Issue #8: My Thanksgiving Wish(bone) List

Wishbone: Stop blindly growing our member bases.

Every program is bloated—especially at the elite level. No industry embodies this more than travel. Lounges have become the most miserable place to wait out a flight, published benefits are more “hope and a prayer” than guaranteed, and consumers are getting (rightfully) cynical. It’s time to put caps on loyalty members.

Wishbone: Kill the birthday rewards

Unless your brand appeals to kids (hello, Sky Zone 😆 ), no adult needs 30+ birthday freebies. Celebrate other milestones instead.

Wishbone: Providers who fix the basics before selling AI fairy dust

Yes, I said it. And yes I was the provider in my last role so I understand the conundrum and pressures on this. My issue isn't because AI isn’t valuable—it is—but too many providers pushing “AI innovation” still can’t support the basics, like real-time earn and burn. Solve the fundamentals first.

Wishbone: More redemption partnerships and fewer earn partnerships

Consumers are drowning in points with endless ways to earn across cobrand cards, rideshare, grocery, you name it. But redemption partnerships? Still in their infancy. Travel dabbles in this, but the value is weak. Restaurants? Only McD’s has tried. Retail? Practically no one. Closed-loop loyalty needs to become a relic.

Wishbone: Kill point inflation before it kills us

Yes, products cost more, so points eventually must, too. But devaluations have gotten out of hand. Too many programs deliver a measly 1–2% return, and customers notice.

Wishbone: Stop calling discounts “loyalty.”

Please. Enough with the couponing masquerading as loyalty. An occasional rich, member-only offer? Great. But turning your everyday discounts into “exclusive benefits” just cheapens your program. Even Amex Platinum has slid into coupon culture. Does that demo need a Walmart+ discount? Let’s get back (or to) exclusivity and experiences.

Wishbone: That our industry would take more risks

Budgets are shrinking, costs are rising, and public shaming on LinkedIn is very much a thing (case in point: we need no one else commenting on Cracker Barrel’s branding or Starbucks Bearista). So everyone plays it safe. But meaningful loyalty innovation requires bravery and sometimes a controlled face-plant.

Wishbone: Stop thinking loyalty marketers only do loyalty.

Yes, I’ve lived this. Recruiters and colleagues often overlook loyalty leaders as broad marketers, even though the job touches digital, data, branding, MarTech, social, partnerships, CX, and more. Ulta promoting their loyalty head to CMO, and Amtrak’s CMO with deep loyalty experience are refreshing examples.

Wishbone: A better way to analyze and compare MarTech.

It’s time to sunset the Forrester Waves and Gartner Magic Quadrants. Don’t get me wrong, these companies have great insights and reporting. But skepticism has always lingered when the largest providers magically land at the top, despite almost no one raving about them. And neither framework accounts for pricing, value for money, or specialization. Should a $100B provider be compared to a $50M one? Absolutely not.

Wishbone: Bring creativity back to loyalty.

Creativity in every form is needed: program names, visual identity, benefit design, the whole thing. Some brands are pushing forward (looking at you, Bilt 👏 ), and others are bucking the norm in smart ways (see Quick Points for examples). But overall, we could use a spark.