern programs no longer ask:
What did we sell?
They ask:
What will happen next?
From transaction to relationship
Leading brands don’t just sell: they create episodes .
Real-life examples (Emotional Loyalty):
- Exclusive content
- Private dinners
- Pre-sales
- VIP Access
- Gamification
- Missions
- Public recognition
It’s not “you bought it, take points”.
Is:
“ You are part of this, you have a place here .”
Modern loyalty is emotional rather than transactional.
Real cases (Mexico and LATAM)
1) Fashion Retail
Customers who don’t buy every month, but:
- come see the collection,
- They store products,
- they comment on Instagram.
When you launch a VIP presale, they react immediately.
They are not frequent, but they are powerful .
2) Gas stations
They don’t compete on price.
They compete for:
- clean bathrooms
- attention
- ease
- app and points
- immediate benefit
Behavior → repeated choice .
3) Real estate and luxury
Buy once every 5 years.
Is there a lack of loyalty?
No .
There is:
- referred to,
- events,
- content,
- network of trust.
4) Cement and materials
Low frequency, extremely high value.
Loyalty = training + status + goal achievement .
KPIs that matter now
| KPI | Describe |
|---|---|
| Time between purchases | Actual frequency |
| Recent | Last contact/action |
| Digital engagement | Navigation, clicks, time |
| Category affinity | What does he like? |
| Repurchase probability | Score ML |
| Activation of benefits | Using the program |
| Referrals | Power of influence |
These KPIs predict the future .
They don’t just measure the past.
How to start?
Step 1: Identify the key events
What does the customer do before and after buying?
Step 2: Integrate CRM + analytics
You don’t need Big Data to get started.
Only:
- tracking,
- dashboards,
- discipline.
Step 3: Design episodes
Every interaction must have a purpose:
- missions
- notifications
- content
- surprises
Step 4: Reward the behavior
Not just points.
Awards:
- reviews
- referred
- attendance
- interaction
Step 5: Measure early signs
Predict before you lose .
Conclusion
Loyalty is no longer just a list of products sold.
Now it’s a story about people, with:
- habits,
- emotions,
- expectations,
- and repeated decisions.
The brands that win will not be the ones that sell the most,
but those that understand their customers best .
Do you want to implement a program like this?
Schedule a meeting here .
Daniel Velasco Rallo – Strategic Planner
