World Information Roundup from The Clever Marketer
From the Editor
Yesterday was Star Wars Day, and at present is Cinco de Mayo. It’s additionally Monday Newswire Day on the Clever Marketer, another excuse to have fun with tequila and tacos!
On this first version in Might, we have now information of recent loyalty program launches from Canada’s A&W and Thompson Eating places, whereas Nordstrom is making adjustments to The Nordy Membership. The Winners of the 2025 Freddie Awards are introduced, and Barclays launched its third annual Journey Rewards and Loyalty Report.
We’ve unique perception from Amperity’s CTO in regards to the present state of third-party cookie deprecation. And Comarch is evolving as an organization since its acquisition final fall by non-public fairness agency CVC Capital Companions.
Exercise in Buyer Loyalty by no means ceases to amaze us. We’ve the information, press bulletins, and analysis property you have to keep on prime of your recreation.
Tell us how we may also help you succeed.

Invoice Hanifin, Managing Editor, The Clever Marketer
Brief Takes
Comarch Divesting Enterprise Items after Acquisition by CVC Capital Companions
Comarch Loyalty Advertising is a well known identify amongst loyalty suppliers globally. What many have no idea is that the loyalty group is a part of Comarch S.A., considered one of Poland’s largest IT corporations. Household owned for a few years; the corporate was acquired by CVC Capital Companions within the fall of 2024. CVC Capital Companions is a main international non-public fairness agency, listed on the Amsterdam Inventory Alternate, with a community of 29 workplaces in Europe, Asia and the USA, managing roughly EUR 193 billion in property.
The evolution of the corporate post-acquisition is taking form as we learn a number of public bulletins:
- Close to the time of the acquisition, CVC said it’s exploring the sale of three main enterprise segments: healthcare, public providers, and telecommunications.
- Comarch later introduced in December 2024 that it had accomplished the delisting of Comarch from the Warsaw Inventory Alternate. This was said by the corporate to be one of many deliberate steps in a course of that can allow Comarch S.A. to proceed to develop as a personal firm.
- In January 2025, the firm said it had launched a assessment of strategic choices for 2 enterprise segments: the general public administration sector and e-health. In apply, this implies looking for a purchaser.
- On 6 February 2025, the Supervisory Board of Comarch S.A. appointed Mr Jarosław Mikos as President of the Firm’s Administration Board.
- Present actual property listings present the corporate has listed its newly accomplished (2024) Information Heart in Mesa Arizona on the market.
Barclays US Client Financial institution’s Third Annual Journey Rewards and Loyalty Report
Barclays has launched its third annual Journey Rewards and Loyalty Report, and you’ll find a hyperlink to it right here. Anybody within the CLMP™ Neighborhood can discover the report within the Loyalty Academy™ VAULT. The examine is predicated on a survey of 1,000 US vacationers and uncovers variations in journey and loyalty program preferences throughout demographics—and the way popular culture is shaping traveler conduct.
It’s essential learn this report to take in all of the insights however here’s a quick preview:
- A big majority (79%) of vacationers depend on loyalty applications, up from 2024 and 2023
- 82% of vacationers must journey in another way, or under no circumstances, with out journey rewards
- Greater than two-thirds of vacationers (69%) have or need to choose a journey vacation spot due to a favourite TV present or film
Will Third-Get together Cookies Ever Crumble? Derek Slager, CTO Amperity Shares Insights
Google has been speaking about Third-Get together Cookie retirement for a lot too lengthy and we’ve been following this story. What do manufacturers have to know to handle their buyer methods within the face of ongoing uncertainty? We talked with Derek Slager, Co-Founder and CTO Amperity and he shared this attitude.
“The third-party information period is not ending with a bang—it is fading away progressively. Google’s repeated delays in phasing out third-party cookies have created uncertainty, pushing entrepreneurs to basically rethink their buyer engagement methods. Its newest determination to shift consent administration duties onto particular person websites locations privateness compliance squarely within the arms of manufacturers.
Whether or not Google ever totally eliminates third-party cookies is now not the crucial concern; the erosion of information from these sources has already begun. Shoppers are more and more privacy-conscious, and laws like GDPR are setting clear expectations. Manufacturers should transfer ahead by investing in first-party information and privacy-first applied sciences to ship personalised experiences with out compromising consumer belief.”
Thompson Eating places Proclaims Launch of New Thompson Desk Rewards Program
Thompson Eating places has launched “Thompson Desk Rewards” a loyalty program that permits its friends to earn and redeem factors throughout all 15 manufacturers in 65+ places spanning 5 states. Thompson Eating places, a subset of Thompson Hospitality, is without doubt one of the largest meals service and hospitality business firms within the US with a various portfolio of restaurant manufacturers spanning Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia, Ohio, and Florida.
The brand new rewards program is a multi-brand umbrella idea, designed to unify all Thompson Restaurant manufacturers underneath one seamless system, permitting clients to earn and redeem factors throughout a number of places and ideas, together with on-line ordering and catering providers. The corporate said in its press launch that the initiative is designed to considerably elevate visitor engagement and ship enhanced worth to diners throughout all manufacturers and places. This system will roll out in phases, starting with a delicate launch this month, adopted by a full official launch within the coming weeks.
Ebbo and Clever Marketer Launch Newest in Technique Temporary Sequence: The New Loyalty Playbook
The most recent Clever Marketer Technique Temporary (WMSB) is launched in cooperation with ebbo and is titled “The New Loyalty Playbook.” This primary eBook chapter of three examines an idea that’s core to the way forward for loyalty technique improvement – how manufacturers can leverage new loyalty fundamentals to foster significant buyer relationships that stand the take a look at of time.
The street to buyer loyalty is fraught with expectations that proceed to evolve as audiences develop extra numerous. The problem for manufacturers lies in creating loyalty initiatives that present actual relevance and resonance throughout each model touchpoint. This eBook reveals how manufacturers can grasp at present’s loyalty fundamentals: bridging emotional loyalty, value-based choices, enhanced realities, and the all-important selection issue.
In case your final aim is to embed buyer engagement inside a behavior loop that repeatedly delivers satisfaction, obtain “The New Loyalty Playbook” to construct a strong framework for lasting progress and impactful outcomes.

