Episode 95

Horizon Hobby: Building loyalty through emotional connection

Nate Kennedy
Nate Kennedy
Former VP of Brand Marketing

In this episode we talked about:

  • Why tiered loyalty programs often backfire (and how to fix them).
  • How experiential rewards outperform discounts for modern consumers.
  • The “class divide” mistake Horizon Hobby stumbled into and corrected.
  • Why engagement metrics are the true loyalty health check.
  • The future of loyalty in a world of digital wallets and one-tap checkout.

🎧 Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube

Episode highlights:

[04:17] Building a loyalty program: what worked, what didn’t

[06:30] The unintended “class divide” in tiered systems

[07:41] Why discounts aren’t enough and what Gen Z wants instead

[13:50] Engagement metrics as the real loyalty KPI

[16:06] Looking forward: loyalty programs in a digital wallet world

Nate's bottom line: Modern loyalty is about meaning—not money. Brands that nail emotional connection will win the long game in ecommerce.

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