INCENTIVIZE 2025: Top 5 takeaways from Talon.One’s loyalty & promotions summit

What started last year as a bold new idea has quickly grown into the must-attend event for brands and partners shaping the future of incentives. From the energy in the room to the honest conversations on stage, this year’s summit set a new bar.

With a packed agenda of keynotes, panels, and fireside chats, we’re sharing five standout lessons from INCENTIVIZE 2025. 

Before we jump in, a big thank you to the sponsors who made it all happen:

Talon.One CEO Christoph Gerber opened INCENTIVIZE by spotlighting a clear shift: incentives have moved from tactical levers to strategic priorities. According to upcoming research from Harvard Business Review for Talon.One, 73% of respondents say loyalty and promotions are now important to their executive leadership team.

But despite their growing influence, 51% say their strategy still isn’t as effective as it should be. The gap? A mindset shift. Incentives aren’t just about pricing or discounts—they’re a solution to build long-term value and win customer trust.

Take Sephora, whose loyalty program goes beyond points and perks. With gamified challenges like quizzes that reward customers with loyalty points, Sephora keeps members engaged while gathering valuable first-party data. The result? Over 2 million new members joined following the launch—proof that incentives, when tied to business strategy, can drive real growth.

Next up, we heard from Nicolai Schnack, CTO of JOE & THE JUICE, a Danish-born trailblazer known for its healthy juices, sandwiches, and the now-viral Tunacado. Nicolai shared how JOE & THE JUICE has built a loyalty program that serves a global brand without losing sight of local relevance. At JOE & THE JUICE, loyalty isn’t about blanket discounts—it’s about creating value that makes sense for each customer, in each market. That requires a shift in mindset: from one-size-fits-all to one-core-system, many local expressions.

Their program, powered by Talon.One, is consistent worldwide, but it’s flexible enough for local teams to craft rewards that reflect regional preferences. In some countries, that might mean points go toward free coffee. In others, it could be perks like skipping the line—especially valuable for customers popping in during a short lunch break. JOE & THE JUICE puts customer behavior at the center and builds from there, proving that global scale doesn’t have to come at the expense of local relevance.

In her INCENTIVIZE 2025 session, Lena Kleinwechter, Loyalty Strategist at Talon.One, shared a clear reminder: loyalty program membership doesn’t equal real customer loyalty. In fact, 88% of program members still shop with competitors—and 66% are enrolled in competing programs.

Gamification helps close that gap by building emotional engagement and turning passive members into active participants. As Lena said, with the right mechanics—think progress bars, challenges, and badges—brands can tie desired behaviors to meaningful rewards.

And it works not because it’s “fun,” but because it’s grounded in behavioral science. Gamification taps into intrinsic motivation, drives repeat behavior, and builds identity with your brand—making it one of the most effective ways to deepen loyalty and increase reward redemption.

Loyalty programs aren’t just a tool to drive repeat purchases—they’re one of the best ways to understand customers. That was the key message from our loyalty panel featuring Denitsa Yordanova, Global Product Lead, Loyalty of ASICS Digital, Kate Faxon, VP Loyalty and Partnerships of Bilt Rewards, and Courtney Adair, Senior Director, Lifecycle Marketing of SiteOne. 

“When you look closely at how members engage—what they redeem, ignore, or get excited about,” Kate said, “you’re not just gathering data. You’re getting feedback from your most valuable audience.” If the data tells you to change course, don’t double down on assumptions—adjust. As Courtney put it, “Sometimes, the smallest tweaks make the biggest difference.” Case in point: Simply showing members what their points are worth in dollars can significantly boost redemption.

Panelists also emphasized the importance of turning rewards into brand moments. Yes, discounts work—but emotional rewards stick. The challenge is making them measurable. That means linking emotional loyalty to hard KPIs to prove its impact on long-term value.

The takeaway? Listen often. Adapt quickly. And never let a loyalty interaction go to waste.

Our closing keynote from Uncensored CMO podcast host Jon Evans distilled lessons from over 150 conversations with the world’s top marketers—and one message stood out: be the expert in your room.

For loyalty leaders, that means showing customers you know how to deliver value—and proving to internal stakeholders that your strategy is built on more than gut feeling. Authority builds trust, and trust is what gives you the room to innovate.

Jon also reminded us that creativity is your competitive edge. It doesn’t cost anything, but it can make everything feel fresh. In loyalty and promotions, where so many programs blend together, creativity helps you stand out—and stick in the customer’s mind.

But creativity without execution is just potential. “Ideas are worth $0, Jon said, “unless you can execute them. You’ll never have perfect timing. You just need to take the shot.”