Loyalty programs have come a long way. From paper stamp cards to fully integrated digital ecosystems, today’s enterprise programs are a key lever for growth and long-term customer relationships. But what does success look like in real life? In this article, we explore three loyalty program examples — from KFC UK & Ireland, Benefit Cosmetics, and Hyatt’s Inclusive Collection — that showcase how to increase customer engagement and drive measurable results. Whether you’re replatforming or building from scratch, these loyalty program case studies offer inspiration, strategy, and proven results you can learn from.
Ready to dive straight into brand-specific insights? Download our comprehensive case study on Hyatt’s Confidant Rewards loyalty program.
Table of Contents
The Evolution of Enterprise Loyalty Programs
Today’s enterprise loyalty programs are more than just points-for-purchase systems. They’re full-fledged customer engagement platforms that span online, offline, and mobile channels. What makes them enterprise-grade? Scale, complexity, and strategic alignment. These programs are designed to influence behavior, gather rich data, and deliver personalized experiences — all while staying true to the brand’s values and voice.
Key Components of Successful Enterprise Loyalty Programs
There’s no one-size-fits-all, but standout enterprise programs typically share a few core elements:
- Omnichannel accessibility.
- Personalization at scale.
- A mix of transactional and experiential rewards.
- Real-time, data-driven decision-making.
- Flexible technology that empowers marketers.
The following loyalty program case studies show how these elements come to life and what impact they can have.
Case Study: KFC UK & Ireland’s Gamified Approach to Fast Food Loyalty
KFC UK & Ireland moved away from its old stamp-based model to launch the award-winning KFC Rewards Arcade, a revamped, gamified loyalty program powered by Antavo (designed by RAPP UK). The idea? Turn everyday purchases into fun, win-based interactions through an in-app arcade game.
The results speak volumes:
- 53% increase in app downloads.
- 40% reward redemption rate.
- 25% of customers reported visiting more frequently.
Three years ago, we realized our old points-based loyalty program just wasn’t engaging our customers the way we wanted. We partnered with Antavo to create something more modern and exciting—a gamified experience where customers can win free food every time they order through the app. It’s fun, fair, and aligns perfectly with our brand personality. Antavo has been the ideal partner throughout this journey, helping us turn loyalty into something people genuinely enjoy.
By giving customers the chance to win free menu items instantly, KFC UK & Ireland created a habit-forming loop that increased mobile usage and in-store visits — all while keeping things fun, fast, and on-brand.
Case Study: Benefit Cosmetics’ Mobile-First Personalization Strategy
Benefit’s Benefit Loves program is a masterclass in mobile-first loyalty done right. Aimed at 20–30-year-old beauty lovers, the program blends product rewards with lifestyle perks like challenges, quizzes, and exclusive event invites. Our in-depth loyalty program case study details everything you need to know, including these highlights.
Key results include:
- 20.3k+ members have enrolled in the loyalty app in the first 9 months.
- Over 30,000 rewards claimed.
- 80% of engaged members aged 20–30.
Benefit was built on the belief that beauty should be fun and make everybody feel good, creating a beauty community for all. This is why we wanted a platform provider like Antavo that was flexible and enabled plenty of exclusive and engaging features for everyone. With their help, every interaction for our program members invites them to have fun and inject bursts of joy.
By rewarding both purchases and non-transactional actions (like referrals and reviews), Benefit increased emotional loyalty and time spent with the brand — a big win in a competitive beauty landscape.
Case Study: Hyatt’s Inclusive Collection’s B2B2C Loyalty Innovation
Hyatt’s Inclusive Collection overhauled its old travel advisor loyalty program and introduced Confidant Rewards, a B2B2C-focused program that rewards travel advisors for booking clients into Hyatt’s Inclusive Collection’s resorts.
The program achieved:
- 42% YoY increase in revenue claimed through the program.
- 295,000+ bookings submitted.
- 404 million points issued, 97 million redeemed.
When in search of our perfect loyalty vendor, we aimed to partner with a company that will enable us to completely restructure and enhance our previous program, launching a new system full of innovative solutions. Antavo exceeded our expectations by providing the right tool for the job. They enabled our team to build customized campaigns, exciting offers, easily integrate with the rest of our tech partners, and delivered an overall elevated customer experience.
The program offeres various ways for advisors to earn points, bookings, and limited-time campaigns, and extends beyond traditional rewards to include charity donations and localized catalogs. They also ensured easy-to-use tools for their internal teams, enabling them to translate brand values into successful campaigns, for a seamless experience for both internal and external users. With Confidant Rewards, Hyatt’s Inclusive Collection created deeper engagement and brand advocacy among advisors.
