The first 90 days of the customer lifecycle, also known as the “Early Month on Book” (EMOB), are critical to a customer’s long-term success and profitability. In this phase, the foundation for future customer behavior is laid – be it through targeted activation, incentives for card use or personalized offers. According to Mastercard research, cardholders who activate during the EMOB phase are three times more valuable over their lifetime. Below we show how companies can optimally design the EMOB phase, based on best practices from our white paper and the attached graphic “EMOB campaign waterfall”.

Month 1: Activation and first incentives

In the first month after card activation, the main goal is to familiarize the customer with using the card as quickly as possible and to create their first positive experiences. This can be achieved through a variety of measures:

• Card dispatch and welcome series: The first contact begins with the sending of the credit card and a welcome series that explains the use and advantages of the card to the customer.
• Incentives for first card use: Incentives such as welcome bonuses or cashback promotions are offered to encourage the first use of the card.
• Apple Pay activation: Activating Apple Pay makes it easier to get started with mobile use and makes the card immediately ready for use.
• 4x Loyalty Cashback: Additional cashback incentives increase use of the card in the first few days and weeks.

Month 2: Increase usage and retention

In the second month, the focus will be on increasing the frequency of use and increasing customer loyalty to the card offering. This is achieved through targeted campaigns and the offer of additional added value:

• Next Best Category campaign: Data-driven recommendations are used to present the customer with the next relevant offer in order to further intensify card use.
• Installation of an app to collect loyalty rewards: Installing a mobile app allows the customer to keep an eye on their loyalty rewards and thus further increase the use of the card.
• Incentive to deposit the card: Long-term use is secured through offers that encourage the deposit of the card with preferred service providers.

Month 3: Promote high-selling categories and sustainable retention

In the third month, the focus is on maximizing sales through the card. The aim is to steer customers into high-sales categories and win them over as loyal users in the long term.

• Incentives for high-volume categories: Campaigns that target high-traffic areas such as travel or shopping motivate customers to spend more.
• Next Best Category campaign: The customer is continually provided with personalized offers that are tailored to their previous behavior.
• Instalment payment campaign and “Buy now, pay later”: Flexible payment options offer the customer additional financial flexibility and encourage the use of the card.

Conclusion: The first 90 days – a critical time window

The EMOB phase is a crucial moment in customer lifecycle management. Successful activation and use in the first three months not only significantly increases a customer’s lifetime value, but also creates a strong foundation for long-term loyalty. It is important to make the most of this critical time by using tailored campaigns, targeted incentives and personalized communication. Although the later phases of the customer lifecycle – such as churn prevention and reactivating inactive customers – remain important, successful activation in the first 90 days is crucial to long-term success.

Would you like to find out more about CLM? Download our free comprehensive white paper with lots of examples here! Would you like to know how specifically we can help you and your company to optimize CLM? Then contact us and talk to our experts about individually tailored solutions!