Auntie Anne’s, the world’s largest hand-rolled soft pretzel franchise, launched a new loyalty program last summer.
Heather Neary, Auntie Anne’s Vice President of Global Marketing, participated in a compelling Q&A with Loyalty360 to discuss the progress of the new loyalty program.
Currently one of the few primarily mall-based QSR brands in the loyalty space, Auntie Anne’s partnered with MICROS Systems, Inc. and mobile app development company Qubop, Inc. to introduce ‘My Pretzel Perks’ mobile loyalty app.
Can you talk a bit about how the loyalty program is going since the app launched and how has it impacted customer engagement?
We have been very pleased with our app launch so far and we've certainly learned a lot. We’ve exceeded our expectations on downloads and we're eager to continue to promote downloads, as well as ongoing use of the app. As for impacting customer engagement, we’ve seen that our loyal guests are visiting our counters more often.
What has been the customer feedback about the new loyalty program and has this changed or modified customer behavior at all?
Our guests have been very excited to participate in the “My Pretzel Perks” program to earn free rewards. As I mentioned, the app has encouraged our guests to visit us on a more frequent basis than before. Our guests enjoy earning rewards for their loyalty and we have really loved being able to 
treat our loyal guests to a free pretzel as they earn points.
What does Customer Experience mean to Auntie Anne’s?
The Customer Experience is very important to us and it’s more than just a visit to one of our stores. It’s central in everything we do at Auntie Anne’s and making intentional connections with our guests is critical for us. We feel that we have a responsibility at Auntie Anne’s to consistently try to improve the Customer Experience. Understanding what our guests want from us and engaging with them in a meaningful way are necessary to ensure our success moving forward. There's a lot of noise out there. It's important that we stay focused on the core equities of our brand and communicate clearly and concisely to our guests, whether that is at the counter, or through digital or social channels.
How do you define customer loyalty and has that changed in recent years in this era of the Empowered Customer?
Customer loyalty is all about relationships. We believe very strongly that through exceptional service and a desire to consistently improve the guest experience, we will turn the world into pretzel lovers – one guest at a time! At the end of the day, our guests have many snacking choices. We believe strong relationships have helped us to continue to grow and be successful. We believe strongly in a great tasting pretzel and a fabulous experience with every touch point of Auntie Anne’s.
How do you stay on top of rapidly changing technology that can enhance customer experience?
We are all responsible for monitoring the changing technology landscape. We engage with our franchisees on a regular basis to find out what they’re hearing and seeing in the environments where we have our stores – whether that is in a mall, a Walmart, or an airport. It’s important for us to listen to what’s happening and determine how we can best engage with our guests. We also stay close to the ever-changing social and digital landscapes. We want to be where our guests are – either in the cyber world or in our malls, airports, and Walmart locations.