New England Authentic Eats Embraces Loyalty Challenge
Loyalty to regional brands runs deep, but it has its limits. That’s on former Papa John’s CEO Bill Van Epps’ mind as he steps up as chief executive of New England Authentic Eats, holding company with historic brands Papa Gino’s Pizzeria and D’Angelo Grilled Sandwiches. New England Authentic Eats recently emerged from bankruptcy, and Van Epps intends to revitalize the brands by modernizing the physical stores and testing new menu items. Competition has grown stiff, and this will be a test to see how strong regional loyalty is, whether it can keep a company afloat in changing times.
Coopers Brewery’s E-Commerce CX Drives Loyalty
Coopers Brewery is an Australian brand that specializes in home brewing kits; the brand retains 85 percent market share. At a Sydney conference, Abby Richardson, the brand’s E-commerce Manager, explained how the company’s success comes in large part from its customer loyalty program, which offers a ten percent discount year-round. Members now account for 92 percent of sales.
In keeping with trends, the success of Coopers’ program has been due in part to gathering data- and importantly, as we’ve learned from loyalty marketers, breaking that data down and using it to better understand shoppers.
Alaska Airlines, Poised for Growth, Goes Green
Thanks to some competitive advantages, Alaska Air Group is looking at potential for growth over the next two years. The company operates Alaska Airlines, Horizon Air Industries, and recently acquired Virgin America. Among the company’s advantages is its use of fuel-efficient jets, which both reduces costs relative to traditional planes and also improves the company’s favorability in the eyes of consumers. Brands are increasingly finding that going green not only creates loyalty, but also keeps overhead down.
New VP at Famous Footwear
Caleres has announced that Marci Grebstein will join Caleres as Senior Vice President of Marketing for Famous Footwear. Famous Footwear is the largest brand in the Caleres portfolio, with over $1.6 billion in annual revenue.
“I’m thrilled to join Caleres and the Famous Footwear team,” says Grebstein. “I’ve long admired the company and have great respect for what Famous Footwear has accomplished as a market leader in family footwear. I look forward to collaborating with the leadership and marketing teams to drive continued growth through a relentless focus on brand integrity and customer engagement.”