Mario Rauch, WU graduate and former CEO of jö Bonus Club, recently returned to his alma mater to share fascinating insights regarding customer preferences, data protection and current shopping behavior from the perspective of Austria’s biggest loyalty club. The jö Bonus Club, available both through a physical card and a mobile app, successfully serves more than 4 million members in Austria and proves itself to be one of the most reliable applications on the market. Through their loyalty program members can accumulate “Ös” (special points) and redeem them for various benefits from a diverse range of partners across many industries such as ADEG, Allianz, BAWAG PSK, BILLA, BIPA , Interio, LIBRO, foodora, OMV, PAGRO DISKONT, PEARLE, PENNY, and ZGONC.

Mario revisited Professor Schreier’s and Dr. Maier’s course for the 1st year Master of Science in Marketing students called Management by Experiments, which is dedicated to equipping students with a deep understanding of experimental methodologies and their practical application in the field of marketing. During his visit, Mario shared captivating insights derived from a series of A/B tests conducted at jö Bonus Club. Additionally, the questions regarding data protection, customer trust, ways to establish that reliable bridge between a customer and the brand were put forward and thoroughly discussed. Mario also highlighted the growing significance of data, its analysis and handling, as well as the necessity of developing causal research skills to remain competitive in the contemporary business landscape. Marketing is transforming from a field that has long been dominated by good feelings to an evidence-based discipline that mimics key elements of an applied science centered around a strong culture of experimentation.