When Dunkin’ announced the revamp of its rewards program in early October, there was fierce consumer backlash. One headline blared, “What idiot do you think I am?” But behind the scenes, Dunkin’s decisions come from years of menu growth, and exemplify how a carefully planned loyalty strategy pays off over the long term.
To get the full story, I went back to the start of Dunkin’ Rewards, originally called DD Perks. The program launched in 2014, when the Dunkin’ menu focused on hot and....