The way customers connect with brands has undergone a seismic shift. Our Global Consumer Products Engagement Report found that 63% of Gen Z don’t care about “brands” at all—as long as their needs are met. And the new Customer Loyalty Index (CLI) launching in October 2025 indicates some surprising shifts in loyalty that all marketers need to know.
These are the new rules of loyalty: fragile, fragmented, and fast-moving. Prestige and tradition no longer hold the same weight; relevance, consistency, and emotional connection now define the relationship between customer and brand.
That’s why SAP Emarsys is launching the fifth edition of the Customer Loyalty Index and sharing a preview of the data at the Loyalty Masterclass at SAP Emarsys Festival on September 24, 2025. Together, these resources give marketers the insights and strategies they need to navigate this new landscape with confidence.
The Five Types of Loyalty — and Why They Matter
Over the past five years, the Customer Loyalty Index has revealed five ways customers demonstrate loyalty: True, Incentivized, Inherited, Silent, and Ethical.
- True Loyalty: The holy grail – deep, enduring, emotional bonds.
- Incentivized Loyalty: Driven by discounts, perks, and rewards.
- Inherited Loyalty: Based on heritage, legacy, or tradition.
- Silent Loyalty: Ongoing loyalty without visible advocacy.
- Ethical Loyalty: Alignment with values such as sustainability or fairness.
At the Loyalty Masterclass, you’ll learn about a new loyalty type that’s taking shape and why marketers should care.
Until then, each of the customer stories below shows how businesses are adapting to the new rules of loyalty in their own way.
4 Examples of Brands Adapting to the New Rules of Loyalty
Join us as we explore four examples of brands adapting to these new rules of l0yalty:
1. From data silos to driveways
For MYNM (BMW Group KSA), customer data was stuck in silos, and communication was limited to basic email and SMS. This made personalization at scale impossible.
With SAP CDP and SAP Emarsys, implemented by partner hmmh, MYNM unified its data into a single view and launched omnichannel engagement. New channels like WhatsApp, Web Push, Mobile Wallet, and TikTok campaigns became part of their toolkit.
AI now drives send-time optimization, real-time suppression, and content generation. Their Ramadan campaign reduced Google ad costs by nearly 50% while improving conversion rates.
The outcome: MYNM now runs campaigns “at the speed of data, not the speed of people,” proving that unifying data and automating personalization transforms the customer journey.
2. Loyalty built on values
With over 35 years of experience in sustainable home and living products, Allnatura had strong brand trust but limited personalization. Campaigns were basic, templates were outdated, and communication lacked localization.
Working with hmmh, Allnatura refreshed its strategy: modernized email templates, added Web Channel, Digital Ads, and Direct Mail, and localized comms across multiple markets.
Results included:
- +140,000 re-engagements from cart abandonment campaigns
- +35,000 birthday engagements, +45,000 anniversary messages
- €77,920 incremental sales from browse-abandon campaigns in six months
This is Ethical Loyalty scaled – values-driven engagement supported by modern automation.
3. Regional complexity, simplified
Grupo Axo manages 834 stores, 39 e-commerce sites, and 7 mobile apps across Latin America, representing brands from Nike to Calvin Klein. With 23 million customer records across 10 data sources, personalization was severely limited.
By implementing SAP CDP + Emarsys, Grupo Axo created a single customer view and executed omnichannel campaigns across email, SMS, push, and apps. AI-powered personalization drove significant results:
- 64% higher conversion with product recommendations
- 23% higher conversion using send-time optimization for abandoned cart emails
- Rollout across 21 brands in only three months
Grupo Axo can now personalize experiences across borders and brands, turning complexity into connection.
4. From buzz to buy
Bioré’s launch of UV Aqua Rich SPF combined influencer-driven buzz on TikTok and Meta with geo-targeted campaigns through SAP Emarsys. Social, retail, and CRM were aligned to deliver a seamless launch that drove rapid sell-through and engagement above category benchmarks.
This shows how brands can connect viral moments to sustained, personalized engagement.
The Customer Loyalty Index: Why It Matters
The 2025 CLI paints a clear picture: loyalty is more fragile, more fragmented, and harder to earn than ever before.
For marketers, this is a wake-up call. The old tactics – generic loyalty schemes, blanket discounts, or heritage-driven trust – no longer deliver. To play by the new rules of loyalty, brands need to:
- Use real-time data to understand customers as individuals.
- Lean into AI-powered personalization to deliver relevance at scale.
- Build loyalty not just on products, but on values and experiences.
The data confirms what leading brands already know: loyalty must be earned, moment by moment, through consistent, meaningful engagement.
Engagement That Builds Loyalty, One Moment at a Time
From luxury cars in Saudi Arabia to sustainable bedding in Europe, from multi-brand retail in Mexico to skincare launches in Asia, SAP customers are proving that loyalty isn’t gone, it’s evolving.
The future belongs to brands that understand and play by the new rules of loyalty: using data to drive connection, values to build trust, and innovation to scale. That’s True Loyalty in action.
About the author
Matthew Gardner has over 25 years of experience in the retail industry, having held leadership positions at companies like The Kroger Co, Office Depot, and Sports Authority. As an executive consultant at SAP, he collaborates with clients to accelerate positive outcomes. Matthew helps retailers explore relevant emerging capabilities, market insights, industry trends, and best practices to guide profitable investment decisions.
