Mark Ross Smith · August 3, 2022

Podcast: Let's Talk Loyalty
August 3, 2022
Today, "Let's Talk Loyalty" meets airline industry thought-leader Mark Ross-Smith, who shares his insights on global airline loyalty programmes – their role, positioning, and potential for greater profits with seemingly plenty more room for growth! It's a fascinating discussion…

Award Winning Loyalty Data Thought Leader
25+ Major travel brands worked with100,000s Travellers helped by Loyalty Status Co2022 Loyalty Royalty 30 Under 40800,000+ members Australian social network co-founded & sold
Mark Ross-Smith is a global leader in the airline loyalty industry, with a passion for delivering value to both travellers and airlines. As the CEO and Co-Founder of Loyalty Data Co, Mark is shaking up the industry with his cutting-edge loyalty platform, StatusMatch.com. With over a decade of experience in the industry, Mark has a proven track record of success, having led the Malaysia Airlines Enrich Loyalty Program to consecutive years of financial growth. He was also the CEO of a leading high-tech start-up, where he harnessed the power of big data to drive incremental revenue for Telstra, Optus, and Vodafone.
Mark is a sought-after speaker and thought leader, known for his unique approach to loyalty innovation. He's been featured in major media outlets such as CNN, BBC, The Economist, and Financial Times, and has published numerous papers and articles on airline loyalty on his website, www.traveldatadaily.com. In 2022, Mark was also awarded Loyalty Magazine's prestigious "Loyalty Royalty" 30 Under 40 Award.
Mark's entrepreneurial journey has been nothing short of impressive. He co-founded and sold the largest Australian-owned social network, which had over 800,000 members and major global brands as customers. He's now focused on airline and loyalty data and has published over 50 thought-leadership articles on airline loyalty and big data monetization.
Today, "Let's Talk Loyalty" meets airline industry thought-leader Mark Ross-Smith, who shares his insights on global airline loyalty programmes – their role, positioning, and potential for greater profits with seemingly plenty more room for growth!
It's a fascinating discussion about innovative ideas to drive customer loyalty, learning from both the gaming industry as well as strategies that have been adopted by some leading airlines with great success.
We hear some fascinating recent valuations of airline loyalty programs compared to the values and margins earned by the airlines who own them. Mark then shares some challenging ideas about the commercial positioning of each business in the post-pandemic world of aviation, and whether loyalty leaders should have a seat in the boardroom and why.
Show Notes:
1) Mark Ross-Smith
2) StatusMatch.com
3) traveldatadaily.com
4) Digital Driving Growth in KFC China
5) Measuring Loyalty – Tracking passengers who fly with competing airlines
Guest: Mark Ross Smith
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