Ryan DiLello

Loyalty gamification offers a great way to connect with the growing demographic of young, tech-savvy guests.

Simply put, gamification means applying “game play” to different aspects of the digital marketing.  When it comes to loyalty, this can happen at three levels: core, layers, and promotions.

World of Beer tackled this at the core level in which its entire program rests on a game. Gamified layers would be actions like adding badges to the program, while gamified promotions are short-lived game-based discounts, like a free offering when your favorite sports team wins.

World of Beer is seeing smashing results with its gamified loyalty program. Founded in 2007 in Tampa, Florida as a craft beer bar that serves a variety of brews from across the world. WOB has a long-running loyalty program that awards guests $5 for every $75 spent. It then gamifies the whole program with badges and challenges.

Two recent challenges this year saw between 10-25% increases in spend and completion rates over 90%.

“Customers can earn badges when they try different beers. The badges are to honor their achievements, which they can show off to friends,” explained Cori Rosecrans, Director of Brand & Digital Marketing for World of Beer. Customers can enter challenges for their chances at more than just bragging rights. “We encourage customers to try beers and [enter for a chance to] win trips to beer capitals of the world. These challenges help highlight our [brand] differentiators and our assortment of beers.” More than fun, the challenges have produced serious results. Two recent challenges this year saw between 10-25% increases in spend and completion rates over 90%.

World of Beer’s loyalty program shapes its brand experience. At every engagement, guests climb the ranks of badge leaderboards and try their luck at life-changing prizes. As a digital engagement strategy, WOB’s gamified loyalty program keeps guests coming back and drives revenue.

Wondering how your brand might benefit from gamification? Speak to a loyalty expert at Paytronix today.

Subscription programs have emerged as a key component in the restaurant marketing toolkit. Like the loyalty programs on which they’re based, well-designed subscription programs keep guests returning and help drive incremental value. They also reach important demographic groups to produce long-term benefits.

The latest collaborative study between Paytronix and PYMNTS, The Digital Divide: Restaurant Subscribers and Loyalty Programs, finds that subscription programs help restaurants lock in their most valuable and loyal customers.

Survey results show that 75% of non-subscribed consumers are at least “slightly interested” in joining a restaurant subscription program. And there’s a significant chance that new subscribers will become highly valuable to a brand.

Today’s restaurant subscribers are among the industry’s most engaged, and loyal customers. They visit more often, spend more, and stick around for longer.

It’s therefore no surprise that a strong correlation exists, as 80% of subscribers also use loyalty programs.

Subscription programs tap into a particularly valuable consumer demographic: the bridge millennial. College-educated, tech-savvy, and wealthy, this group takes full advantage of a brand’s loyalty offerings and spends more than the average consumer.

Subscribers have indicated that their primary needs are convenience, simplicity, and value. For most brands, implementing a subscription program is a logical step because it involves many of the elements that are already at the core of the guest experience.

As 2021 comes to a close, the Paytronix team took a look at some of our favorite apps from restaurants and c-stores.

In its early days, order and delivery services were an indulgence, a treat for the occasional lazy night-in after a long workday. But during the pandemic, online delivery became a lifeline for people stuck at home, and a competitive edge for c-stores and restaurants. Now we’re entering the next phase with “ghost kitchens” and “dark stores” rising out of vacated storefronts that were once home to traditional mom and pop businesses. These stores operate virtually, fielding orders digitally, fulfilling them behind closed doors, and dispatching couriers within minutes. 

Today, mobile apps have become front and center for all brands, which means that restaurants and c-stores are transforming their apps to seamlessly integrate all of their services into a single touch-and-go hub. These services include:

• Loyalty programs
• NFC and in-app payments
• Multi-channel messaging
• Geo-tracking
• Customizations such as product favorites and re-order capabilities

Experience is everything. A successful app captures the essence of your brand and delivers your services to customers in seamless and exciting ways.

 

Our favorite apps from c-stores and restaurants

OUR FAVORITE APPS
FROM C-STORES AND RESTAURANTS

Alltown Fresh

Buona Beef

Family Express

Panera

Parker's

Peet's Coffee

Qdoba

United Dairy Farmers

Pizzeria Uno

Yesway