FRIDAYS
IT'S TO-GO TIME
A once thriving restaurant category, casual dining has been on a consistent down-turn with the rise of new competitors better suited to meet customers’ ever changing desires. TGI Fridays, a 50+ year old brand, is answering the command by focusing on urban markets and reconnecting with their guests locally and individually. To them, it all goes back to that bartender having a conversation with guests. Since enabling mobile ordering capabilities, the company has seen a 30 percent increase in off-premise sales—all without change to in-store revenue—driving 4 percent of total sales since September 2016. The personalization continues with targeted messaging, up-selling, and syndication.
Made Movement Design Director, Experience & Visual Design
Because timing and context have immense impact on how an audience perceives content, there’s a great opportunity with up-selling and cross-selling to increase customer loyalty through personalization. For TGI Fridays, our approach for online personalization is threefold. The first is providing customers the ability to re-order favorite items from past orders quickly and easily. The second is seasonal—suggesting items that are perfect for right now, like that refreshing drink on a hot day. And third are recommendations—new things customers will like based on past ordering behavior and preferences. We found that 68% of customers would go to or order from a restaurant if they received customized marketing messages that referred to past patronage. Flexing personalization in these ways helps drive brand affinity and preference.
Being able to anticipate customer’s wants and act on them at the right time is a steadfast path to brand affinity. By knowing behavior, both online and off, we’re able to deliver a curated experience at exactly the right time—when and where they’re most likely to make a purchase. The smart menu is customized for each individual or family. Since we know customers and their preferences we can make suggestions and offers that they’ll have a higher propensity to like. The menu changes dynamically based on time of day, day of the week, the season, and the with customer throughout the lifetime of their relationship with the brand.
Syndicating the pick-up button at opportune times, like at the end of a season when viewers are binge watching a favorite series, gives customers the convenience they’re looking for and places TGI Fridays top-of-mind.
Additional Credit:
John Kieselhorst Chief Design Officer
Peri Shaplow Strategy Director
Paige Nobles Senior Brand & UX Strategist
Elle Levy Designer