Loyalty program options for marketing a restaurant have leaped ahead faster than any restaurant owner can possibly understand. While the opportunity for anyone to have a loyalty program grows, consumers (guests) have a dim view of loyalty programs since 93% believe they are more a marketing tool and not truly intended to be a benefit to them.
With approximately 2 billion loyalty program memberships in the US, you can rest assured that you are not the only one who has a fat wallet full of loyalty reward cards.
To make the best decisions about creating and maintaining an effective marketing plan that turns heads, you will want to review the latesst infographic about the economics of loyalty rewards:
Source: truaxis
While the consumer may have lost belief in loyalty rewards programs, your restaurant may be able to take advantage of the proliferation of cards sitting in wallets.
Consumers (your guests) have already said what they are looking for (per the infographic above), you simply need to get the message to your community about your offer.
Your offer mgiht be crazy and wild enoough such as: "We honor ALL loyalty rewards programs". Start a list and post it. For each loyalty program, you can have an offer. You can do it the old fashioned way with signs, posters and table tops or you might think about adding more technoloy to your campaign and use your website, Facebook, Foursquare and LinkedIn to let people know of your commitment to their satisfaction.
While there will not be a reward added directly to the loyalty card, offering more value, upgrades, special seating, cake or even a song becomes in INSTANT reward. Use your own imagination and reach out to your team for more ideas.
If everyone in the community has 5 to 10 loyalty reward program cards in their purses and wallets already, maybe your goal is to help them get the reward they are already looking for.
Once the word is out that your restaurant does something unbelievable, your fan club may grow as your guests become your word of mouth marketers.
No longer will the many loyalty cards be an unhelpful filler for wallets; every card will become a reminder of your restaurant. (The toughest choice they will have will be about which to use.)
