Liquid Barcodes

Resources

Chipotle Launches Loyalty.

Paula Thomas, Chief Content Officer, Liquid Barcodes

03/26/2019

“Chipotle” is the (actually hard-to-pronounce) brand name of the Mexican grill chain with over 2,500 restaurants in the United StatesCanada, United KingdomFrance and Germany, all of which are company-owned and operated. Despite high profile challenges around food safety in recent months, the publicly traded company boasts some impressive results and innovations – including financial highlights that the company has surpassed digital sales of over half a billion dollars in 2018 which now account for 10.9% of its sales, as well as last week’s launch of “Chipotle Rewards” in its home market of the US.

So while the brand will likely take time to recover from the food safety concerns, it seems there’s no shortage of ambition in its bid for digital dominance – investing half a million dollars in cash prizes for the launch campaign for Rewards, as well as celebrating 100 million views of its giphy stickers by fans across Snapchat and Instagram.

This article discusses what we like and what’s surprising us in their latest Rewards strategy – which Chipotle has described as a way “to have a presence in all of the places our customers spend time digitally”.

Chipotle Rewards App

The New Chipotle Rewards App – Launched This Week.

Chipotle Rewards

The Chipotle Rewards digital loyalty programme is simply structured around three key ideas – “Eat. Earn. Enjoy” and here’s how it works:

  1. Members join the programme online or in the app.
  2. They scan the app in store for purchases, with digital purchases tracked automatically.
  3. The ‘earn rate’ on purchases is 10 points per $1 spent.
  4. 1,250 points earns the member a free entree, therefore requiring a $125 spend.
  5. With most entrees costing about $6.50, the reward rate is therefore ~5%

Chipotle Rewards Campaign Creative 

Chipotle Rewards Campaign Creative 

What We Like:

  1. A welcome reward “FREE Chips & Guac” after your first purchase as a member.
  2. Birthday gifts are included for every member.
  3. “Extra point days” – tactical campaigns are promised with 1.5 times the usual points ratio earned.
  4. In particular, we are impressed with the “Switch it up” proposition. This strategy is a clever way to consistently incentivise new product trial, with 100 points offered for trying new menu items. It’s the first time we’ve seen rewards for new product trial as a consistent loyalty programme promise, and it demonstrates the highly commercial approach driving the programmes objectives.
  5. The partnership with Venmo, a social platform and payment sharing wallet in the US owned by Paypal. Its gamification strategy consists of an innovative sweepstakes campaign to launch the Chipotle Rewards programme as described below.

What Surprised Us:

  1. The welcome reward is only given after your first purchase. Other brands typically offer an immediate incentive to members for joining and downloading their app.
  2. Points can take up to 48 hours to be added to the member’s account. In the age of instant gratification, most programmes update automatically in real time.

Chipotle Rewards logo

Digital Distribution Partnership with Venmo.

It has been estimated that about ten million people use Venmo on a monthly basis – a peer-to-peer platform owned by Paypal that allows users to split bills and send money between friends via the app and their social networks. Chipotle is one of the most mentioned brands on the platform, hence the partnership between the two brands is an exclusive and innovative idea to encourage adoption of the new Chipotle Rewards platforms by Venmo users.

The partnership features a daily sweepstake draw which randomly awards up to 25,000 people with vouchers for “free Chipotle” – anything between $1 and $500 per winner. The launch campaign spans three days, within which time the brand has announced its intention to give away up to half a million dollars in burrito vouchers!

Venmo users simply enter their phone number associated with their Venmo account at ChipotleRewardMe.com. Winners are then chosen and credited with their ‘free chipotle’ within 24 hours, with a payment note and a custom Chipotle pepper emoji which is “the first of its kind in the restaurant industry on the platform.”

