What drives consumer participation to loyalty programs? A conjoint analytical approach

Little is known about the way in which different loyalty program attributes underlie consumers intentions to participate in such a program. Based upon equity theory, the current study distinguished between consumer inputs (personal data release, participation cost, purchase frequency, participation exclusivity, and participation efforts) and outputs (program) benefits, number of program providers, and program duration) as underlying attributes potentially affecting participation in a loyalty program. Using conjoint analysis, we explored how different levels within each of these eight attributes affect consumersae¨‰ intentions to participate. The study holds major implications for the design of successful customer loyalty programs. Keywords: Relationship Marketing, Customer Loyalty Program, Equity Theory, Conjoint Analysis.