Episode 803

Epsilon: Beyond Points — Why Loyalty Must Become a Long-Term Business Strategy (#803)

Published on: 10th September, 2026

This episode is sponsored by Epsilon.

Loyalty Buyer's Guide from Epsilon - a free practical guide to help you evaluate loyalty platform options.

Download it here now.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What happens when points, discounts and rewards are no longer enough to earn lasting customer loyalty?

Elie Carrier-Walker, Vice President, International Client Services, Loyalty at Epsilon, explores how loyalty is evolving from a traditional marketing programme into a strategic business capability.

Elie shares why successful loyalty strategies need to go beyond transactional rewards to build trust, emotional connection and long-term brand preference. We discuss the balance between transactional and emotional loyalty, the role of brand reliability, and why loyalty needs to be embedded across the wider business — not treated as simply another marketing initiative.

We also explore some of the most common reasons loyalty programmes fail to deliver lasting value, and what brands can do differently to create stronger customer relationships and sustainable growth.

This episode is sponsored by Epsilon. Epsilon has been helping clients deliver on their loyalty objectives globally for more than 50 years. Today, Epsilon Loyalty combines deep loyalty expertise with market leading technology to create growth-based programmes that fundamentally change habits and deliver measurable long-term value.

Hosted by Charlie Hills

Show Notes:

1)Elie Carrier-Walker

2)Epsilon

3)The Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns.

All Episodes Previous Episode

Listen for free

Show artwork for Let's Talk Loyalty

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

Profile picture for Paula Thomas

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.