Let’s be honest: many “industry predictions” stay at a high level and rarely translate into clear next steps. What’s often missing is structure: an understanding of when different initiatives actually make sense, and how strategy should follow real business cycles rather than abstract forecasts.
Your customers don’t behave the same way in March as they do in September. Your budget, your data, your campaigns… they all move to the beat of the calendar. So we mapped the year for you: one month at a time.
This whitepaper is your 2026 operating calendar: practical, seasonal, revenue-driven.
Life is unpredictable, and your rewards catalog should be ready for that. Sometimes a customer wants a dream vacation, but in August? Maybe they just need help paying for school supplies. Giving them the flexibility to use points for cash-back or everyday essentials isn’t ‘downgrading’ the program at all. It’s proving that you’re useful in their real, messy, daily lives.”
Paula Thomas
Founder and CEO of Let’s Talk Loyalty and Loyalty TV
Summer is the perfect time to loosen the tie a little. Gamification doesn’t really have to be about implementing a video game into your program. It’s about dopamine. It’s that tiny spark of joy when you unlock a badge or win a challenge. When we make loyalty fun, customers stop counting points and start enjoying the ride.”
Wojciech Osuch
Head of Growth Strategy Poland Accenture
I often compare true loyalty to a romantic relationship. You don’t stay with someone because of a transactional checklist or a scorecard; you stay because they remember how you take your coffee or send a text just to see how your day is going. It’s those small, unprompted gestures that say, ‘I see you.’ In 2026, our technology should be the intuition that helps the brand act like that attentive partner, creating those moments where the customer feels genuinely known and cared for.”
Joanna Witsch
Senior Loyalty Consultant at Comarch
