- Design industry shaping loyalty programs
- Integrate easily and go live quicker
- Deliver hyper-personalized consumer experiences
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It was in the 1930s, with the Great Depression hammering down car sales, that the first automotive rewards program came into being. Chrysler pioneered the factory-to-dealer discounts, allocating funds directly to dealers, who could then offer cash-back deals and reduced prices to customers, effectively transferring the factory purchasing power to the local level. That was then, and this is now.
The automotive industry is undergoing the next fundamental shift, with tech disruptors and mobility startups challenging traditional car brands, and the digital-first buyers looking for more than just great cars. Customer experience is the key differentiator now, so brands that offer seamless, rewarding customer journeys will win loyalty. In fact 7 out of 10 automotive customers now say that a seamless digital experience influences their loyalty to a brand. Which is why automotive CMOs are now looking to leverage loyalty platforms, turning every showroom visit, service appointment, and in-car interaction into a strategic advantage.
We’ve figured out five clear challenges that the automotive brands experience when looking to retain customers and grow long-term value –
Overall, the association that owners have with their car may be emotional but the relationship with the car maker has been fairly functional.
A well-designed loyalty program helps you create value throughout the customer journey, identifying many more opportunities to engage with customers, influencing their experience, and earning revenue. Here are the automotive loyalty features which make this possible –
Customer data often lies scattered across dealerships, service centers, and digital channels. An intelligent customer data platform (CDP) receives and harmonizes customer data from all touchpoints in real time. And crystallizes a single, unified customer view for the whole organisation and from here everything possible – from dynamic segmentation to AI-driven personalization, delivering relevant communication at every stage of ownership and enabling precise marketing spends.
All loyalty interventions and rewards are designed on the basis of credible customer data available in a certain quantity. If the customer data itself is scarce – from infrequent brand-customer interactions – gamification can be used to build fun, engaging activities into routine activities – like mileage challenges, digital badges, and surprise bonuses – encouraging customers to share data on preferences. Each completed challenge captures rich behavioral insights (driving habits, preferred services), and helps automotive brands create tailored offers, predict needs and cross-sell effectively.
Loyalty tiers create an aspirational path with services and perks, motivating the car owners to return more often. With customers unlocking the progressive benefits, automotive brands can inspire a continuous engagement and drive higher customer lifetime value.
Phygital (physical + digital) and omnichannel engagement maps every touchpoint, from the first showroom visits to car purchase, and service center visits to in-car app usage. Then stitches all touchpoints into a unified customer journey. So the loyalty offers and reminders reach car owners at the most relevant moments, closing ‘blackout’ gaps between touch-points.
Restricting loyalty benefits to just dealer services limits the perceived value of the program. Automotive brands can co-brand a broader umbrella of services – like fuel stations, insurers, car washes, and lifestyle brands – expanding earning and redemption touchpoints.
Unlike simply integrating certain rewards from individual partners, the coalition approach allows customers to earn points at any of the locations, and spend them at another. As customers earn points on daily spends, your brand gets access to new audiences, driving incremental revenue through partner commissions, and positioning itself at the center of the customer’s mobility ecosystem.
An automotive loyalty program is much more than points and perks. When designed strategically, it becomes a data engine, communication tool, and relationship bridge that connects vehicle purchase to aftersales, and ultimately to repurchase. Different types of loyalty programs can be tailored to drive individual KPIs like boosting personalization, raising brand awareness, increasing social media presence, and so on. The key capabilities of a strong automotive loyalty program include –
Whether you have an active loyalty program or are planning to have one soon, these simple tips from our automotive loyalty experts will change how customers feel about your brand.
A well-designed loyalty program isn’t about chasing points; it’s about closing the gap between customer interactions, creating brand stickiness in an otherwise low-touch industry, and generating long-term value from each relationship.
If you’re looking to preserve and grow your customer equity, it’s time to set your sights on customer loyalty. This is where we come in.
Capillary’s intelligent loyalty solutions enable 400+ global brands to deliver exceptional customer experiences and engage with customers in real-time. Get in touch with us and discover how Capillary can deliver beyond-conventional loyalty and growth for your automotive brand.
July 1, 2025 | 4 Min Read
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