Are Merchant Loyalty Programs Ever Effective?

By PYMNTS | June 28, 2011

Name: Tamara Mendelsohn

Title: Director of Marketing

Company: Eventbrite.com (Related: Eventbrite Shares New Research on How to Turn Social Sharing into Sales)

What I’m working on now… Democratizing ticketing

What problem I am solving by doing it… Previously, ticketing technology was only available to organizers of the most well-funded events. Eventbrite is offering sophisticated technology to organizers of every type of event there is, irrespective of size or type.

When I go shopping, my preferred method of payment is… My cash-back AmEx

I think the next big thing in ticketing is… Democratization

Cash is… A dying breed

Merchant loyalty programs are… Rarely effective at generating loyalty

eCommerce is… Always be complemented by bricks-and-mortar

Mobile commerce is… Finally here

Social commerce is… An overused term

The most important thing to consumers is… Value

Many new ventures don’t cut it because… Execution is harder than it looks.

My mentor is/ I’ve learned from my mentor… My mentor is Kevin Hartz, and what I have learned from him or her: As complex as the payments industry can be, successful companies are those that take the complexity out for the end user.

Bio: Tamara Mendelsohn, Director of Marketing, loves live music events and tech events focused on positive social change. She leads marketing for Eventbrite; focusing on customer acquisition, retention, and branding. She is passionate about spreading the good word for Eventbrite and the magic of bringing people together through events. She is equally obsessed with the power of social media and believes that technology changes everything.

Prior to Eventbrite, Tamara was a senior analyst with Forrester Research, an independent technology research and consulting firm. As an expert on eCommerce technology, multichannel retail, and trends in how consumers integrate technology into shopping, Tamara authored research reports and worked with both retailers and technology vendors to help them shape their strategies. She spoke regularly at industry events, sat on the advisory boards of several industry associations, and has been quoted in top newspapers and journals.

Tamara is a graduate of MIT Sloan School of Management and received her bachelor’s degree in comparative literature and economics from Wellesley College.