Chipotle Is Partnering with Venmo

Chipotle Is Partnering with Venmo to target it’s User Base of Ten Million Users

Tech Transformation Leading the Recovery

While improved menu items such as “plant power” are tapping in to lifestyle trends, Chipotle’s CEO Brian Niccol has credited its digital transformation – particularly its in-store solutions, as a key driver of the brand’s share price recovery, with shares reaching a three year high last month. Supported by other customer-centric improvements including easy mobile ordering and expanded delivery, it’s exciting to see this multi-billion dollar turnover restaurant chain investing in gamification, rewards and direct digital channels to digitally connect with its customers.

We’ll be following this programme’s results to assess its commercial impact and it will be fascinating to watch how and when the brand extends its loyalty investment to other markets in the future. Subscribe to our newsletter to stay updated on this and other exciting digital loyalty programmes in quick service restaurants and convenience retail stores worldwide.

Chipotle logo

About Us:

Liquid Barcodes is a leading global loyalty and digital marketing technology company specialized for the convenience store and foodservice industries. Our proprietary cloud-based technology platform allow retailers to create and manage their digital marketing campaigns with a proprietary process we call the “customer connection cycle’ to engage, promote and reward customers activities in real-time across digital and media channels.

How we do it:

We have developed the most advanced loyalty and digital marketing technology platform specifically for convenience store and foodservice retailers globally.

Retailers use our self-service dashboard to create and manage loyalty driven marketing campaigns that increase purchases with their existing customers, as well as effectively target and acquire new customers through partners or paid media channels.

One core component of live loyalty is gamification. We have gamified branding, loyalty and promotions. We believe this approach is essential in order to get customers’ attention and ultimately truly engage them with repeatable actions thereby winning their loyalty.

Check out some of our exciting/proven results here:

www.LiquidBarcodes.com

About Me:

Paula Thomas

Chief Content Officer, Liquid Barcodes and Independent Loyalty Consultant, MBA, CLMP.

With over twenty-five years marketing experience, I specialise in loyalty marketing consulting, managing consumer loyalty propositions, strategy and operations. In addition to working with Liquid Barcodes, my clients have included Telefonica O2, Three Mobile, Electric Ireland, Allied Irish Bank and The Entertainer, as well as Avios – the global points currency for some of the world’s top airlines. I am also a judge for the Loyalty Magazine Awards. 

—————————————————————————————–


Blog post

Everyone Wins With App Games

Games reward customers for visiting an app and encourage them to visit the store. Customers love to feel appreciated, they love a good deal and they especially love winning.  Customers are excited when they get a good discount or coupon. And, they truly feel like winners after playing and winning a game. It is easy […]

Blog post

Liquid Barcodes Connects With Convenience Industry Leaders in Texas

The Liquid Barcodes team networks and learns at 2023 NAG Conference in Austin, Texas. Last week, Liquid Barcodes attended and exhibited at the US convenience industry conference held by the National Advisory Group (NAG). Among those present from the Liquid Barcodes team were Saurabh Swarup, General Manager of North America and Jose Santiago, Head of […]

Blog post

5 Cs of Summer: Cold Coffee, Clean Cars & Convenience

Subscription programs are a great way to secure long-term customer loyalty and revenue. Whether you are providing a subscription for beverages or car washes, securing recurring monthly revenue is imperative to stay competitive.   Summer is around the corner and retail marketers are crafting sunny campaigns to increase customer traffic to the store. Help those […]

Blog post

Circle K Makes a Splash With Car Wash Subscription Program in Europe

Circle K has extended its highly successful car wash subscription program to Norway after successful implementations in the United States, Canada, Denmark, Sweden and Estonia. Circle K’s vast global network of car washes has digitally transformed operations with its revolutionary car wash subscription program. First launched in Denmark and the U.S. in 2020, the program […]

Blog post

Newly Redesigned Brezelkönig App Accepts Payments and Rewards Loyalty

Swiss foodservice chain Brezelkönig releases app update which offers customers the convenience of earning rewards and paying for products with the app in stores.  The recently-updated Brezelkönig app allows pretzel-loving customers to enjoy recognition and rewards for their loyalty. Additionally, the Brezelkönig app accepts payments to make the customer experience even more convenient.  Brezelkönig is […]

