McDonald’s Canada has launched a loyalty program called McCafé Rewards as a way of thanking its current customers and encouraging new guests to try the chain’s coffee and hot specialty drinks.
Loyalty cards, which are approximately the size of a business card, can be torn from beverage cups, an idea borrowed from the chain’s U.K. division, McDonald’s Canada SVP and chief marketing officer Joel Yashinsky told Marketing.
When consumers purchase any seven McCafé hot drinks – hot chocolate, tea, mocha, latté, et cetera – the eighth medium beverage is free. To keep track, consumer place stickers peeled from the cups on one of the seven spaces on the card.
Yashinsky said he sees the program “lasting into the future for a long time” and called it “another compelling connection point to build a relationship with our guests.”
McDonald’s is supporting the new coffee loyalty program with a national advertising campaign from Cossette that includes a 30-second television commercial in English and French. OMD handled media buying and planning.
The loyalty program launched only two days after McDonald’s hosted its 10th free coffee event, an initiative the quick service chain introduced in 2009 to encourage trial of its premium roast coffee.
“There’s still some consumers out there who haven’t tried our coffee,” said Yashinsky of the event, adding that the program continues to provide the opportunity to introduce the beverages to new guests and make them part of their everyday lives.
McDonald’s continues to raise the bar on its McCafé brand through initiatives that include the launch of premium roast take home coffee and iced frappés.
