{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Marketing UnLearned","title":"\"AI, Gamification, and the future of Loyalty\" - Richard Potter, Microsoft, and Mrinalini Chowdhary, Epsilon","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":2105,"description":"Changing the Game - AI, Gamification & the Future of LoyaltyIn this episode of Marketing Un:Learned, Ian Jindal talks with Richard Potter, Director of Digital Strategy at Microsoft, and Mrinalini Chowdhary, Director of Strategy and Insights at Epsilon, about unlearning the outdated transactional view of loyalty programmes and rebuilding them around emotional engagement, permissioned data, and AI-driven personalization.From psychological drivers to agentic commerce, Richard and Mrinalini explore how gamification creates engagement loops and habits beyond the checkout, why loyalty is the permission system that unlocks responsible AI, and what empathy, measurement, and focus mean for leaders redesigning loyalty in 2026.Key Topics & TimestampsIntroductions: From Banking to Loyalty, Engineering to BoardroomsMrinalini introduces her journey from banking through startups into loyalty strategy at Epsilon, bringing 15 years of experience in strategy consulting, marketing, and product management. Richard outlines his hybrid role as engineer and business strategist, translating technology shifts into boardroom value for retail and consumer goods clients at Microsoft.02:50 - What Is \"Digital\" When Everything Is Digital?Richard explains that his \"digital\" title reflects the customer challenge: helping organisations understand what digital means in their operations. The real interest lies at the intersection of ones and zeros with human dynamics - whether in employees or consumers - and how digital experiences mobilise emotional responses while being rationally interpreted by systems.07:30 - 10:50  -  Redefining Loyalty: Beyond Transactional SpamMrinalini reframes loyalty as shifting from purely transactional mechanics (sign up, purchase, get points) to emotional engagement. Modern loyalty must be dynamic and adaptive, creating engagement loops through sequential actions that build habits and keep consumers thinking about the brand between purchases, not just at checkout.10:50...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/2vYmJC6HmVzgBTjjUeghmfTKbE6GLhv9h0IgzdJ4Lrc/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS80ZWNh/ZjRiYTg0NzZmODUy/NzE4MGQ1ZmFlMzhl/MmViYy53ZWJw.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}