Episode 768

Best of the Back Catalogue | 5 Loyalty Lessons from Flybuys Australia (#768)

Published on: 5th May, 2026

The World’s Largest Loyalty Programs™ research report from Let’s Talk Loyalty is now available.

Download it by subscribing to our newsletter on the World’s Largest Loyalty Programs™ now.

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From our best of the back catalogue, this episode is a must-listen for anyone serious about loyalty strategy.

Coalition programmes are famously difficult to execute—balancing multiple partners, complex data, and a compelling value proposition. But when done right, their impact can be extraordinary. Few examples prove this better than flybuys Australia, which signed up one million members in its very first week.

In this episode of Let’s Talk Loyalty, Phil Hawkins, Former Operations Director at flybuys, shares five powerful lessons from over 25 years in loyalty marketing. From managing partner ecosystems to delivering meaningful customer value at scale, Phil offers practical insights grounded in real-world success.

If you’re looking to understand what it really takes to build and sustain a high-performing loyalty programme, this episode remains as relevant today as ever.

Show Notes:

1) Phil Hawkins

2) flybuys

3)#26: Australia’s Favourite Loyalty Programme: flybuys — 5 Lessons Learned in 25 Years

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About the Podcast

Let's Talk Loyalty
“Let’s Talk Loyalty” is an industry podcast for loyalty marketing professionals.

If you work in loyalty marketing, join us every week to learn the latest ideas and marketing insights from loyalty specialists around the world.

Check out our website on: http://www.letstalkloyalty.com/

About your host

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Paula Thomas

Paula Thomas is the Founder and CEO of Let’s Talk Loyalty and Loyalty TV.

Paula Thomas is an award-winning podcaster who founded the “Let’s Talk Loyalty” podcast and business in 2019, and Loyalty TV in 2023.

She has over twenty-five years blue-chip marketing experience, including almost a decade leading consumer loyalty programmes in multiple sectors including telecommunications, the energy sector, banking and airline loyalty programmes.

She is from Ireland and lives in Dubai.

Paula is a former judge for the “International Loyalty Awards”, and the author of the book “Driving Loyalty in Convenience Retail”.

She holds an Executive MBA from Smurfit Business College, one of Ireland’s top universities, and is a “Certified Loyalty Marketing Professional”.

In 2025, she was chosen as the International Loyalty Industry Personality of the Year.