Research shows that companies now need to compete more and more on customer experience. The primary differentiator is now the experience and not the product. Nowhere is this strategy clearer than with Apple, whose entire premise is the superior user experience of the company’s hardware and software. One strategy of creating a compelling experience is through an omnichannel loyalty experience.

The primary purpose of an omnichannel strategy is to build a proper understanding of your customer. The only way to do that is to gather and combine data across an entire spectrum of platforms and channels. The customer will reward the brand that credits the customer for actions taken across all platforms.

The key behind this is the loyalty program. It is not practical to track the actions of the customer across all channels at once without a single unifying tracker. The loyalty program is the single thread that combines all the data.

You can now provide a customized experience for the customer wherever they shop. When they enter a physical store, they can get offers as soon as they give the loyalty card at checkout. Also, you can send personalized offers for birthdays and other occasions across multiple channels at once. Other perks are discounts, free gifts, cash-back, or free samples to reward loyalty to the brand at different points.

Competition amongst brands is fierce, and the only way to remain competitive is to build brand loyalty and keep the customer happy through a superior experience.