5 Key Customer Loyalty and Engagement Trends for 2021 One way to characterize 2020 is as the year of unexpected pivots. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, no one could’ve expected so many industries (other than cleaning-supply manufacturers) would need to broadcast their cleaning and safety protocols. But that’s what circumstances demanded, so companies recalibrated their marketing approach with little notice. Now it’s time to strategize and anticipate post-pandemic changes in outlook and behaviors. What challenges and opportunities should customer loyalty and engagement specialists consider as they move further into 2021? Let’s focus on five key trends: 1. Mitigating Risk During the pandemic, consumers have been relying on brands and stores that take their safety seriously. Consider the growth of contactless transactions: According to a retail-industry report, contactless transactions have grown 69 percent since January 2020. That trend is expected to continue. In fact, 94 percent of retailers surveyed expect contactless payments to expand even more in the next 18 months. And travel companies have taken significant steps to reassure customers that it’s safe to fly, stay, or rent with them. Alaska Airlines embraced that trend with a dance video parody of a 1980s pop song. Because we’re seeing the number of COVID-19 cases soar in the late fall and early winter, consumers are likely to keep safety at the top of their criteria into 2021.