From late-night honey butter chicken biscuits to meme-worthy social engagement, Whataburger has cemented itself as a beloved brand with a fiercely loyal fan base. Founded in 1950 by Harmon Dobson in Corpus Christi, Texas, the company was built on a straightforward promise: to serve a burger so big it takes two hands to hold and so good that customers exclaim, "What a burger!"
Today, Whataburger is in the midst of a multi-state expansion, combining its storied heritage with innovative technology and personalized digital experiences. At the center of this transformation is Keith McLellan, Group Director of Digital Customer Experience.
"As the digital customer experience lead, I'm really focused on leaning into that convenience culture and helping our brand understand the future state of our consumers," McLellan explains. "We're trying to drive the outcome of loyalty through just great food and great service."
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
Good afternoon, Good morning everyone.
My name is Ethan Perry fromLoyalty360.
Welcome back to Leaders inCustomer Loyalty Brand Stories
Series.
It's great to have you with usevery Thursday.
In this episode, we will hearfrom Keith McClellan, the Group
Director of Digital CustomerExperience at Whataburger.
Keith, thank you so much fortaking the time to join us today
.
How are you?
Speaker 2 (00:24):
My pleasure Doing great.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
Awesome.
Well, for those of us who maynot have gotten down to Texas to
try it or aren't familiar withthe brand, can you give us a
short introduction toWhataburger, how the company was
started and what's led to someof its successes?
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Sure.
Whataburger was founded in 1950by Harmon Dobson in Corpus
Christi, texas.
Founded in 1950 by HarmonDobson in Corpus Christi, texas,
with a pretty simple goal toserve a burger so big it takes
two hands to hold it and so goodthat customers would exclaim
what a burger.
And so quality ingredients madeto order meals, hospitality,
(01:02):
and then, even today, combiningtech and tradition.
We're a customer-centric brandthat is growing fast and having
our coming-of-age story wherewe're trying to bring
extraordinary hospitality acrossthe United States.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
Amazing.
Well, can you tell us a littlebit more about your role with
the company and how you gotwhere you are today?
You know some of the positionsthat you've had in the past that
led you to this role.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
Yeah, so my, you know digital is such a broad word to
define, but as the digitalcustomer experience role, I'm
really focused on leaning intothat convenience culture and
helping our brand understand thefuture state of our consumers
and the changing behaviors ofour existing customers today, so
(01:54):
that we can personalize theirexperience and make it very
convenient and valuable acrossall the different touch points.
So mobile app, com, third-partydelivery, first-party delivery
and really trying to drive theoutcome of loyalty through just
great food and great service.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
Awesome.
Well, you kind of touched onthis a little bit, but we keep
hearing from other members ofLoyalty360 how the quick service
restaurant industry is changing.
How is Whataburger respondingto those changes and what are
you guys seeing?
Speaker 2 (02:29):
Well, we make sure that we're insight led, so we
have voice of customer programsset up and evolving and we make
sure that we include thatfeedback in our roadmap and in
our investments back into thebusiness, because we really
believe that our role in thislifestyle is about making
(02:56):
people's lives a little bitbetter through goodness, 24-7.
So 24-7 means being reliable,because your tech has to be
practical and work andfunctional before you can get
them into the hook.
Modeling, which a lot of theloyalty program and
personalization and thegamification that we're running
(03:20):
do.
Speaker 1 (03:22):
Awesome.
Well, you mentioned there, Ty,you know, the listening to the
voice of the customer and howwould you describe Whataburger's
core customer base and how hasthat evolved in the recent years
with the brand's growth beyondTexas?
Speaker 2 (03:35):
You know, we're so multi-generational we hear great
stories about how you know mylove for Whataburger passed down
through my mom and dad andtheir mom and dad, and so we
serve every generation and so,yes, we're trying to make the
(03:58):
experience very convenient forour digital customer, but we're
also trying to make thenon-digital customer be welcomed
and at home and have a greatexperience too.
