Frequent shopper programs provide business owners with an increasingly attractive method of building customer loyalty and driving repeat sales. Stephane Latreille, general manager for retail at Aimia Inc., a data-driven marketing company, offers the following five points to re-energize your customer loyalty campaigns.

• Focus your data efforts. Determine transaction data that will identify the most promising opportunities with your best customers.
• Develop loyalty personas. Analyze transaction data from your most loyal customers and then develop personas that reflect shared interests and behaviors. Finally, design and test offers geared to each group.
• Connect the data dots. Linking data across all channels creates insight that can augment the customer experience.
• Battle short-term discounting with loyalty data. Test and learn. Compare redemption rates.
• Reimagine recognition and rewards. Test rewards through social media.

“Brands have to know their customers and how do they want to engage with you,” Latreille says. “Put the right disciplines in place. It’s about investment, focus and commitment. The reality is we’re all emotional in our buying decisions. Part of it is an emotional appeal of the brand. Find out who your customers are, and find out how they want to engage.”

One of the best examples of effective customer loyalty programs in the bakery business is Dunkin’ Donuts.

To announce its new summer menu in 2016, Dunkin' Donuts' went to Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to promote the new Lemon Croissant Donut and the new Key Lime Square, a donut square with key lime filling, frosted with icing and topped with graham cracker crumbles. Both are available at participating Dunkin' Donuts restaurants nationwide for a limited time.

Part of Dunkin’ Donuts mobile marketing initiatives include the introduction of on-the-go ordering, which is available with the company’s new App for DD Perks members.

"Our new citrus flavored donuts are sure to sweeten up any summer routine as a delicious seasonal treat. And, as breakfast is one of the most important times of the day both for us and our guests, the Maple Sausage Breakfast Sandwich brings together sweet and savory for yet another option to start the morning or enjoy any time throughout the day," says Jeff Miller, Dunkin' Brands' executive chef and vice president of product innovation.