Fueling Connections: The Loyalty Ecosystem Advantage for Brands.

Michelle Sequeira Yee, VP Consulting, Bond

Shell’s decision to join Scene+ marks an important inflection point in how loyalty is being redefined in Canada, and how brands are thinking about value creation.

For years, loyalty has been optimized as a program—points, rewards, and offers designed to influence individual transactions. But today’s growth reality is different. Wallets are fragmenting. Customer expectations are rising. And customers increasingly expect brands to deliver connected value across more of their everyday needs.

This is where loyalty as an ecosystem becomes essential.

An ecosystem doesn’t require partners; it requires ecosystem thinking. For some brands, that value is unlocked across a portfolio of owned brands, or product lines (apparel, home, financial services, etc.). For others, ecosystem value is created through collaboration with like-minded brands that extend relevance beyond a single category. The common thread is intentional design—to connect experiences, value, and data that delivers more together.

Shell’s entry into Scene+ is a strong expression of this model. By joining a mature loyalty ecosystem, Shell is creating new ways for its members to earn and save on everyday essentials, extending value beyond fuel and giving Shell greater relevance across customers lives, not just at the pump.

Scene+ continues to transform and innovate, guided by how customers want to engage. Recognizing the importance of choice as a driver in loyalty and member brand experiences, they have intentionally expanded both the depth and breadth of rewards to deliver on what matters most, all across daily spend, experiences and meaningful moments that hold value. Shell’s participation strengthens one of the most complete category sets in the Canadian market, creating value in everyday life.

Our Bond Intelligence reinforces why ecosystem thinking works. Customers are eager to engage when loyalty delivers real value, relevance, and flexibility. Program enrolment remains strong, and activity continues to grow year over year, particularly across high-frequency retail and travel. The rich data asset Scene+ has created enables them to understand their members with a level of clarity that enables relevance at scale, translating insight into engagement, then into growth. According to Bond’s IQ engagement data, Scene+ will now reach an estimated three out of four Canadians in places that they already transact regularly.

As loyalty continues to evolve, the most effective strategies will be those designed as connected systems, rather than isolated programs. Whether built within a brand portfolio or across partners, ecosystems enable smarter personalization, more efficient value creation, and stronger customer relationships.

Data-sharing, co-marketing, and coordinated value creation are elements that are increasingly becoming foundational to loyalty. A loyalty ecosystem like Scene+ allows partnering brands to move faster, learn more about customer behaviours, and deliver connected experiences that standalone programs are struggling to achieve.

Scene+ represents a modern, mature, and material loyalty ecosystem built, not as a promotion engine, but as a long-term customer growth infrastructure.