Further engaging with existing customers and gathering information using social media are among the top customer loyalty trends for leisure companies and service providers during 2012 - according to US-based marketing think tank Loyalty 360.

In its annual trends report, the group predicts that customer loyalty, versus acquisition, is critical for driving sustainable growth.

Listing its 12 top trends for the year, Loyalty 360 states that while daily deals like Groupon and LivingSocial are generating lots of 'buzz', the price-based technologies have taken companies' focus away from customer loyalty and from generating repeat business.

Another key trend for 2012 is companies finally focusing on social media ROI. As marketers become more sophisticated and skilled at navigating the social media channel, they will be more demanding of tools that track and improve ROI.

Loyalty 360 also predicts that Mobile digital wallets will mark a big shift in retail payments, with the value of transactions made over mobile devices globally estimated to nearly triple from US$240bn in 2011 to US$670bn in 2015 (Source: Juniper Research.)

For the full 2012 trends report, click here.