Officials at SUBWAY have held a keen interest in digital customer engagement for quite some time, and the company continues to invest heavily in this burgeoning area.
In June, the company launched SUBWAY Digital, a new division for SUBWAY restaurants. Created in collaboration with Accenture, SUBWAY Digital will build a comprehensive omnichannel strategy and implementation support team to enhance customer engagement and build brand loyalty.
The SUBWAY Digital team is evaluating all aspects of technology, from consumer-facing loyalty programs and the SUBWAY App to back-end design, identifying new initiatives to personalize engagement with guests.
More recently, SUBWAY acquired a digital technology team and assets from Avanti Commerce, a Vancouver-based online commerce solution provider and SUBWAY restaurants partner since 2011.
The 20-person team joining the SUBWAY Digital from Avanti Commerce will remain and grow in Vancouver, which is a technology hub for Canada and a centralized location for technology and digital talent. As part of the SUBWAY Digital group, the new team will be dedicated to the expansion and customization of unique ecommerce and omnichannel platforms for the sandwich chain.
SUBWAY has customers in 112 countries and more than 44,600 franchised locations.
Loyalty360 caught up with Ken Moy, VP, SUBWAY Digital, to learn more about the company’s investment in digital technology.
“With the advent of mobile devices, low cost connectivity, and 24/7 access to digital content, customer expectations are changing and they expect more from their favorite brands,” Moy explained. “With our aggressive investment in digital, SUBWAY has the opportunity to meet the needs of our guests before, during, and after they visit our restaurants.”
Mobile, which has been around for some time now, has seemed to taken off in the past two or three years as far as customer engagement, customer experience, and impacting customer expectations.
“Indeed, there have been significant innovations related to mobility, data, and convenience that consumers have come to know and expect from their favorite brands,” Moy said. “The bar has been set very high for all brands regardless of merchant category. Our commitment to digital will enable Subway to meet and exceed the evolving expectations of our guests.”
Customer loyalty might be changing due to consumer expectations in an increasingly digitized landscape.
“Customers expect relevant, well-timed content that makes their lives more convenient and valuable,” Moy said. “Mobility and digital gives SUBWAY the opportunity to delight our guests with the right content and at the right moment.”
As far as SUBWAY’s overarching goals for its digital technology and its impact on customer engagement, Moy said they are simple.
“For Subway, it has always been and will continue to be simply to delight our guests and to provide them with personalized customer experiences,” he explained. “From custom-built subs, to personalized digital content and offers, the guest is at the center of want we do.”