Restaurants across the industry are increasingly innovating and finding new ways to provide convenient and frictionless experiences.  Advances in guest engagement, from Wi-Fi marketing integrations to subscriptions, make it easier than ever for visitors to interact with your brand. They also enable you to determine which messages and promotions will resonate best in the future.

Guest engagement helps you get to know more of your customers and keep them active with your brand. Here are five of the top trends for delivering high impact to your top-line sales:

[…]

Looking for ways to update your guest engagement strategy? Today’s loyalty programs don’t just offer discounts – they leverage machine learning to target guests with the offers and promotions most relevant to them while motivating behaviors that increase revenue. In order to be successful, loyalty programs need to enroll as many guests as possible, encourage them to become active members, and drive incremental purchases, so if your impression of a loyalty program is just a digitized version of the old-fashioned punch card, think again!

Here are seven ways to reward guests that can be built into your loyalty program to boost guest activity and ROI for your brand:

1. Experience-Based Rewards

Some loyalty programs reward their guests by providing memorable experiences. This works particularly well for fine-dining brands, which may offer access to exclusive events and allow points to be redeemed for private tasting menus. Some programs also give members a superior dine-in experience through priority seating and the ability to make reservations in advance. Receiving preferential treatment and exclusive experiences makes these guests feel not only valued but special.

2.  Tiered Birthday Rewards

The birthday reward is a staple of most loyalty programs, but it doesn’t need to be the same for all of your guests. California Pizza Kitchen’s CPK Rewards program offers different birthday rewards for guests depending on their level of engagement. Whereas guests in the lowest tier are rewarded with a free birthday dessert, those in the other three tiers receive a free birthday entrée. Guests in the diamond and elite tiers also receive free entrées on their half birthday and earn double points throughout their birthday month, giving these guests even more reasons to celebrate! Using this rewards structure for birthdays makes it possible for all members to benefit, but the rich rewards are reserved for your best guests.

3.  One-to-One Marketing

Loyalty programs should no longer employ a one-size-fits-all approach. Sending out the same offers and promotions to all of your guests is not going to drive the impact you need. As the penetration of your program grows and you gather data on more of your guests, you can use these insights to fine-tune your marketing strategy. Restaurants should target each guest with individualized offers and promotions, providing content that is relevant to them while giving you the best possible revenue drivers.  […]

Convenience stores can’t take advantage of every trend that comes along, but when one promises to be a $2 billion opportunity by 2022 and could easily be stocked in c-stores, it’s time to pay attention.

CBD, a non-psychoactive cannabinoid in the cannabis plant, has been garnering considerable attention and consumer spend over the past few years. Increasingly popping up in things like oils, gummies, and vapes, CBD could also represent a significant opportunity for convenience stores.

Is It Legal for Convenience Stores to Sell CBD?

Passage of the 2018 Farm Bill legalized products made from hemp as long as it contains less than .3% THC. The status of CBD, however, is a little murkier.

Some states have outright banned CBD, some allow it, and others consider it to be in legal limbo. But that’s not stopping major chains from jumping on the bandwagon, as both CVS and Walgreens have announced that they’ll be selling products containing CBD in stores across at least eight states.

The legality of selling CBD at a convenience store depends on the location’s state laws, but with CBD products rising in popularity, it’s likely that many of those laws will be changing over the next several years. It would benefit convenience stores to be ready.

Who Would Buy CBD from a Convenience Store?

Not surprisingly, CBD is largely being purchased by the trendsetting millennial generation, which extols its relaxation, sleep, and overall wellness benefits. […]

PXUX isn’t just any conference – it’s an experience. It’s a group of likeminded people who are focused on optimizing the guest journey, building a network, and delivering high impact in the restaurant and c-store industries. 

Much like previous years, the fifth annual PXUX has been planned for people just like you. It’s a fun environment that encourages the sharing of information on your business, your goals, your challenges, and your brilliant ideas. Plus, you’ll learn about the newest and most innovative digital marketing tools to boost your sales in 2019.

But that’s not all. Here are 9 more reasons why you can’t miss out on this year’s PXUX:

1. Deliver High Impact. You will hear about the latest innovations and receive the tools and support you need to motivate your guests to visit and spend more.
2. Master the Platform. Learn how to confidently segment, target, communicate, reward, and measure in order to drive impactful results.
3. Learn from Others. Why reinvent the wheel? Your peers face some of the same challenges you do, so find out how they have leveraged the Paytronix platform to achieve their goals.
4. Gain Experience. Deepen your understanding of the platform through hands-on workshops and training sessions that are sure to make you feel like a pro who’s equipped to train the team back at HQ.
5. Get the Inside Scoop. Be one of the first to explore new innovations and discover how they can expand your brand.
6. Voice Your Opinion. Customer feedback is critical to ensure that the future roadmap meets your needs and fuels your revenue growth. This is your chance to tell us what is working and what isn’t. Don’t be shy!
7. Meet the People Behind the Platform. Put faces to names and strengthen relationships with the team that is dedicated to your success.
8. Build Your Tribe. While PXUX is packed with information and hands-on learning, there are also deeper relationships to be made.
9. Walk Away with at Least 2 New Ideas. Benefit from numerous case studies and info sessions that will leave you inspired and ready to take action immediately.

Here’s what attendees have had to say about previous PXUX events:

“What better way to learn than to get together in a room with your peers and folks who have amazing intelligence around CRM marketing and loyalty platforms? It’s an invaluable experience.”

– Jenny Brinker, VP of Marketing, Bruster’s Real Ice Cream

“It’s been so great attending PXUX. I’ve been able to meet so many different people, all with really creative and innovative minds. Being able to hear what everybody else is doing and what we’re going to be able to do moving forward is so exciting.”

– Rachel Robinson, Marketing Manager, California Pizza Kitchen

There is going to be an abundance of knowledge sharing and excitement happening this fall in Denver. To avoid suffering from a case of FOMO, click here for more information.