Why Most Loyalty Data Sits Underutilized | Zeta Global x Forrester Study

What if the biggest barrier to loyalty isn't strategy — it's architecture? In this episode of Loyalty TV, host Bridget Blaise-Shamai sits down with Georgia Gkolfinopoulou and Chad S. White (Zeta Global) to unpack a newly published Forrester Consulting study revealing that 100% of brands experience barriers turning loyalty data into action. The data tells a striking story. 88% of marketers say loyalty drives customer engagement — yet only about a third have full data integration, two-thirds collect zero-party data, and three-quarters collect first-party data. As Chad puts it: brands are "drowning in data" without the architecture to turn it into a real customer retention strategy. Georgia and Chad break down the three pillars that separate the brands closing the gap from the rest: centralized customer data, advanced analytics, and true omnichannel orchestration. They share how AI, intent signals, and data augmentation are reshaping modern loyalty marketing — and walk through the World Market case study that drove a 300% lift in customer engagement after rebuilding their program around audience understanding rather than coupons. If you're rethinking your customer loyalty strategy, looking to increase customer retention through better data activation, or planning the next evolution of your retention marketing program, this conversation is a practical, research-grounded look at where modern loyalty is actually heading. Hosted by Bridget Blaise-Shamai. Show Notes: 1)Zeta Global: https://zetaglobal.com/ 2)Georgia Gkolfinopoulou:   / georgia-gkolfinopoulou-   3)Chad S.White:   / chadswhite   4)Forrester Consulting study: https://zetaglobal.com/resource-cente... 5) Start with Why - Simon Sinek - Book Recommendation by Georgia: https://www.amazon.ae/Start-Why-Leade... 6) The Checklist Manifesto - Book Recommendation by Chad: https://www.amazon.ae/Checklist-Manif... 7) Email Marketing Rules book by Chad S. White : https://www.amazon.ae/Email-Marketing... 0:00 Highlight 1:30 Welcome & Introduction 2:06 Meet Georgia Gkolfinopoulou & Chad S. White of Zeta Global 3:49 Favorite Books: Start With Why & The Checklist Manifesto 7:00 Guest Backgrounds & What Zeta Global Does 13:03 Introducing the Forrester Study: "The Underutilized Superpower Hidden in Loyalty Data" 13:54 Key Finding: 88% Say Loyalty Drives Customer Engagement 14:56 The Data Gap: First-Party & Zero-Party Collection Not at 100% 16:21 Why 100% of Brands Face Barriers to Using Loyalty Data 21:55 The Three Big Things: Aggregate, Analyze, Orchestrate 24:31 Why Brands Stay Stuck in Transactional Mode 25:47 Why Loyalty Transformation Programs Fail 30:01 North Star Metrics: CLV and Retention Over Short-Term Thinking 35:00 Household-Level Data and the Loyalty Strategy Gap 39:00 Rising Customer Expectations & Market Differentiation 40:02 Case Study: Gamified Re-Launch That Drove Results 42:20 Zeta's Vision: Loyalty + Omni-Channel Orchestration + AI 46:00 Where the Industry Is Heading in the Next 12 Months 49:00 Closing & How to Connect with Chad and Georgia Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://letstalkloyalty.com/newsletter/ Connect with us on LinkedIn:   / let-s-talk-loyalty   #letstalkloyalty #loyaltymarketing #loyaltyprograms #loyaltytv