For a company that's all about connecting people, telecom provider XO Communications was having a tough time connecting with its own business customers. But that all changed in May 2009 when the telco launched a B2B loyalty campaign.

Today the company sends 100,000 emails a month to its business customers, with content ranging from contest promotions to free white papers. By reaching out to its business customers with "feel-good messages" rather than product pitches, the company's B2B loyalty program boasts an email open rate of nearly 20 percent and has contributed significantly to a reduction in customer churn, says Toni DeWitt, XO's loyalty and retention marketing senior manager.