[INTERVIEW] Christine Poirier – Director of Loyalty of Cadillac Fairview

Cadillac Fairview (CF) recently announced the development and launch of the company’s symbiotic approach to Loyalty and expansion of the Feel the Love loyalty pilot promotion at four additional CF shopping centres. Today, we have the privilege of interviewing Christine Poirier, Director of Loyalty at Cadillac Fairview to learn more about loyalty for shoppers at CF!

Q1: Please tell us about yourself. What is your role with Cadillac Fairview (CF)?

A: As Director of Loyalty at Cadillac Fairview my core focus is to understand our shoppers and develop innovative programs, products and services to enhance their shopping experience. The CF SHOP! card is also part of Loyalty at CF, and I oversee the national gift card program, which allows shoppers to give the gift of choice with a card that works at nearly all of our retailers at all CF malls. We spend a lot of time learning about our shoppers, gaining insight, piloting new experiences and iterating along the way to develop new ways to lead our industry. With a background in CRM and Loyalty, I have a passion for building insight driven strategies that result in tailored and relevant experiences for customers, so it’s a very exciting time to be part of Cadillac Fairview where we have a focus on doing just that.

Q2: So what is this new loyalty program about?

A: Following months of research and analysis, CF is pleased to announce the development and launch of the company’s symbiotic approach to Loyalty, one that recognizes and rewards our shoppers while helping build stronger relationships with our clients. For CF, this means Loyalty will be constantly evolving, aiming to solve the future needs of our shoppers. To validate the insights gained by this research, last fall we launched Loyalty experience pilots to test and trial the new approach.

The Feel the Love loyalty promotions that we’re currently piloting enables us to better understand our customers and provides us with valuable insights, allowing us to develop and deliver effective promotions and marketing campaigns.

Q3: Why did you decide to launch this program?

A: We believe in building and maintaining shopper loyalty through the delivery of uniquely tailored services and experiences, created as a direct result of shopper feedback and insights. Loyalty is becoming increasingly important for brands that understand the importance of retaining and attracting customers, and building customer loyalty.

At CF we believe that building great digital and physical experiences is at the heart of our business. We focus on delivering best-in-class experiences that give our shoppers inspiration and efficiency whether that be in retail shopping, dining or special events. We believe that one of our biggest opportunities is to deliver a “CF” experience that is second to none, creating engagement and a direct relationship with our clients and shoppers.

Q4: What kind of rewards can members receive?

A: As part of the Feel the Love pilot promotion, enrolled participants are able to unlock access to exclusive offers and in-property experiences like member-only lounges, VIP kids clubs, front of the line experiences, complimentary valet parking, exclusive retail offers as well as cash-back incentives offered through our partner, Paymi.

Q5: Will there be transfer partners where you can transfer these points to other loyalty programs? If not, is it in the works?

A: There are currently no ‘points’ offered as part of the Loyalty pilot promotion that CF is currently piloting. At this stage our focus is on continuing to gather and analyze insights in order to review and update our strategic approach to loyalty. So far, our combination of personalized communications and delivery of relevant experiences/offers, and cash-back incentives through our partner, Paymi, has resonated strongly with those who have enrolled. We are thrilled to extend the Feel the Love pilots at four more CF shopping centres because of this initial success and look forward to learning more within this exciting space.

Q6: What else can we look forward to in the short and medium term future?

A: Over the course of the next few months CF will continue to look for unique partnerships that will deliver innovative ways to build loyalty either with existing clients and/or new partners. We also look forward to extending our Feel the Love pilot promotion to four additional CF shopping centres across the country. We are very excited about the future of the CF Loyalty program!

Q7: What advice would you give shoppers and “Pointshoggers” out there?

A: We definitely encourage our shoppers to take advantage of our Feel the Love pilot promotion, currently available in Toronto and Ottawa, to unlock access to exclusive offers and experiences! As we continue to roll out the additional pilot promotions, stay tuned for more details with more information on exciting experiences and exclusive offers to come at CF.

Q8: Any closing thoughts?

A: Canadians can stay tuned for more info on Loyalty at CF, including the roll out of the additional four centres by following Cadillac Fairview on Twitter @CadFairview and on Instagram @CadillacFairview.

Shoppers in Toronto and Ottawa are encouraged to enroll in the Feel the Love pilot promotions by visiting: https://www.cfshops.com/sherway-gardens.html and https://www.cfshops.com/rideau-centre.html