Aimia Buys Smart Button Loyalty Platform

Loyalty management specialist Aimia, which owns the Nectar loyalty card program, has acquired US-based customer loyalty marketing platform Smart Button in a cash deal valued at $18m.

Smart Button offers a set of customer relationship marketing tools to help clients analyze customer behavior and identify, retain, and grow their customer base. Through its online platform, the firm can capture, track, manage, and analyze customer transaction information, and use the resulting data to reward customer behavior.

The acquisition is part of Amia's strategy to strengthen its existing products and services - including Canadian loyalty program Aeroplan, Nectar in the UK and Italy, and its stakes in Air Miles Middle East, Club Premier in Mexico, and Prismah Fidelidade in Brazil, as well as its I2 insight and data analytics joint venture with Sainsbury's.

Michael Zea (pictured), President and CEO of Aimia in the US, comments: 'Smart Button is a great addition to the Aimia family and provides increased access to the high potential US loyalty market, complementing our existing US presence.'

Web sites: www.aimia.com and www.smartbutton.com .