Loyalty Program Strategy & Design Consultants
Ascendant Loyalty is one of the most experienced independent U.S. consulting firms focused exclusively on a brand’s need to design, launch, optimize, and manage profitable customer loyalty programs. Having over 25 years of experience, it has achieved a specialist reputation at global scale, offering a comprehensive scope of services including but not limited to: designing, redesigning, launching and managing loyalty programs.
Their proven Loyalty Leaders method provides: Martech assessment, competitive benchmarking, primary research, financial modeling & business case development, benefit sourcing, technology assessment & selection, partnerships via Uniting Loyalty®, analytics & modeling, and ongoing program management.
The firm’s highly qualified consultants serve clients across B2C retail, specialty retail, hospitality, casino, cruise lines and entertainment, as well as, highly specialized B2B sectors. When reaching out to firms for loyalty strategy and design it is best to choose an independent specialist with deep expertise, enterprise-level rigor and flexible senior-team involvement.
Our client advocates always share that Ascendant Loyalty is best suited to serving clients that seek competitive market advantage, retain and grow valued customers by driving customer/guest lifetime value.
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CLIENTS PRAISE OUR PASSION
“We engaged Ascendant as our partner to help us design our unique hotel loyalty program. Their leadership, expertise and skillset were exactly what we were looking for and I highly recommend them.”
“Ascendant Loyalty provided a dedicated team of professionals who know the casino business well and were fully supportive in helping us gain new, valuable partners leveraging their Uniting Loyalty capabilities. The team was very detail oriented with a competitive edge. This is what makes them stand out!”
“The team at Ascendant Loyalty provided expert financial planning, loyalty program design, strategy and technology selection consulting services to rue21, leading to a program that has far exceeded expectations.”
“Ascendant Loyalty was hired as strategic advisors for the integration of Famously You Rewards with the new Famously You Rewards credit card. They added critical credit card marketing experience rooted in loyalty program management and operational expertise. Their involvement led to an on-time, well-managed program launch and a program design that exceeded our expectations.”
“Experts in vendor selection, program strategy, and helping drive ROI quickly.”
“Ascendant Loyalty was a key partner in building a comprehensive loyalty strategy and operational model for our business. They covered all aspects of the initiative: market research, stakeholder interviews, assessed and evaluated margin profile, defined, and built our strategy and led a thorough RFP process for us to land the correct operating platform. It has been great to have their experience and partnership throughout.”
“We greatly appreciate the comprehensive support provided by ALM in elevating the experience of our loyalty program, Aura. Their strategic insights and innovative approach have significantly contributed to our success in being awarded the best loyalty program in GCC in 2023. We highly recommend them for their exceptional services and unwavering commitment to excellence.”
THE 4 P’S THAT MAKE US DIFFERENT
We focus on specific areas of need within loyalty program strategy consulting.
We invest in you and spend your money like it’s our own.
Industry sector experts in loyalty program consulting, dedicated to delighting customer-centric clients.
Proven, customizable products, processes, and solutions—including financial modeling and ROI analysis, Loyalty Program Strategy, Design, Redesign, Loyalty Technology selection, and RFP Consulting—that outperform the competition.
Ascendant Global Network brings together full-service CRM/loyalty consulting agencies across the globe to deliver expertise in customer-centric strategic assessment, program strategy, design, operating model and evaluation/implementation of marketing technology solutions under one brand. This unique advantage allows Ascendant Loyalty to deliver hyper-local expertise for global or regional brands at competitive advantage.
Our network employs Ascendant Loyalty’s proven Loyalty Leaders process/method for program development leading to performance that sustains incremental growth for a lifetime. The collective power of the firm, distributed across The Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East and Africa, supports global brands while being flexible on a regional basis.
