I'm not knocking precision marketers, the soundness of their tactics, or their ability to get results. But, let us consider the meaning of the word LOYALTY and some hard-learned lessons about relationships between businesses and their customers.
These words are synonymous with loyalty (in no particular order): obedience, compliance, submission, nonresistance, passiveness, resignation, fealty, homage, devotion, fidelity. That's the kind of customer we all dream about, but rarely meet in the flesh. That's why business people lap up the promises of Loyalty Marketers.
Actually, customers like that do exist. They are called suckers, among other things. But most businessmen don't want to think they are creating sophisticated marketing programs to extract those gullible individuals who passively (loyally) buy whatever is put in front of them once they get to think a company is really great.
The discipline known as Loyalty Marketing makes customers respond to incentives (bribery marketing), generates warm feelings about earlier positive shopping experiences (Pavlovian marketing), and rewards shoppers for buying (doggie-treat marketing). But, your dogs are loyal - because they know have to be or they won't get fed â€" your customers are not.