Establishing Consent With Loyalty Programs

Phil Rubin is the Founder and Principal of Grey Space Matters, a consulting firm that works with companies ranging from early-stage and emerging growth to global brand leaders across various industries and sectors. He is a customer-focused strategic growth leader with more than 30 years of experience driving growth for global brands. 

Recognized as an industry thought leader, Phil is a keynote speaker for events across North America, Asia, and Europe. He has been quoted in The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and numerous other trade publications. Before GSM, Phil led Global Insights and Strategic Partnerships for Bond, a loyalty and customer marketing firm.

In this episode…

Airlines and other brands utilize loyalty programs to generate customer insights and enhance experiences. For instance, Delta Airlines has partnered with American Express and Lyft to offer frequent flier miles and discounted transportation — but this raises concerns regarding data collection. So how are brands collecting customer data, and how can you take precautions to protect privacy?

According to Phil Rubin, brands collect two types of data: zero-party data that customers share willingly with the company and first-party data, which brands collect and own directly from their customers. When leveraging loyalty programs, brands should remain transparent about data collection methods to avoid costly privacy breaches. Customers join loyalty programs to receive value and benefits, so it's crucial to provide useful services and establish trust to increase consent.

In today's episode of She Said Privacy/He Said Security, Jodi and Justin Daniels interview Phil Rubin, Founder and Principal of Grey Space Matters, to discuss data-sharing in loyalty programs. Phil explains integrated loyalty experiences, the common forms of data collected for loyalty programs, and how privacy laws impact these programs.