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Loyalty : the translation of information into value?

Thesis (MPhil (Information Science))--University of Stellenbosch, 2005. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Loyalty programmes have become very popular over the last 10 years and many
businesses have chosen to implement such programmes to support their marketing
strategies. Fundamental to the functioning and success of such loyalty programmes
is the ability to gather, process, analyse and apply information regarding a business'
customers. Such information is generated through customers' interactions with the
programme and the business to which it is linked, as well as the various services and
their providers that make up the programme. The aim of this research project is to
investigate the question of whether an information-oriented strategy, based on the
principles and paradigm of loyalty manifest in the global phenomenon of loyalty
programmes, can deliver value to a business adopting them.
In the process of the investigation, the primacy of information as the source of value
for any business in the new economy will be discussed. This will be transposed onto
the argument that the customer is the source of revenue generation and drives the
flow of value in a business system. The results of these two streams of argument will
show how the synergy between customers and their information, through the lens of
loyalty economics, can be translated into business value with the achievement of
core business objectives, i.e. sustainable revenue, growth, profit and competitive
advantage. Evidence of these contentions will be provided by presenting and
analysing local and international loyalty programmes as case studies manifesting
this approach.
In conclusion, the various findings of the research will be synthesised in the context
of existing, sound business, customer, and information and knowledge management
theory to derive an information oriented model of loyalty. This model is intended to
be a strategic framework which a business can apply to provide insight into their
decision making and assist in the achievement of their objectives.
In further research beyond the limits of this paper, the model is intended to be
tested. In application, the validated model's purpose will be to introduce to
businesses and their leadership the paradigm of loyalty as a strategic tool.
Furthermore, the model could be used as a foundation to assist in the creation,
evaluation and development of loyalty programmes and their business implications
in practice. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In die afgelope 10 jaar het lojaliteitsprogramme baie populer geword en baie
besighede het verkies om sulke programme te implementeer om sodoende hulle
bemarkingsstrategie te ondersteun. Die grondslag vir die funksionering en sukses
van sulke lojaliteitsprogramme is die vermoe om informasie oor klante te versamel,
te verwerk, te ontleed en toe te pas. Sulke informasie word gegenereer deur die
klante se interaksie met die programme en die besigheid waaraan die program
verbind is, asook die verskeie dienste en diensverskaffers waaruit die programme
bestaan. Die doel van hierdie navorsingsprojek is om ondersoek in te stel na die
vraag of 'n informasie georienteerde benadering, gegrond op die basis van lojaliteit,
gemanifesteer in die wereldwye verskynsel van lojaliteitsprogramme, waarde kan
toevoeg vir besighede wat hulle aanneem.
Die belang van informasie as die bron van waarde vir enige besigheid in die nuwe
ekonomie sal as deel van die ondersoek bespreek word. Dit sal saamgevat word in
die argument dat die klant die bron is van inkomstegenerasie en dat die klant die
vloei van waarde in 'n besigheidsisteem dryf. Die resultate van hierdie twee
argumentlyne sal aantoon hoe die sinergie tussen die klante en hulle informasie,
deur die lens van lojaliteitsekonomie, bydra to besigheidswaarde deur die bereiking van kern besigheidsdoelwitte, bv. volhoubare inkomste, groei, wins en
mededingende voordeel. Bewyse van hierdie stellings sal verskaf word deur
plaaslike en internasionale lojaliteits programme te beskryf en ontleed as
gevallestudies wat hierdie benadering weerspieel.
Ten slotte sal die verskillende bevindings van die navorsing saamgevat word in die
konteks van bestaande, goeie besigheids-, klante- en informasie en kennisbestuur ten
einde 'n informasie georienteerde lojaliteitsmodel te skep. Hierdie model se doel is
om 'n strategiese raamwerk te skep wat 'n besigheid kan toepas om insig te gee in
strategiese besluite en om doelwitte te bereik.
In verdere ondersoek buite die bestek van hierdie werkstuk sal die model getoets
word. In toepassing is die gevalideerde model se doel om besighede en hulle leiers
bekend te stel aan die paradigma van lojaliteit as 'n strategiese hulpmiddel. Verder
kan die model gebruik word as grondslag vir die skepping, evaluering en
uitbreiding van lojaliteitsprogramme en hulle besigheidsimplikasies in die praktyk.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/15496
Date12 1900
CreatorsHabberton, Colin Vincer
ContributorsBotha, D., University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Information Science., Jacobs, Ivan
PublisherStellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch
Source SetsSouth African National ETD Portal
Languageen_ZA
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeThesis
RightsUniversity of Stellenbosch

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