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Enduring Effects of Goal Achievement and Failure Within Customer Loyalty Programs: A Large-Scale Field Experiment

Author

Listed:
  • Yanwen Wang

    (Leeds School of Business, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309)

  • Michael Lewis

    (Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322)

  • Cynthia Cryder

    (Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri 63130)

  • Jim Sprigg

    (Director of Database Marketing, IHG, Atlanta, Georgia 30346)

Abstract

This research investigates whether there are enduring effects of goal achievement and failure within customer loyalty promotion programs. We collaborated with a major hotel chain to launch a large scale field experiment involving 95,532 existing loyalty customers. We observed customers’ hotel stays for eight months before the experiment, eight months during the experiment, and eight months after the experiment. Customers in the treatment group were asked to increase their hotel nights during the 8-month promotion by a set percentage relative to their baseline to receive a reward. Overall, the promotion led to increased purchasing in the post-promotion period. However, only 20% of customers successfully reached the goal whereas 80% missed the goal. We use a propensity score analysis to examine the distinct effects of goal achievement versus goal failure. Results show that goal attainment significantly increased post-promotion purchasing whereas goal failure significantly reduced post-promotion purchasing. Additionally, we use econometric methods to empirically test a behavioral theory of relationship-based reciprocity. We find that customers in a high status tier relationship, with the most invested in the firm, are most affected by goal failure whereas customers in a low status tier relationship, with the least invested in the firm, are most affected by goal success. Because the type of loyalty program described in this paper is widely used in a variety of industries the findings suggest that marketers should set reachable goals within loyalty promotion programs. Firms should be particularly cautious about the impact of goal failures for the firm’s most loyal customers.Data, as supplemental material, are available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/mksc.2015.0966 .

Suggested Citation

  • Yanwen Wang & Michael Lewis & Cynthia Cryder & Jim Sprigg, 2016. "Enduring Effects of Goal Achievement and Failure Within Customer Loyalty Programs: A Large-Scale Field Experiment," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 35(4), pages 565-575, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:inm:ormksc:v:35:y:2016:i:4:p:565-575
    DOI: 10.1287/mksc.2015.0966
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Bombaij, Nick J.F. & Gelper, Sarah & Dekimpe, Marnik G., 2022. "Designing successful temporary loyalty programs: An exploratory study on retailer and country differences," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 39(4), pages 1275-1295.
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    3. Alina Nastasoiu & Neil T. Bendle & Charan K. Bagga & Mark Vandenbosch & Salvador Navarro, 2021. "Separating customer heterogeneity, points pressure and rewarded behavior to assess a retail loyalty program," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 49(6), pages 1132-1150, November.
    4. Chen, Yanyan & Mandler, Timo & Meyer-Waarden, Lars, 2021. "Three decades of research on loyalty programs: A literature review and future research agenda," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 124(C), pages 179-197.
    5. Wang, Sujuan & Hu, Qiying & Liu, Weiqi, 2017. "Price and quality-based competition and channel structure with consumer loyalty," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 262(2), pages 563-574.
    6. Martina Pieperhoff, 2018. "Reziprozität in interorganisationalen Austauschbeziehungen - eine Typologisierung," ZfKE – Zeitschrift für KMU und Entrepreneurship, Duncker & Humblot, Berlin, vol. 66(4), pages 273-287.
    7. Bombaij, Nick, 2021. "Effectiveness of loyalty programs," Other publications TiSEM 095c506d-5b5c-4ea3-9b41-a, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    8. Viswanathan, Vijay & Sese, F. Javier & Krafft, Manfred, 2017. "Social influence in the adoption of a B2B loyalty program: The role of elite status members," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 34(4), pages 901-918.
    9. Jisu J. Kim & Lena Steinhoff & Robert W. Palmatier, 2021. "An emerging theory of loyalty program dynamics," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 49(1), pages 71-95, January.
    10. Bombaij, Nick J.F. & Dekimpe, Marnik G., 2020. "When do loyalty programs work? The moderating role of design, retailer-strategy, and country characteristics," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 37(1), pages 175-195.
    11. Robert Mislavsky & Berkeley Dietvorst & Uri Simonsohn, 2020. "Critical Condition: People Don’t Dislike a Corporate Experiment More Than They Dislike Its Worst Condition," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 39(6), pages 1092-1104, November.
    12. Andrew T. Ching & Masakazu Ishihara, 2018. "Identification of Dynamic Models of Rewards Programme," The Japanese Economic Review, Springer, vol. 69(3), pages 306-323, September.
    13. Bies, Suzanne M.T.A. & Bronnenberg, Bart J. & Gijsbrechts, Els, 2021. "How push messaging impacts consumer spending and reward redemption in store-loyalty programs," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 38(4), pages 877-899.
    14. Krista J. Li, 2021. "Behavior-Based Quality Discrimination," Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, INFORMS, vol. 23(2), pages 425-436, March.
    15. Thomas Reutterer & Kurt Hornik & Nicolas March & Kathrin Gruber, 2017. "A data mining framework for targeted category promotions," Journal of Business Economics, Springer, vol. 87(3), pages 337-358, April.
    16. Linda Hagen & Kosuke Uetake & Nathan Yang & Bryan Bollinger & Allison J. B. Chaney & Daria Dzyabura & Jordan Etkin & Avi Goldfarb & Liu Liu & K. Sudhir & Yanwen Wang & James R. Wright & Ying Zhu, 2020. "How can machine learning aid behavioral marketing research?," Marketing Letters, Springer, vol. 31(4), pages 361-370, December.
    17. Øystein Daljord & Carl F. Mela & Jason M. T. Roos & Jim Sprigg & Song Yao, 2023. "The Design and Targeting of Compliance Promotions," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 42(5), pages 866-891, September.
    18. Ricardo Montoya & Constanza Flores, 2019. "Buying free rewards: the impact of a points-plus-cash promotion on purchase and reward redemption," Marketing Letters, Springer, vol. 30(1), pages 107-118, March.
    19. Bies, Suzanne, 2022. "Examining the effectiveness of activation techniques on consumer behavior in temporary loyalty programs," Other publications TiSEM ade86df3-4846-4318-938f-a, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.

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