{{title}}
{{byline}}
{{byline}}
In the debate over whether a brand should provide its own delivery service or go with a third party, Papa John's has chosen both. The recently beleaguered pizza giant has chosen to add delivery service to 1,400 more restaurants nationwide through a partnership with DoorDash. CEO Steve Ritchie dropped a hint about this last August in an earnings call, saying, "There are still many customers in outlying rural areas, even some suburban developments who live outside of our delivery zones." The #3 pizza maker had more than 5,300 locations worldwide at the end of 2018.
Everybody's doing it - and with supermarkets getting into the game, it can't be good for franchised restaurant brands. Kroger will be using self-driving robotic vehicles from a company called Nuro, which recently received a $940 million investment from Softbank. Kroger will charge a $6 flat fee with no minimum order. The pilot program in Arizona "confirmed the flexibility and benefits provided by autonomous vehicles and how much customers are open to more innovative solutions," said Yael Cosset, Kroger's chief digital officer.
There's no telling how long it will last, but Burger King is betting on its BK Café Coffee subscription rollout to compete with the likes of McDonald's, Dunkin', and Starbucks. For $5, at least for now, subscribers can get a small coffee every day for a month. The deal is available only through the BK app. The goals seem to be 1) bringing in customers, 2) upselling them to buy food and other beverages, and 3) getting more people to download the app. BK also is lowering the price of a small cup of coffee to 50 cents, according to an article in Nation's Restaurant News.
Wouldn't it be great to be paid for being a consumer - or at least playing one online? Last month, from February 18-22, Progressive Insurance launched a banner ad campaign called "Clickbacks." Under the short-lived promotion, Progressive offered $668 to 50 randomly selected people from among those who clicked on the banner ad. Interested in running a similar campaign? Learn more here.
Google is courting developers to build an in-app program for Google Play that will reward users for watching video ads. According to an article in MediaPost, "Rewards Products, an in-game currency or bonuses platform, enables developers to build in a feature that allows those using their app to earn money for each ad viewed." When complete, according to the article, ad viewers are rewarded with virtual goods or in-game currency, and earnings must exceed $100 before any payment can be redeemed.
New research on how restaurants are using data in their digital marketing sheds light on how well restaurants know their current customers and uncovers areas where they can improve. And, of course, there are lessons aplenty here for non-restaurateurs. The 25-page downloadable PDF from Informa Engage, Nation's Restaurant News, and Epsilon-Conversant contains the following key findings:
According to the researchers, there are several key areas where operators can increase their bottom line through improved, more strategic digital marketing. These include: