Annette Bentzien Bastidas – Dansk Erhverv

What does it mean to be a loyal customer? And more importantly, what drives that loyalty in the first place? We often look to commercial brands for the answer, but the insights from Dansk Erhverv, Denmark’s second-largest business organisation, offer a surprisingly fresh perspective. In a recent conversation with Annette Bentzien Bastidas, Data Analysis and Insights Manager at Dansk Erhverv, we explored how a trade organisation with no traditional “products” to sell builds meaningful loyalty with its members.

DON’T ASK, OBSERVE

For Dansk Erhverv, customer loyalty is becoming increasingly important; that’s why the organisation recently started a new department working on relationships and communication with members. Instead of bombarding members with surveys, Dansk Erhverv want to look at actual behaviour data, such as how people interact with newsletters, events, and digital content.

Annette explains, “Measuring satisfaction through actual interactions is more important than sending a questionnaire every two years.” She continues, “The shift from asking to observing is key. It reflects a deeper, more modern view of loyalty. It's not just about what people say, but what they do. And when you can connect those dots, the picture gets a whole lot clearer.”

“The shift from asking to observing is key. It reflects a deeper, more modern view of loyalty.”

RELEVANCE DRIVES ENGAGEMENT, AND ENGAGEMENT BUILDS LOYALTY

The golden insight? The more relevant the content, the more engaged the member. Sounds simple, but it’s not always easy to deliver, especially when your audience spans 13 major industries and countless sub-segments. This is why Dansk Erhverv runs 20 different newsletters, tailored to specific sectors.

These newsletters are tested on several parameters, and Annette uses these findings to guide the communication department. “I provide them with data and insights based on what we collect. Based on that, we’re running A/B tests to see what drives opens.” She mentions some differences in open rates across the different industries and among company sizes as well: “Some industries love reading newsletters more than others. We also look at company size, and there’s a big difference there too.”

The same goes for events, where surveys are sent out to attendees afterwards to evaluate the event. Usually, the response rates are very high for Dansk Erhverv, which makes the results reliable. The connection is simple here too: the more value members get from the event, the more they are likely to engage in the future, and the more loyal they become.

“Some industries love reading newsletters more than others. We also look at company size, and there’s a big difference there too.”

Yet, a surprising insight emerged: many employees within member companies don’t even know they’re entitled to the benefits Dansk Erhverv provide. That’s a huge opportunity for growth, not just in numbers, but in deeper engagement as well. “It’s a communication task,” Annette says. “We need to help companies encourage their employees to register and use what’s already available to them.”

DATA AND FLEXIBILITY ARE KEY

Lastly, Annette shares her best tips for customer loyalty. While solid, structured data is essential, Annette also points out the importance of being flexible. “Measuring loyalty isn’t about having a fixed KPI for 15 years, it’s about being open to change, adjusting how and when things are measured, and using both passive and active data to build a complete picture.”

She strongly believes that measured behaviour and surveyed loyalty should be linked. “I’ve seen it before at my previous workplace, physical sales didn’t match up with reader surveys. That’s why I’d love to combine the two. What people say they’re satisfied with vs. what they actually do. Are they not attending because they’re dissatisfied, or because they’re not aware?”

Annette concludes with a quote saying, “The most interesting isn’t what I’ve found, but what I haven’t,” meaning that there’s often existing value in the available data, which can be used to adapt customer loyalty strategies.

“The most interesting isn’t what I’ve found, but what I haven’t.”