2025 Trends You Don’t Want to Ignore

As we step into 2025, customer engagement is entering a new era.

Winning attention is no longer enough—brands must foster genuine connections and deliver tangible value to stand out.

After an exciting year working with major players like the Olympics, Intel and Pepsi, here are 5 key trends reshaping loyalty and customer engagement—and what they mean for the future.

• Prediction 1: Loyalty Moves Past Transactions & Rewards For Engagement

Gone are the traditional days of spend and reward, especially in this economy where everyone is not only vying for our loyalty, but our attention. In 2025, the loyalty programs that will win are those that reward for every brand interaction or engagement, from social posts, product reviews or completed surveys.

We saw this with Intel who sponsored Olympic challenges, where fans were given Olympic points for creating an AI generated Olympic loyalty badge. The loyalty programs that move beyond transactions and points and embrace a new currency of engagement; are the brands that will win in the new era of the attention economy.

• Prediction 2: Gamification Will Drive Deeper Engagement & Education

Gamification is about edutainment: combining education and engagement to create meaningful, rewarding interactions. From leaderboards and challenges to interactive campaigns, gamified experiences are turning passive customers into active participants.?

These tools can be used to teach consumers about a brand’s values in a way that feels natural and enjoyable. Take Pepsi Pass, our 6-month loyalty program for Pepsi customers in the UK. We had fans returning repeatedly to enjoy engaging minigames. This approach sparked excitement and repeat interactions. It also highlighted Pepsi’s commitment to enjoyment and community, making its values resonate with participants.

• Prediction 3: Mobile-First & No App Download Necessary Will Be Non-Negotiables

With over 58% of web traffic coming from mobile devices, a mobile-first strategy is critical—especially for connecting with Gen Z and Millennials.?

But here’s the challenge: app download fatigue. Gen Z doesn’t want to clutter their phones with more apps. That’s why Progressive Web Apps (PWA), like the ones we build at SMT, are leading the charge.

Brands must deliver mobile-optimized, frictionless experiences that include:

1. Seamless on-boarding and navigation that works across devices.
2. AR activations to bring campaigns to life.
3. Gamified loyalty programs designed for on-the-go engagement.

A mobile-first approach ensures brands aren’t just present, but relevant in the moments that matter most.

• Prediction 4: The Rise of Linked Loyalty Programs and Interoperable Points

Interoperability is transforming the loyalty landscape, enabling brands to create linked loyalty programs that offer seamless, collaborative customer experiences. In 2025, more brands will adopt interoperable point systems, reducing friction and increasing utility and therefore value for customers.

Take the My Olympic Rewards Program as a prime example. Samsung rewarded its fans with points for engaging with their ecosystem, while the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Intel distributed points for various other fan interactions. Despite originating from different brands, these points were interoperable and could be spent in the IOC’s marketplace. This loyalty network allowed fans to move between brand ecosystems effortlessly, unlocking value wherever they chose to engage.

By fostering linking loyalty programs, brands boost enrollment and engagement, unlock cross-brand opportunities, and deliver more rewarding experiences for their members and more value for the network.

• Prediction 5: Retail Media Networks Will Redefine Loyalty Targeting

The rise of Retail Media Networks is reshaping how brands connect with consumers, and in 2025, this trend will extend to loyalty programs.?

Brands are increasingly leveraging these networks to target ads and offers based on users’ spending behavior, creating a new era of precision marketing. Imagine a world where a customer’s purchase history informs not just the ads they see but the loyalty offers, benefits and the rewards they receive. By targeting loyalty offers with spend patterns, brands can incentivize repeat purchases, drive incremental spending, and foster deeper customer relationships.?

This evolution will blur the lines between advertising and loyalty, making every interaction more relevant and rewarding.

Why It Matters for SMT

At SmartMedia Technologies , these trends are more than predictions—they’re the principles shaping our solutions. From gamified loyalty platforms to interoperable ecosystems, SMT empowers brands to stay ahead of the curve and connect with their audiences in meaningful ways.

As we head into 2025, we’re committed to helping brands turn these trends into actionable strategies, delivering real value for customers and driving the future of loyalty and the open web - by making every engagement rewarding.