Breaking Information & Press Releases
Nordstrom’s The Nordy Membership Proclaims Program Modifications
Nordstrom’s introduced that members of The Nordy Membership will now not be capable to earn loyalty factors for purchases made at Nordstrom Rack’s shops or on nordstromrack.com. In an replace to its Phrases and Situations, which you possibly can learn in full right here, Nordstroms additionally restricted program earnings based mostly on fee tender.
From the T&C’s, Cardmembers paying with their Nordstrom bank card in retailer and on-line at Nordstrom Rack can obtain a 5 % (5%) low cost on eligible purchases at time of buy. To obtain the low cost, card members should use their Nordstrom bank card at checkout to pay for his or her purchases and can’t use Apple Pay, PayPal, or Afterpay, even when their Nordstrom bank card is linked to these accounts.
Visa Proclaims the Way forward for Commerce
At its World Product Drop occasion in San Francisco, Visa unveilied the way forward for commerce with highly effective synthetic intelligence (AI)-enabled developments and the introduction of recent strategic partnerships and product improvements, collectively described by Visa as “considered one of our boldest strikes in our digital funds historical past.”
“As new methods to pay emerge, they should run on a community that’s all the time on —that’s secure, safe, scalable, and relentlessly innovating. We’re taking the ability of our community and our decades-long experience to rework commerce and convey belief and safety to AI-enabled funds,” mentioned Ryan McInerney, CEO, Visa. Learn all the main points right here.
The Refined Shift in Retail that’s Constructing Buyer Loyalty
Do you ever really feel the chilly and calculating nature of enterprise at present? Do you discover that retailer associates are strolling round virtually as if they’re disembodied? Have you ever soured on a model based mostly in your makes an attempt to contact them (by way of any channel) to resolve a service downside? This text shares essential views on why enterprise must “lose the script” extra usually and lead with moments that spark real impressions of personalised consideration.
The examples cited by the creator cowl totally different industries however had one widespread ingredient: they made the creator really feel one thing. Name it “valued,” “seen,” “cared for.” That is not service, its hospitality, and its working to distinguish manufacturers within the retail business. Learn the whole take right here.


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