Lidl shoppers say they'll miss monthly freebies. Can bonus points win them over? For 10 years, Lizi Hall has been doing most of her shopping at Lidl - and she's learned how to get the best value from its rewards scheme. We've got it down to a bit of an art, Lizi says. The loyalty system for me really did work.

Consumers want a more interesting relationship with the brands they use, and think highly of virtual techniques promised by evolving technologies – especially on the more personal mobile level – says a report from the DMA. According to the study, half (48%) of respondents expressed an interest in artificial intelligence (AI) approaches to engagement, such as chatbots or virtual assistants. But this increased dramatically for younger age groups, rising to 79% for 16-24 year olds, 76% for those aged 25-34 and 62% of those aged 35-44. More than half (54%) of Gen Y/Millennial age groups (28% of the total sample) are interested in a service that detected how they were feeling and sent them surprise offers/deals based on their mood. "Current engagement methods often seem clumsy, like'brand stalking', where items follow a consumer around on web banners. Instead, consumer data could be used in virtual or artificial intelligence systems. One example could be chatbots, giving brands a better way to use their data and consumers a more meaningful interaction," said Rachel Aldighieri, DMA MD.

Half of consumers are interested in brands using artificial intelligence (AI) for customer engagement, such as chatbots or virtual assistants, according to new research. The study, conducted by the DMA examined consumer engage with the brands they love now and in the future. The survey also found that 40% consumers are actively loyal to brands, while 28% are actively disloyal and the remainder are only loyal depending on the context. Half (48%) of respondents expressed an interest in artificial intelligence approaches to engagement, such as chatbots or virtual assistants. But this increased dramatically for younger age-groups, rising to 79% for the 16-24 age-group, 76% for those aged 25-34 and 62% of those aged 35-44.