Collinson Group strengthens loyalty offering with the acquisition of Welcome Real ‐time

London, 16th September: Collinson Group, a global leader in shaping customer behaviour to drive revenue and add value to its clients, today announces the acquisition of Welcome Real‐time, an international provider of payment based loyalty solutions.

Founded in 1997, Welcome Real‐time’s unique, award‐winning technology integrates with banking and retail systems enabling banks, card issuers and retailers to provide special offers, points redemption and other real‐time communications to consumers at the point of sale. Headquartered in France with offices in both Asia and Latin America, employing over 70 specialists, Welcome Real‐ time reaches over100 million consumers globally.

The acquisition will further strengthen Collinson Group’s loyalty capability, which includes the leading loyalty marketing agency ICLP, advanced online omni‐channel earning and redemption platforms through Collinson Latitude, and a global network of thousands of redemption partners. Collinson Group counts a number of the world’s leading airlines, financial services, and travel brands among its customers and manages over 20 million consumer relationships. Colin Evans, Chairman, Collinson Group says, “Welcome Real‐time’s unique technology and impressive customer base is a clear strategic fit for Collinson Group. With 25 years’ experience in loyalty, we are continually investing and developing our business to meet the needs of our clients. We look forward to including its team within the Group over the coming months.” Evans continued: “‘Closing the loop’ on purchasing, earn and redemption behaviour is a huge, untapped market opportunity, with retailers, airlines, financial services providers and other brands all viewing point of sale insight and real‐time communication as a way to build closer ties with their consumers and drive incremental revenue. Welcome Real‐time will give us a clear point of differentiation in this rapidly developing market.”

Philippe David, CEO, Welcome Real‐time commented, “We are delighted to become part of such a trusted, global brand and to be able to build on the opportunity that Collinson Group offers. There are clear synergies between Collinson Group and Welcome Real‐time, in terms of our offering and our customer base. As part of the broader Collinson Group we can now bring our capabilities to bear in new sectors and markets and extend our services across the entire loyalty spectrum.”

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About Collinson Group
Collinson Group (www.collinsongroup.com) is a global leader in shaping and influencing customer behaviour to drive revenue and value for clients. The group offers a unique blend of industry and sector specialists who together provide market‐leading experience in delivering products and services across four core capabilities: Loyalty, Lifestyle Benefits, Insurance and Assistance. The group provides unrivalled insight and expertise around affluent consumers and frequent travellers, creating and delivering products and services that increase engagement, loyalty and value for customers. We have 25 years’ experience with 28 global locations, servicing over 800 clients in 170 countries, employing 1,500 staff, and managing over 20 million end customers. Our clients are market leaders from across the globe including: 500 banks globally and the leading card issuers, Aviva, Cathay Pacific, British Airways, Air France KLM and InterContinental Hotels Group. We have been bringing innovation to the market since inception ‐ launching the first independent global VIP lounge access programme, Priority Pass, being the first to sell direct travel insurance in the UK through Columbus Direct and we created the first loyalty agency of its kind in the travel sector with ICLP. Today we still invest heavily in innovation to ensure that we continue to deliver superior customer experiences.

Contacts
Robin Grainger / Guy Corbet / Catherine Ditcham
Brands2Life
+44 20 7592 1200

About Welcome Real‐time
Welcome Real‐time is a global provider of marketing and loyalty solutions for banks, retailers and other organizations of the payment ecosystem. Established in 1996, Welcome is implemented across 5 continents and in over 20 countries worldwide, proving its ability to meet any business need. Further information about Welcome Real Time can be found at www.welcome‐rt.com

For further information please contact:
Florence TARDY, Welcome Real‐time
+33 4 42 97 58 86 | f.tardy@welcome‐rt.com