Blog post

Sunshine Gasoline Introduces ACH-Only Mobile Payment for Fuel

Florida convenience retailer releases fuel payment app accepting only ACH payment, saving thousands in payment processing fees for the retailer. Sunshine Gasoline upgraded its Max Carwash App to Sunshine Brand featuring a special fuel pay program, powered by C-StorePay by Liquid Barcodes, which allows consumers to conveniently pay for fuel using the app. Customers simply […]

Blog post

2022: An Outstanding Year for Liquid Barcodes and Our Customers

In 2022, Liquid Barcodes witnessed a year of unprecedented growth with customers, products and team members. Every great business has an inspiring founding story and Liquid Barcodes’ 10-year journey is inspiring the future of loyalty. Beginning as a startup in Norway, the company opened its second office in the United States in early 2022 and […]

Blog post

What Is C-StorePay?

Liquid Barcodes’ proprietary C-StorePay makes paying for fuel, in-store merchandise, and subscription programs convenient for customers, reduces credit card fees for retailers, and integrates easily into existing loyalty programs Announced in October 2022, the revolutionary Liquid Barcodes C-StorePay product rose to the top of retailers’ 2022 wish lists at the NACS Show, even achieving a […]

Blog post

Polish Retail Leader Żabka Launches Coffee Subscription Program

Polish retail giant, Żabka introduces a monthly coffee subscription program across its vast store network. With its new coffee subscription program, Żabka Polska will certainly dominate the beverage category in Poland’s unique convenience market. In July 2022, Dr. Adam Manikowski, Managing Director of Żabka Polska, was featured on the popular Global Convenience Store Focus video […]

Blog post

Loyalty Apps Engage Customers

98% of loyalty app users love using a loyalty app and want more features from it. In September 2022, NACS published a report examining customer engagement with convenience loyalty programs. Unsurprisingly, customers feel most engaged, appreciated and valued by the stores to which they belong in a loyalty or membership program – nearly ¾ of […]

Blog post

Save Thousands in Credit Card Fees With ACH

Visa and Mastercard announced an increase in interchange fees earlier in the year and retailers are taking action and sending a message by migrating their customers to new solutions, including mobile app-based ACH payments, and in the process increasing profits by not only reducing credit card fees but also boosting loyalty via innovative app-based incentive […]

Blog post

Maxol Launches First-of-Its-Kind Loyalty App

Maxol, Ireland’s largest family-owned forecourt and convenience retailer, announced it has launched a new customer loyalty app with never-before-seen features in the Irish market. After more than a century serving Irish customers, Maxol’s 240+ stores and service stations are located throughout Ireland and have enjoyed global recognition for their best-in-class operations, store design and offers. […]

Blog post

Delivering Personalized Content With Machine Learning and Image Recognition

Build personalized customer connections, improve efficiency, and make intelligent, data-driven decisions using machine learning and image recognition.   It’s 7:15 in the morning and a customer – Amy – is on her way to work. She is on the hunt for coffee and breakfast and stops at a convenience store. She opens her store app […]

Blog post

Circle K’s Use of Beacon Technology to Activate Car Wash Subscription Program

Beacon Technology and Car Wash Subscription Programs Beacon technology used in tandem with a customer-facing car wash subscription program revolutionizes the customer experience by providing a quick, convenient experience. Innovation is the key to continued growth and ensuring a frictionless customer experience should be top of mind for any retailer. Circle K’s vast global network […]

Liquid Barcodes

Put a rocket under your loyalty program

With our loyalty platform, we help design and operate world-class, tailor-made subscription and reward programs that make sure your customers always come back.

Book a Demo →

We are trusted by global brands.

Convenience retailers all over the world have engaged and rewarded consumers with our tailor-made loyalty programs.

To our case studies →

Liquid Barcodes
Liquid Barcodes
Liquid Barcodes
Liquid Barcodes

Convenience retailers all over the world have engaged and rewarded consumers with our tailor-made loyalty programs.

To our case studies →

Liquid Barcodes
Liquid Barcodes
Liquid Barcodes
Liquid Barcodes