So we span multiple generationsacross multiple states, and we
try to bridge nostalgia withnewness and we're seeing being
(04:18):
both a legacy brand but alwayswilling to react to what
customers and our cult-like fansare telling us, to stay true to
ourselves and true to whatmakes them love us.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
Well, that's awesome, because one challenge we
continue to hear about fromdifferent brands is how
sometimes younger customersdon't always act the way that
surveys say they will always actthe way that surveys say they
will.
For example, they might saythey want healthy options or
cool digital features, but thenthey still order their usual
favorites or they skip the appaltogether.
Has Whataburger seen some ofthese challenges with the
(04:53):
younger guests and how are youtrying to engage them Like
what's working for you guys?
Speaker 2 (04:59):
You know, yes, of course we're trying to engage
with that guest.
We've seen great success withsome Twitch streamer
partnerships.
We've seen some great guests orwe've seen some great movement
when we've done some eSportswith our Fortnite collaboration,
(05:19):
um.
But at the end of the day, youknow people, we're trying to
have craveable food, like thehoney butter chicken biscuit at
late night.
Uh is just a lot of times arite of passage and a part of
these young people's lives, andso we want to be there when they
need us and consistentlydeliver on on quality food and
(05:41):
and uh, hospitality.
So, you know, we, our socialteam, is great too, because they
lean into the meme culture andhave great engagement and
two-way dialogue, so it's reallyan integrated approach.
We also spend a lot of time onour customer resolution and
recovery.
So when we do forget the cheese, you know we quickly respond.
(06:04):
Don't just make it right, makeit better.
And sticking to that has kindof made us successful for the
past 75 years and hopefully forthe next 75.
Speaker 1 (06:17):
Definitely.
And you know, I mean everyonehas heard, I'm sure, that
Whataburger has a really loyalfan base.
They often engage in thingslike regional pride and love for
the brand.
So how do you lean into thatsentiment through, like your
personalized offers or yourcommunity activations?
Speaker 2 (06:33):
Yeah, for us, you know, loyalty goes far beyond
just the repeat visit andearning points and redeeming
points and getting personalizedoffers.
It's really about combining thedata but also the emotion.
Right, when we can combine dataand emotion, you know, that's
(06:53):
where we really find thesememorable moments.
You know, it's decorating thecollege students' dorm room
orange and white, orange andwhite.
It's getting married atWhataburger and coming back to
anniversary dates in later years.
You know, we just really try tobuild it around trust and
(07:15):
relevance and our job is just tohonor that in every interaction
, whether it's digital ornon-digital.
And it's everybody's job, notjust the marketing team, to make
sure that we're driving loyaltyand our operators and hiring
great people is so important tothat model.
Speaker 1 (07:35):
Yeah and that kind of actually leads me to my next
question how does Whataburgerbalance digital innovation with
the warmth and familiarity ofits in-store experience?
Speaker 2 (07:44):
digital innovation with the warmth and familiarity
of its in-store experience.
Well, we try to build aroundour so that you know that, we
(08:10):
know you and you know sometimeswe feel like we don't have
customers.
We have neighbors, and thatmeans a warm welcoming and
relevant items when you open ourapp, but it also means smiling
faces and hellos when you comeinto the store.
So that's really you know inperson and digitally.
(08:34):
We're trying to orchestratethat across.
Speaker 1 (08:37):
Awesome.
So can you give us maybe someexamples of things that are
working well for you guys inthat personalization realm?
Speaker 2 (08:44):
We did some.
We combined gamificationstreaks with some historical
data so customers got some.
Customers, based upon theirbehavior, had a different
criteria for streaks and we sawsome great engagement of that.
I guess you know leaning intocompetition, we've seen some
(09:05):
fantastic engagement when we'vedone sweepstakes for online
order, for a chance to win SECchampionship tickets, because we
know football so big in theSouth and Southeast and so
really, things that are alreadyimportant to your customers and
(09:25):
we're just adding the element ofWhataburger into it.
We've seen some great success.
And then we're super excitedabout our 75th birthday coming
up in August, where we've gotbig surprises planned for our
customers.
Speaker 1 (09:41):
That's awesome, and so are you seeing any particular
metrics being affected by theability to personalize?
You know the experiences forfolks.