ASCENDANT vs COMPETITORS
| Client Needs | Ascendant Loyalty Strengths | Big 4 Firms or Tech Firms |
|---|---|---|
| Innovation in Program Strategy/Design | Proven ability to build programs that “wow” customers and guests through enterprise-level rigor to achieve competitive advantage. | Loyalty is an “add-on” to a wider set of services, and lack dedicated staff with practical in-market expertise. |
| Objective POV Regarding Technology | Thorough knowledge of global network of technology providers, can provide most objective recommendations based on MarTech assessments, RFI/RFP management. | Biased due to strategic alignments and lack of knowledge across all segments of technology features and functionality. |
| Single-Stop Shop for CRM/Loyalty | Based on years of experience, Ascendant Loyalty can source complementary solutions that precisely match a program’s needs now and into the future, creating a highly efficient and effective services mix. | In many cases, do not have as broad of a mix of solution providers or sourcing internal units with high cost to serve. |
| Strong Price-to-Value Ratio | As an independent, highly specialized consulting firm with senior-team involvement, Ascendant Loyalty provides a flexible scope of service model to meet each client’s needs. | High pressure to secure the business with profit margin pressure, or lead with low cost for consulting but charge incrementally more to offset for technology. |
Our loyal clients
OUR LOYALTY LEADERSHIP TEAM
David is a world class expert at CRM/Loyalty business case development, program design/strategy, and global technology assessments. He has designed some of the largest, most successful loyalty programs in retail, restaurant & hospitality, department store, and e-commerce sectors.
Jay designs and manages customer loyalty programs for clients in retail, travel/hospitality, entertainment, and food service. He focuses on analytics, research, and technology, bringing an entrepreneurial spirit gained from over 20 years in business and being a trusted partner.
Kathryn is an expert in retail loyalty marketing and has a passion for helping businesses find the right tools and strategies that build customer engagement to both your brand and your loyalty program. She has led loyalty efforts for both Barnes & Noble and Saks 5th Avenue.
Danika has 25+ years of experience in loyalty and customer engagement strategy, working with Fortune 500 companies including Silversea Cruises, Marriott, American Airlines, Disney, Starbucks, McDonald’s, and Estée Lauder. Danika helps brands develop and deliver mutually beneficial loyalty experiences that are powered by data and that drive engagement.
Shirley is a highly respected Certified Loyalty Marketing Professional (CLMP). She designs and cultivate loyalty initiatives for global lifestyle brands, taking members along a curated journey of delightful touchpoints. Shirley’s loyalty expertise expands many industries and is grounded in the hospitality space, where loyalty is “King”.
Amy is a seasoned loyalty marketing expert providing strategic and operational solutions for organizations across many verticals. She has held marketing leadership positions at Taco Bell, Smart & Final, Toys R Us, Sears Holdings, and Pet Supplies Plus, as well as strong expertise in the grocery industry.
Robin transforms loyalty programs to drive multi-million-dollar revenue growth by helping clients design unique brand positioning, create compelling benefit structures, and grow ancillary revenue streams through partnerships and sponsorships. She has led award-winning loyalty programs and cobranded credit cards for Starwood, Wyndham, Global Hotel Alliance, Citi and Chase.
Melissa serves as a strategic and operational partner in customer engagement to organizations navigating complex, regulated markets, from casino gaming to healthcare. She connects data, CX, technology, and on-the-ground realities to enable superior high-touch service, drive responsible growth, and empower teams to build lasting relationships and value exchange.
As a strategic partner, Profitmind’s mission is to elevate retail performance by providing quantified and prioritized opportunities in real time, so retailers can make decisions quickly to reach their revenue and profit goals. As a retail analytics company utilizing an agentic AI platform to identify revenue, profit, and cash flow opportunities for retailers, the software provides automated, actionable recommendations based on business goals, competitive intelligence, and internal data, replacing manual analysis.
As a strategic partner, Kyros Insights is the only actuarial firm in the world focused exclusively on loyalty programs. Our deep industry knowledge and proven models help you solve complex problems your internal teams can’t, with accuracy your finance and marketing leaders can trust.
As a strategic partner to Ascendant Loyalty, inteQ’s Genesis platform unifies fragmented customer data from every touchpoint into a single, actionable customer view. Genesis enhances existing loyalty and marketing systems by eliminating data silos, enabling the personalization at scale that drives measurable program performance.
As a strategic partner, Salt’s award-winning Digital Strategy and Customer Experience practice guides global brands through end-to-end transformation — from CX strategy and CRM activation to technology implementation and execution. Salt’s proven track record helps organizations harness data, design, and technology to deliver personalized, connected customer experiences that drive measurable growth.