The Access Loyalty Blog

News, insights, opinions and more from America's leading merchant content provider

Brands We Love: Moscow Ballet

January 19, 2012 By Leave a Comment

If you couldn’t tell, Access is fanatical about our 250,000+ merchant partners. They’re a huge part of what we do, and let’s be honest: we’re consumers just like everyone else. Participating in our own savings network is one of the best member benefits of working at Access. Every once in a while, a particular merchant strikes our fancy and we have no choice but to pen a love letter (er, blog post) to them, for all the public to see. This post is written by marketing assistant Ashley Butler. 

If you’ve been reading my past Brands We Love entries, it should come as no surprise that Christmas is the part of the year I look forward to most. And as we all know, along with this cheery holiday comes the tradition of the Nutcracker.

Conventionally, my family has always gone to see the Columbia City Ballet Nutcracker, but this year the Moscow Ballet was in town for a one-night-only performance. Naturally, the first thing I did was look them up on our Access savings site and sure enough we had an awesome discount for the Great Russian Nutcracker!

My mom and I went to the show and enjoyed the different costumes and a couple of new characters, while feeling good about what we paid. I sat in my theatre chair a bit more comfortably knowing that I saved fifteen dollars on our tickets.

The ballet added to my overindulgence of Christmas spirit and the money I saved was welcomed as an early Christmas present.

One of the best things about Access is its multiple discounts geared toward art lovers like me. It shows the depth of our discount network, that we don’t just have the same standard, drab deals that everyone has access to.

If you like the ballet, Moscow Ballet is currently offering 15% off $25 in their gift store for Access members. Keep an eye out, as tickets for the Moscow Ballet’s 2012 season go on sale in April.

Next time you’re looking to satisfy your creative side at an affordable price, check out what Access has to offer.

Filed Under: Brands We Love, Customer Loyalty Programs, Discount Programs, Merchant Discount Network Tagged With: , , , , ,

Brands We Love: Bath & Body Works

December 13, 2011 By

At the heart of everything Access does is our core base of over 250,000 merchant partners. We’re fanatical about driving new customers to these businesses through our discount and rewards programs, and sometimes we like to single one out for a particular ode of praise. We asked Ashley Butler, corporate marketing assistant, to talk about the merchant that stirs up the holiday spirit within, and…well, as you can see, she loves this time of year. (To read the rest of our “Brands We Love” series, click here.)

Christmas is my absolute favorite time of the year, complete with eggnog and lights. It seems I can always find a bit of magic floating around in the holidays, whether it’s in my favorite Christmas song or the smell of a burning gingerbread candle.

One of the best things about the holiday season is its uncanny ability to appeal to all of the senses with its decorations, festive smells, tasty treats, music, and cozy blankets. This is why one of my favorite brands is Bath & Body Works.

Bath & Body Works comes out with its holiday scents especially for this time of year. There’s Vanilla Bean Noel, Twisted Peppermint, Pink Sugarplum, Frosted Cranberry, Tis the Season, and many more. If you love the holidays as much as I do, you can’t help but be mesmerized by these once-a-year aromas.

Not only does Bath & Body Works bring the holiday season to life but it is also “…committed to helping consumers improve their emotional and physical being.” Using Bath & Body Works always seems to lift my spirits. Bring some joy and holiday scents into your home this year with 20% off any purchase online for Access members.

Happy Holidays from Access!

Filed Under: Brands We Love, Customer Loyalty Programs, Discount Programs, Merchant Discount Network Tagged With: , , , , ,

What’s Trending at Access: Summer Report

November 2, 2011 By Leave a Comment

With 20 million members and hundreds of thousands of merchant partners, Access is privy to fascinating data regarding what people are saving on (note: member identities are kept anonymous in Access’ analytic systems.) We use this data to improve our merchant network and secure more and more deals that people want.

On occasion, we see interesting jumps in redemption that match larger trends. We take pride in the fact that, while the rest of the world rushed out to grab the hot new mobile phone this summer, and so did Access members… ours saved a ton of money on their purchases!

