Burger chain Carl’s Jr. is hoping its new app will be the secret sauce to engaging millennial males.
The app combines mobile payment, gift cards and a rewards program. For every $50 spent at Carl’s Jr., members receive a $5 discount. Users will also receive special offers, promotions and tailored communications from the burger chain.
Carl’s Jr., which is relatively new in Canada, was looking for a way to “create and maintain heavy users,” said Jeff Branton, VP and general manager of Carl’s Jr. Canada.
“We have a very small budget because of our size, so we needed to be creative in how we use those dollars,” he added. “We were looking for a medium that allowed us not only to reach people once, but to reach them repeatedly.”
With the app, Carl’s Jr. is targeting its core consumer base: males 18 to 34. “That consumer base is very tech-savvy: they consume almost all of their media via the internet,” said Branton. “The app allows us to move closer into their world and out of some of the more traditional media streams.”
The rewards program will be expanded to include social rewards. For example, if a user shares their experience about Carl’s Jr. on Facebook, the burger chain will send them a personalized reward.
“Carl’s Jr. now has the ability to build a relationship with their customers that enables personalized rewards experiences, and that’s a big shift from everybody gets the same rewards,” said David Strebinger, CEO of Vancouver-based PayWith, which developed the app.
“The more you share, the more you communicate, the more you transact, the more you visit, the better your rewards are going to be.”
Carl’s Jr. is also planning to use iBeacon technology at select locations. “As someone is walking by, we can say, ‘we just fresh-baked buns, come inside and try one,’” said Branton.
Carl’s Jr. has operated in the U.S. for more than 70 years and expanded into Canada in 2011, where it has 16 locations. The burger chain is planning an aggressive expansion in Ontario that will see 30 new locations open over the next six years.
Carl’s Jr. is operated by CKE Restaurant Holdings Inc., a privately held company based in Carpinteria, Calif.