Technology Integration: The Backbone of Modern Loyalty Programs
All three programs were powered by Antavo’s API-first, headless architecture, enabling seamless integration with apps, POS systems, CRMs, and partner tools.
This flexible backend allows brands to:
- Run omnichannel campaigns.
- Launch rewards without IT dependency.
- Personalize offers using behavioral data.
For example, Benefit’s team manages its app content and promotions in-house, while Hyatt’s Inclusive Collection’s team has automated 65+ loyalty workflows, each in a few clicks. Enterprise loyalty technology should feel like a power tool, not a black box. Using compact and empowering platforms like Antavo enables seamless integrations all across the board.
Measuring Success: Key Metrics for Loyalty Program Performance
Successful programs don’t just count sign-ups — they measure behavioral and business impact.
Here’s what to track:
- Engagement rates (e.g., challenge participation, game plays).
- Redemption rates (KFC UK & Ireland hit 40%, a strong benchmark).
- Repeat purchases or visit frequency.
- Channel shift (e.g., more app or direct bookings).
- Revenue uplift (Hyatt’s Inclusive Collection saw +42% YoY – in revenue claimed through the program).
Always follow tried-and-true best practices, and connect program features to KPIs. If a reward, tier, or campaign doesn’t move the needle, optimize or replace it.
Implementation Strategies: From Planning to Launch
Launching or replatforming an enterprise loyalty program takes more than just good intentions. The brands we’ve highlighted succeeded by following a clear, strategic process from day one.
Here’s how to get it right:
- Start with business goals and KPIs. Know what success looks like — whether it’s increased frequency, more app usage, or higher direct bookings. Let those metrics guide your design decisions.
- Engage cross-functional teams early. Loyalty touches marketing, IT, data, operations, and customer service. Make sure everyone is aligned before you build.
- Invest in customer research. KFC UK & Ireland, Benefit Cosmetics, and Hyatt’s Inclusive Collection all shaped their programs around audience needs — from gamification to app engagement to advisor incentives.
- Choose scalable, marketer-friendly tech. With an API-first platform like Antavo, brands can launch faster and iterate without relying heavily on IT.
- Pilot, measure, and optimize. Test features like tiers, gamified challenges, or referral mechanics in smaller markets before scaling globally.
With the right foundation, even a full replatforming (like Hyatt’s 7-month turnaround) can be smooth and high-impact.
Future Trends in Enterprise Loyalty Programs
Enterprise loyalty is evolving fast. Here’s what’s on the horizon — and what brands should prepare for:
- AI-powered personalization: Tailored rewards, timing, and content based on real-time behavior and predictive analytics.
- Paid loyalty & memberships: Customers are increasingly open to paying for premium tiers, provided the value is there.
- Sustainability-focused rewards: Options like carbon offsets or charity donations are becoming expected, not just “nice to have.”
- Loyalty for B2B and partner ecosystems: Just like Hyatt’s Inclusive Collection did with travel advisors, more brands will launch loyalty initiatives beyond consumers.
- Gamification that goes deeper: Leaderboards, missions, and even AR integrations will elevate engagement, especially for younger audiences.
- Zero-party data strategies: Loyalty programs will double as engines for collecting customer preferences and feedback directly.
Staying ahead means building a flexible loyalty infrastructure now — one that can adapt to whatever the next trend demands. In order to keep up with the latest trends, and most impactul shifts, make sure to check out our annual Global Customer Loyalty Report.
Conclusion
These loyalty program case studies from KFC UK & Ireland, Benefit Cosmetics, and Hyatt’s Inclusive Collection show that enterprise loyalty is no longer about just handing out points — it’s about creating smart, seamless, and emotionally engaging experiences that drive real business outcomes.
Whether you’re looking to increase customer engagement, encourage more frequent visits, strengthen B2B partnerships, or reward end-users in a B2B2C format, there’s a blueprint here to learn from. And with the right strategy and tech, your brand can become the next loyalty success story.
Ready to look into kickstarting or refreshing your own loyalty program? Get in touch with our experts by booking a demo to see our platform’s capabilities or sending us an RFP.
Explore our in-depth case study on how Benefit Cosmetics achieved success with their fan-favorite Benefit Loves loyalty program.
Zsuzsanna is a Loyalty Specialist with years of experience in digital marketing and e-commerce. Zsuzsanna is known for having an analytic approach and high-level communication skills, helping her deliver engaging content. In her free time, she enjoys watching Formula 1 and listening to endless Taylor Swift playlists.