Speaker 2 (09:50):
Oh yeah, and the big metrics, the important ones like
CLV, or annual spend andmonthly frequency, and check
average and overall satisfaction.
We found that the more we canpersonalize and deliver on our
promise, the higher the scoresand the more customers reward us
with their wallet and choices.
Speaker 1 (10:14):
Yeah, I mean, it sounds like it's working well
for you guys too, but so isthere a way?
When you're looking at allthese efforts, how do you gauge
the difference between long-termbrand love versus short-term
promotional wins based on someof those things?
Speaker 2 (10:29):
Well, you have to have elements in your campaigns
for both.
We're always looking at havinglike limited time offers to
drive, you know, trial within alimited time and at the same
time we're also trying to leaninto the core burgers and
chicken category and breakfastcategory that we know, based
(10:51):
upon historicals, what highvalue actions are, and so we
orchestrate a lot of campaignsaround that.
Profile building is a goodexample that I think a lot of
people can understand iscontinuing to get them to show
reasons why it makes sense tosign up for SMS and the benefits
(11:11):
you have.
Of course, the benefits ofgetting a free Whataburger when
you download the app, but alsothe chance to win exclusive
experiences are also a great wayto do that that.
We've seen some positiveresults.
Speaker 1 (11:26):
Awesome.
So kind of along with all ofthat personalization stuff comes
, of course, having technologyin the right places and with the
right functionality.
How have you dealt with any ofthe challenges of getting the
right technology mix to allowyou to do that optimal
personalization?
Speaker 2 (11:45):
You know, it's a combination of like keeping your
head in the clouds, dreaming,but your boots on the ground on
what you can practically execute, and so we take a very
pragmatic approach where ourdigital team is very focused in
on providing solutions thattruly draw value for the
customer.
You know, we tend to stay awayfrom some of the flashy, shiny
(12:10):
things until they've proven tobe effective, and so in some
ways, that's where we'reblending tech and tradition.
Ways that's where we'reblending tech and tradition, but
in other ways, when we'vetested and learned and seen
results, we're not afraid to goall in, and personalization was
a great example of that.
So it's so important to getlead with architecture and use
(12:34):
cases when you're putting inyour CDPs and your email
providers, or your mobileautomation tools, or your AI
personalization and generativetools or your machine learning
models.
You do have to have that in amodern day, and leading with use
(12:55):
cases and architecture is goingto help you successfully
implement those things.
Speaker 1 (13:02):
Well, shifting gears a little bit.
Another area that we continueto hear a lot about from our
brand members is partnerships.
We know in the past Whataburgerhas had some really cool,
meaningful partnerships withWrangler and Dr Pepper.
How has your brandtraditionally approached
partnerships?
Speaker 2 (13:21):
Strategically but also with open arms when they
make sense.
You know we've had wonderfulpartnerships like the ones you
mentioned.
Plus, you know, partnershipswith grocery brands where our
spicy ketchup is the number onespicy ketchup in the in the
category.
So we've been focusing ourpartnerships on um, retail and
(13:45):
cpg and and have now been movingmore into um.
Of course, menu has always beena great place, with
partnerships with the uh drpepper shake and uh the a1 Thick
and Hardy from so many yearsago.
And we're definitely looking atit in the loyalty space,
(14:08):
especially from the hotels andthe airlines and the coffee
shops and the ride shares.
We're looking at that andopening to ones that make sense
with our brand and the lifestylethat our customers have.
Speaker 1 (14:24):
That's awesome.
So how do you, when you'reevaluating those, like, how do
you look at making sure thatthey're mutually beneficial for
both of the brands that areinvolved?
Speaker 2 (14:32):
You know you first got to make sure that it feels
authentic to your customers.
So relentless on consumerpaneling and talking to your
customers is a big importantpart because you want it to be
authentic.
And then the other one isaround owning that experience.
You know the dining experiencehas repeatable patterns, and so
(14:55):
we're also looking at ones thathave nice synergies and
complementing where Whataburgeris at and those others.
So we also look at it as termsof a great way to acquire, and
help each other acquire, newcustomers, and so that's also
another big component ofthinking through those
(15:16):
partnerships.
Speaker 1 (15:17):
Awesome.