We asked Ashley to peek into the data from this past summer and let us know what was popular and interesting.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Access Corporate, Access Mobile, Brands We Love, Customer Loyalty Programs, Discount Programs, Educator Access, Merchant Discount Network Tagged With: , , , , ,

Brands We Love: An Apple for Our Teachers

September 19, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Access works with thousands of brands as part of our discount programs, and we love them all. Every so often we like to highlight a brand that we find particularly captivating. This post is brought to you by Access marketing assistant Ashley.

Last month Steve Jobs announced his resignation from the helm of Apple, bringing an end to one of the most innovative, influential CEO reigns the world has seen. I recalled a few years ago when it was announced that some schools and colleges were distributing iPhones and/or iPads to their students, which is now a somewhat common practice. What an amazing measure of innovation, when its considered something vital to the educational process. The pencil, paper, calculator, textbook and now, the iPad.

Then again, maybe the iPad replaces all of those.

It got us to thinking about the millions of educators Access works with, and how they utilize Apple products. Access and Apple want to help support our teachers in any way we can which is why the Apple Education Store is offering Access Educators up to 15% off when they buy online.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Brands We Love, Customer Loyalty Programs, Discount Programs, Educator Access, Loyalty Discount Cards, Merchant Discount Network Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Brands We Love: Columbia City Ballet

February 15, 2011 By

Continuing our ongoing series of “Brands We Love,” No-Longer-An-Intern Ashley moves beyond a brand to a different type of Access merchant: The Columbia City Ballet in Columbia, South Carolina. Between our discount program and rewards programs, Access has relationships with tens of thousands of local merchants and organizations like CCB – and even more love stories like Ashley’s among our member base.

Going to a ballet is similar to going to the movies. You want to be taken away from the “every day” and experience a new reality.

While back home in Columbia, South Carolina, all the girls in my family went to see a traditional Christmas ballet in December. I experienced snow dust falling from the sky, a magically growing Christmas tree, and mystical creatures that come to life before your eyes in Columbia City Ballet’s production of the Nutcracker.

The ballet company’s classically trained dancers make moving on the stage seem effortless. Defying gravity, their graceful yet bold presence overtakes the stage and transforms all the characters to those you might find in a fairytale. As each new scene unwrapped, I felt as though I was turning the page in a storybook excited to see what happened next.

Columbia City Ballet works hard to offer audiences entertaining ballets that consist of well-trained and knowledgeable professional dancers. The company strives to be strong and well-rounded, as they perform many classical ballets as well as original, full-length productions such as Dracula, Beauty & the Beast, and Don Juan.

Access partners with artistic and cultural companies like Columbia City Ballet, to offer discounts to those who are interested in art and entertainment. This works to the advantage of local art buffs like me. Access is helping to expose smaller, local artistic companies while also connecting them with the people who already love art, allowing anyone to see our favorite artistic entertainment at an affordable price.

As an employee of Access, I am excited to have Columbia City Ballet as one of our merchants passing on savings. So put on your Sunday best, and enjoy the show!

Filed Under: Brands We Love, Customer Loyalty Programs, Discount Programs, Merchant Discount Network Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Brands We Love: Danskin

January 13, 2011 By

This post, the third in a series, is brought to you by Access intern Ashley, who we’ve asked to provide some feedback on her favorite brands. This morning she discusses Danskin, one of the top women’s fitness apparel companies in the world.

From jazz shoes and leotards to tutus and tights, I can tell you as a long-time dancer, I’ve worn them ALL. And if you ask my parents who footed the bill for their little “dancing queen,” they’ll tell you they remember the cost of that obsession. But they also wanted me to have the best materials for my passions. This is why Danskin holds a special place in my heart; their products have grown up with me.

Danskin encourages women and girls everywhere to have an active lifestyle through their Triathlon Series events. They consider their company to have a powerful influence on women’s health, and they take this responsibility very seriously.

Besides offering Access members a 20% discount on all online purchases, Danskin has a kinship with our company.

