• by Ray Schultz , Columnist, August 14, 2024

Email teams targeting people based on age and other demographics might do better to view them as community members. 

That’s the main finding of the 2024 Consumer Loyalty Report, a study from SheerID, conducted by Centiment.

Of the consumers polled, 82% check to see if a brand is offering an exclusive deal to their community before making a purchase. And 80% of those members identify more strongly with their community than they do with their age group, political affiliation or geography. 

Which groups are we talking about? Military, healthcare workers, teachers, students and first responders. These consumers feel more emotionally connected to brands that give them an exclusive offer: 

• Teachers — 76%
• Students — 73% 
• Healthcare — 72% 
• Military — 71% 
• First responders — 67%

And these prospects are likely to join a brand’s loyalty program to receive such an offer:

• First responders — 90% 
• Military — 86% 
• Healthcare workers — 83%
• Students — 73% 

Of course, marketers have to be able to identify these community members — a business that SheerID happens to be in.

When those community members are identified by brands with exclusive offers, 75% of military respondents will feel honored, and 75% of healthcare workers, 69% of teachers and 67% of students will be grateful. Even better, 96% will share the offer.  

One negative note is that only 38% are optimistic about the economy. 

“The findings of the 2024 Consumer Loyalty Report are clear: gated, exclusive offers to consumer communities cultivate an emotional connection with brands that builds long-term loyalty,” says Stephanie Copeland Weber, CEO of SheerID.  

SheerID and Centiment surveyed 3,200 consumers in the US and UK between March 1 and March 14, 2024.