Subway has created a new digital division in in an effort to transform the customer experience.
The Milford, Conn.-based chain is bringing its marketing, technology, operations and strategy teams under a single roof. With current staff and new hires, the team will number 150 by next year.
“The entire idea behind this was to create a singular team that was 100% focused on the guest experience,” said Carman Wenkoff, chief information officer and chief digital officer at Subway.
“We’ve launched [digital] solutions in the past that were customer facing, but it was done in a more traditional format,” he added. For example, the technology team would drive things like the mobile app or loyalty program. “What we found was that we left some of the potential of those programs on the table.”
The digital team is evaluating all aspects of technology, from the Subway app and loyalty program, to back-end design and identifying new initiatives to personalize the customer experience.
“Our goal is to introduce a new experience that is different from competitors and different from our past—it will be much more personalized with as little friction as possible in the experience,” said Wenkoff. “We’d really like to be a brand that understands their customers individually and does not treat every customer the same.”
To do so, Subway is planning to leverage the data it has with each customer and is spending a lot of time studying that data and understanding customer preferences.
As for how the digital group affects Subway Canada, Wenkoff said it will be an additional asset for the Canadian marketing team.
The sandwich chain will still do traditional marketing with mass media outlets “because that’s what built the foundation for Subway and what’s been successful for so long,” said Wenkoff. “The new digital group will supplement that, and as we introduce new programs, we’ll involve the existing marketing teams in Canada.”
Subway worked with consulting firm Accenture on creating the digital division.
