Solana Labs Debuts Customer Engagement Platform Bond

Blockchain firm Solana Labs has debuted Bond, a customer engagement platform for brands.

“By leveraging blockchain technology, Bond enables global brands to create personalized, transparent, and engaging digital experiences that deepen customer connections and drive long-term loyalty,” the company said in a Wednesday (June 12) news release.

The company says Bond addresses the limits of loyalty programs. For example, products sold through wholesale channels — or ones that can be resold or gifted — can cause brands to lose direct relationships with the consumer, making it tough to analyze their customers.

In addition, brands hoping to form partnerships with other brands may be reluctant to share data or give up control over go-to-market strategies, and the inability to authenticate physical and digital goods can present risks of reputational harm and counterfeits.

“Bond solves these problems by enabling direct engagement through personalized communication and curated experiences,” the company said. “The platform provides comprehensive insights into customer preferences and behaviors, empowering brands to tailor individualized customer journeys and targeted outreach, regardless of the purchase path.”

Among Bond’s solutions are the ability for brands to provide digital twins and limited-edition virtual products for collectors, and to authenticate products via blockchain verification.

“Bond equips brands with the tools to deliver personalized experiences, foster trust, and cultivate enduring relationships with their customers,” said Tal Tchwella, head of product at Solana Labs.

“We’re thrilled to introduce Bond as a game-changer for brands seeking to improve their customer engagement strategies, allowing them to design bespoke loyalty programs and rewards that encourage repeat engagement and increase overall customer value.”

As PYMNTS wrote earlier this year, retailers hoping to meet consumers’ digital expectations could do worse than providing loyalty rewards.

Research from PYMNTS Intelligence finds that 6% of consumers cited rewards as the digital shopping feature they demand above all others while another 35% said they consider rewards to be very or extremely important.

“In addition to meeting consumer demand for perks, loyalty programs also offer retailers a chance to gain vital insight into their shoppers’ behaviors,” PYMNTS wrote.

Jennifer Slegers, director of customer relationship management (CRM) at Carhartt, told PYMNTS that the company’s rewards-based loyalty program “does allow us to connect what they’ve bought online and in store so that we can improve their shopper journey.”

With this digital integration, she said, the brand has learned, for example, that its softest products over-index on brick-and-mortar, where consumers can feel the fabric for themselves.