Access promotes and encourages a healthy lifestyle for all of its employees, including myself. It starts with our founder and CEO (who is a triathlon maniac) and rolls down to each employee from there. Being both physically and mentally active is important. It is not uncommon to catch Access employees running, working out, or doing yoga and Pilates on their lunch breaks.

Good health equals good work. We believe it, and are proud to work alongside other companies who enable that, like Danskin.

Filed Under: Brands We Love, Customer Loyalty Programs, Discount Programs, Merchant Discount Network, What is Loyalty? Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Brands We Love: Carmike Cinemas

December 28, 2010 By Leave a Comment

This post, the second in a series, is brought to you by Access intern Ashley, who is still a bit scared of having her full name available for Google searching, but isn’t afraid to express her undying devotion to her favorite brands. Today, she talks about Carmike Cinemas and admits to being one of the few people who went to see “She’s the Man.”

A typical movie connoisseur would probably cringe at my taste in film, but my romantic comedies and chick flicks bring me comfort. The Holiday, He’s Just Not That into You, She’s the Man…these are the cotton candy of the silver screen and, honestly, I’m addicted to the puffy, sweet goodness of each one. With the Access discount program, I can save more and “indulge” on these guilty pleasures.

Go to the movies long enough and you’ll develop a taste for certain cinema chains. I happen to be a big fan of Carmike theaters. Carmike helps create magic by offering incredible entertainment through its motion-picture-friendly facilities, conducive to the movie watching experience. It provides a place to be taken out of our own reality and put into another, where the boundaries of our universe become limitless, and the unexciting fades into the background.

With its Super Stimulus Tuesdays and Summer Kid’s Series for a $1, Carmike clearly believes in providing special promotions that make the movie-going experience more enjoyable and affordable.

We at Access are lucky to have Carmike Cinemas as a Merchant partner, passing on discounts to movie lovers everywhere. As the famous song from the movie Annie says, “Let’s go to the movies.”

Filed Under: Brands We Love, Customer Loyalty Programs, Discount Programs, Merchant Discount Network, Testimonials, What is Loyalty? Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Brands We Love: Gold’s Gym

December 20, 2010 By 1 Comment

This post is brought to you by Access intern Ashley, who is a bit scared of having her full name available for Google searching, but isn’t afraid to express her undying devotion to her favorite brands. Today, she talks about Gold’s Gym and recounts a chance encounter with a certain 1990s celebrity endorser of non-butter.

As the “legally blonde” Elle Woods would say, “Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy.”

We at Access like to think the same goes for saving money. One of my happiest discounts is a one week free membership at Gold’s Gym. With its top notch cardio and strength training equipment and one-of-a-kind group exercise classes, Gold’s Gym creates one of the best environments to get in shape and stay in shape. It’s a free week, and you should absolutely take advantage of every day of that week; odds are you’ll stick around for longer than that week.

Gold’s is a gym that spreads the happiness it creates to others through its support of the American Diabetes Association, its Fitness Institute, its recently released Dance Workout for Wii, and much more. I can say from experience that Gold’s is a gym for everyone, from a professional athlete to a celebrity all the way to an Access employee. And Access employees are insanely active (impromptu company meetings are known to break out at local triathlons).

On a more personal note, one of my most memorable experiences at Gold’s was some time ago, back in high school. I was visiting Los Angeles to take dance classes at a place located right next to Gold’s Gym. I walk into the Gold’s Gym one day to get a protein shake, and who do I see?

None other than the famous FABIO! That’s right, the romance novel king and “I Can’t Believe Its Not Butter” pitchman.

Embarrassingly enough, I got a picture with him. It shouldn’t come as a huge shock when I say Gold’s Gym still holds a high spot in my frame of reference when it comes to picking out a gym.

We’re enthusiastic about having Gold’s as a Merchant partner, and want to thank them for passing on savings to our millions upon millions of members.

And as my Dad would say, “Go pump your muscles.”

Filed Under: Brands We Love, Customer Loyalty Programs, Discount Programs, Loyalty Discount Cards, Merchant Discount Network, Testimonials, What is Loyalty? Tagged With: , , , , ,