For the fourth episode of season two of Legally Consumed, our hosts were joined by Miranda Bliss, a marketing and loyalty expert whose career spans leading consumer brands across sectors from beauty to premium appliances. Miranda has built her career on understanding what drives customer behaviour and how to turn that insight into long-term loyalty.
The conversation explores how loyalty and retention programs have evolved beyond points and perks to become a discipline built on data, strategy and connection. Miranda discusses how e-commerce and emerging technologies are reshaping how brands engage with customers, and why the best loyalty strategies still balance personalisation with privacy.
How loyalty and retention programs work
From coffee stamps to supermarket rewards, nearly everyone belongs to a loyalty program, tempted by the promise of perks and rewards from their favourite brands. People tend to think of offers and discounts, but as Miranda explains, it goes much further than that. A loyalty and retention program is a long-term strategy built around understanding what motivates customers and how to keep them engaged. It involves continual testing, data analysis and customer research to find the right mix of incentives, communication and experience that will encourage people to return. Rather than focusing on quick wins, the goal is to nurture customers and grow their value over time.
In the episode, Miranda shares how this plays out across industries. In fast-moving retail, success often comes from price and convenience. For premium brands, such as high-end appliances, loyalty develops through education and experience, with programs that help customers get more out of their purchase. But at the heart of every program is the same idea: understanding the customer. Knowing what drives their decisions, what builds trust and what makes them come back is what turns a transaction into a long-term relationship.
Why seamless experiences win loyalty
E-commerce has transformed what loyalty looks like. Without in-store conversations or human interactions, online retailers have had to be creative to build the same sense of connection. As Miranda explains, this often happens through personalised emails and carefully timed messages that make a digital experience feel personal. Emerging platforms are taking this further. Overseas, shopping functions on apps such as TikTok Shop are blending entertainment and purchase in real time, giving brands another way to connect directly with consumers.
But this shift cuts both ways. Customers’ online experiences now shape how they feel about a brand long before they walk into a store. A clunky app or too many notifications can leave consumers disengaged and more likely to shop elsewhere, regardless of how strong the in-store experience might be. Miranda notes that customers now move fluidly between online and offline channels and expect the experience to be seamless. Whether a brand meets that expectation often determines whether loyalty lasts.
Finding the line between helpful and intrusive
While loyalty is all about the right message in the right place at the right time, when one of those misses the mark, it can quickly shift from personalised to intrusive. What should feel thoughtful can instead have the opposite effect and push customers away. As Miranda explains, every campaign has to earn its relevance. That means being deliberate about what data you collect, how you use it and when you reach out.
Privacy and data expectations are evolving just as quickly as the technology that drives them. Miranda notes that brands should have their data mapped and audited, understand where it goes and make sure they are only capturing what they truly need. Working with legal early is key to getting this right. As consumers become more aware of how their information is used, brands that approach personalisation with transparency and restraint will be better placed to build trust and keep it.
Tune in
To hear more from Miranda Bliss on how technology, data and consumer insight are reshaping loyalty programs, tune into our podcast, Legally Consumed, where we explore the consumer products space. Keep up to date with new episodes by following us on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music or Spotify.
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