As if we need any more ways to keep us online, connected and glued to the screens of our smartphones, the virtual loyalty app has bounded onto the scene, or screen, for both the foodie fanatic and casual coffee on-the go commuter, as part of the ever-evolving spectrum of restaurant marketing.
Often working as a multi-brand digital loyalty platform, these apps work by combining select number of restaurants, cafés, shops, pop-ups – you name it – to keep all those places we purchase from on the regular and swear we couldn’t live without, into one neat and tidy place. It’s a simple as that – download an app, add the virtual stamp cards for your favourite local haunts, present your phone in person and complete the cards in the same way you would with ink, before receiving the reward for your loyalty in return.
Whether it’s the bi-weekly free oat cappuccino you look forward to, or a discount on your Thursday bento box, these restaurant marketing apps are building up their partnerships and spreading across both national and local businesses like wildfire. As if we weren’t restaurant marketeers jumping on the latest trends, the apps have the added bonus that by sending 0 stamp cards to landfill, you can also claim all the environmental brownie points, making up for the often forgotten Keep Cup. We’ve rounded up a few of our favourites below.
Capitalising on the remote, on-screen world we are now living in, Magic Stamp kicked things off as if by magic in early 2020. Plotting their niche by generating personalised codes to incentivise specifically online and takeaway customers – it’s almost like they predicted the pandemic which saw shops shut up for months, bringing the rewards for your loyalty straight to your front door. With partners including Ozone Coffee Roasters, the Nusa Kitchen and Urban Flower Company – there is something for everyone.
Every restaurant marketer will know that key to success often comes by keeping your target audience narrow and your goals wide. With the slogan ‘Save Money & Stay Healthy’, Smash is for the under 25 years olds among us looking for ‘proper discounts, on proper food’. Partnering up with the likes of Wahaca, YO! Sushi and Zizzi, Smash are a national force to be reckoned with taking many of the high street chains to the next level of loyalty.
For those who only live their lives within the borders of M25, Embargo is the new kid on the block and the perfect download for the every-day Londoner. Community focused and tapping into the local scene of every borough, Embargo App already works with the likes of Maui Poke, Simmons and Queens of Mayfair, holding no prejudice to whether you live north, south, east or west.
The best things come in threes, so let’s leave it there for you to take your pick if you also want to say goodbye to the endless stamp cards collecting dusk in your back pocket. They might not be everyone’s cup of tea – or coffee in the case of Magic Stamp Ozone lovers – but if you’re a sucker for a discount and want to claim rewards in return for spending money (who doesn’t!), get downloading.
Want to chat about how you can boost your customer base with restaurant marketing? Get in touch with us today
Contact us
To find out how our approach can help you - drop us a line on 020 3301 5305 or send us the form below with some basic information and we’ll be in touch to discuss the finer details.
