Overall, 81 percent of consumers want to be rewarded by the product or brand, 77 percent want to be rewarded by the restaurant and 81 percent said they want to be rewarded by the retailer.

Although the majority of consumers like to receive rewards, the preferred rewards can vary by demographic. For example, “Surprises from the company” resonate more with millennials (55 percent) than with baby boomers (23 percent) or Gen Xers (38 percent); “members-only products” also resonated more with millennials (35 percent) than with Gen Xers (26 percent) or baby boomers (10 percent).

Yet, overall consumers also noted their discontent with some aspects of rewards programs: 53 percent said that it can take too long to earn a reward, and 32 percent said that they’re worried about the security of their personal information. Consumers also said that they received too many communications from loyalty/reward programs.

HelloWorld highlights four areas where brands need to pivot their loyalty/rewards programs: reward for engaging with a brand, give more personalized rewards more frequently, allow consumers to earn more through partnerships and provide exclusive services for members.

“In a crowded marketplace, it’s time to change the way we look at loyalty programs,” the report states. “It’s not just about earning points, it’s about listening, understanding and responding to each consumer and building affinity through a multi-touch experience with your brand.”