To download full whitepaper and learn a new approach to driving advocacy in food services, visit http://cem.empathica.com/FickletoFanFoodServices For decades, restaurateurs thought they had loyalty all figured out. All they needed was to apply a simple process to identify the most devoted customers, lavish them with attention and turn huge profits as they returned more often, ordered more food and became active advocates on behalf of the brand. Sometimes this approach worked, but often it didn’t. Brands today face a big challenge when it comes to developing an understanding of guest loyalty and advocacy. Download this whitepaper and find out: •How your brand can use technologies such as "Big Data" to develop winning advocacy strategies •The importance of understanding not only the "drivers" of loyalty but also the "drivers of the drivers" •Why delivering consistent guest experiences at the local level is the first step to mobilize your brand advocates To learn more about Customer Experience Management: Product and services page http://www.empathica.com/products-services/ Resource center http://www.empathica.com/resources/ Blog http://www.empathica.com/blog/ Consumer insights reports http://www.empathica.com/consumer-insights/ Industry-specific expertise http://www.empathica.com/industries/ Connect with us: Twitter http://twitter.com/EmpathicaCEM Facebook http://www.facebook.com/EmpathicaCEM LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/company/empathica

1. From Fickle to Fan:
A New Approach to Driving Advocacy
in Food Services
An Empathica Whitepaper
www.empathica.com

2. From Fickle to Fan: A New Approach to Driving Advocacy in Food Services
For decades, restaurateurs thought they had loyalty all figured out. All they needed
was to apply a simple process to identify the most devoted customers, lavish them
Determining whether
with attention and turn huge profits as they returned more often, ordered more food
and became active advocates on behalf of the brand. customers were loyal
was easy.
Sometimes this approach worked, but often it didn’t.
Determining whether customers were loyal was easy. Determining why they were Determining why
loyal was unfortunately closer to “art” than “science.” Keeping loyal customers loyal they were loyal
didn’t always translate into profits. Even well designed customer retention programs
that kept enthusiastic customers coming back to the restaurants could end up was unfortunately
chewing through more investment than they were worth. Figuring out what worked closer to “art”
and what didn’t took a long time (getting an answer to the “why?” question), adding
than “science.”
risk to any new investment (see Figure 1).
Figure 1. Brands need to better understand the “Why?” behind loyalty; According
to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, emotional connections can only be achieved
when all of a person’s basic needs are satisfied.
SELF ACTUALIZATION
ESTEEM
SOCIAL
SAFETY
PHYSIOLOGICAL
Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
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3. From Fickle to Fan: A New Approach to Driving Advocacy in Food Services
BIG DATA
Using “Big Data” to Develop Advocacy Strategies
Today, the science of “why?” has become a lot more precise. Technologies like
the Internet, smartphones, tablet computers and GPS location provide powerful
means to collect more data about guest behavior and communicate it faster. The Figure 2. Big data is data that
ability to sift through huge volumes of dynamic information to derive patterns and exceeds the processing capacity
develop loyalty strategies has never been stronger. In fact, a new term has emerged of conventional database systems.
to describe the phenomenon: “big data” (see Figure 2 for a definition of big data). The data is too big, moves too
fast, or doesn’t fit the structures
With big data to back them up, advocacy builders can focus on what attracts of your database architectures.
customers and prompts them to return: that magical mix of product, interior design, To gain value from this data, you
service and overall experience. Now, as art meets science, the results can be must choose an alternative way
assessed more immediately. Quick feedback leads to rapid readjustment. The drivers to process it.
that deliver customer advocacy can be optimized to their full potential. Edd Dumbill, O’Reilly Radar
While this endless fountain of customer information may seem overwhelming at first,
given the right tools all stakeholders from corporate analysts to front line employees
can glean valuable, nuanced insights from this big data. For a corporate analyst,
this robust data can unlock insights such as how particular products affect overall
satisfaction across multiple demographic segments. For front line staff, big data can
unlock operational tips related to the service experience and tied to a particular day
part or week part. An example of this could be as simple as paying closer attention
to cleanliness on Sunday afternoons when families with children are more likely to
visit. It’s these small nuances that can ultimately separate good experiences from
great ones.
The Drivers of Advocacy
The fundamental drivers of advocacy are well known: things like product, service,
speed, environment, location, price and perceived value for money. The curiosity of
most research companies starts with surveys and ends with the respective weight
given to each top-level driver.
By contrast, such conclusions really mark the point where modern brand builders’
curiosity should begin. No one can win at everything, so setting priorities is crucial.
Which details are most important to a particular brand’s guests? What are the one,
two or three things that truly differentiate a business?
Behind the traditional stack-ranked elements that identify the importance of, for
example, product versus service, the breadth of data available today can help
uncover the pathways that lead to these elements. If friendly service is a key driver,
it is important to look to understand the “drivers of the drivers.” What particular cues
in the environment are supported in turn by other elements that communicate the
belief that this is a friendly brand? To use a theatrical metaphor: What’s center stage
for the experience? Who are the supporting actors? What are the props or cues?
The answers can be surprising. Many large full-service casual dining chains have
solicited market research and have collected guest feedback from which the recipe
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