So you know you kind ofmentioned, like the future of
your partnerships and exploringnew avenues there.
What would you say is the nextbig thing for customer loyalty
or customer experience thatWhataburger is focused on or
investing in right?
Speaker 2 (15:34):
now, and it's going to be around customization.
It's going to be aroundcontinuing to help customers
skip the line and avoid the wait, and we're going to continue to
invest in personalizing andproviding offers and rewards and
(15:54):
maximizing the spend of ourcustomers and giving them
exclusive experiences that youcan only get by being in this
program.
So you know there's still somuch to uncover in that, and so
those will be kind of our focusin the next 12 months.
Speaker 1 (16:14):
Sounds awesome.
So, along with that, are thereany new technologies that you're
going to look to add to helpfacilitate those things?
Speaker 2 (16:21):
Well, we're looking at AI use cases across the whole
funnel using AI to help usgenerate briefs all the way to
copy.
We've already been usingmachine learning to help power
some of our canvases, and AI forcustomer resolution through the
(16:41):
form of agents taking theresponse and then agent support.
That's helping making ourhumans smarter.
So AI across the customerexperience, too, is a big focus.
That's it's here today.
It's and brands that arecapitalizing it are accelerating
(17:02):
and being a digital leader.
Speaker 1 (17:05):
Yeah, it's definitely something that we're continuing
to see and hear from ourmembers all the time, so I think
you're right on there.
So can you tell me what are twoor three things that you're
most proud of in your customerloyalty program?
Speaker 2 (17:25):
program.
I'm so proud of our entireorganization to adopt the
customer first mindset and howour leadership this year is
talking about this is the yearof the customer and then also so
pleased with the team that'sbeen working on this for several
years recently got rankednumber one in the online
ordering experience, so I knowthe hundreds and thousands of
people that did work to makethis successful across our
(17:46):
business.
So proud of people comingtogether and effectively making
change, and I'm super proud ofwhat our brand has in store for
the rest of this year tocelebrate our 75th birthday.
Speaker 1 (18:06):
Well, that sounds like it's going to be a party.
We'll have to have you back onthe podcast later this year to
hear all about the details.
I'm sure there's going to besome fun surprises in there.
So the last question, kind ofself-servingly what can
Loyalty360 do for you?
How can we help support yourloyalty program efforts?
Speaker 2 (18:26):
I think help get the word out in states that are new
to having Whataburger.
You know we're growing so fastand there's a great coming of
age story to tell.
Speaker 1 (18:44):
And, you know, helping us just spread that word
and that voice is all the helpwe could ever ask for.
Awesome.
Well, we'll help spread theword and look forward to seeing
Whataburger, hopefully, in ourneighborhood one of these days.
Yes, thank you so much, yeah,well, that brings us to our fun
quickfire questions.
We like to keep these responsesto one word or short phrase, so
(19:06):
I'm going to go ahead and jumpright into them.
Speaker 2 (19:09):
What is your favorite word, honey?
Speaker 1 (19:10):
butter.
What excites you?
Speaker 2 (19:12):
Talking to customers.
Speaker 1 (19:14):
And what do you find tiresome?
Speaker 2 (19:16):
Waiting in line.
Speaker 1 (19:17):
What book do you like to recommend to your colleagues
?
Speaker 2 (19:20):
The one right now is the Advantage.
Speaker 1 (19:22):
What profession other than your own would you like to
attempt?
Speaker 2 (19:25):
I'd go back to being a radio DJ.
Speaker 1 (19:28):
What do you enjoy doing that you don't get to do
too often?
Speaker 2 (19:31):
Fish.
Speaker 1 (19:32):
Who inspired you to become the person you are today.
Speaker 2 (19:35):
My dad.
Speaker 1 (19:36):
What do you typically think about at the end of the
day?
Speaker 2 (19:39):
Coming home and playing with my kids.
Speaker 1 (19:41):
And how do you want to be remembered by your friends
and family?
Speaker 2 (19:45):
As a friend and ally.
Speaker 1 (19:47):
Awesome.
Well, Keith, thank you so muchfor taking the time to speak
with us today.
It's always a pleasure havingyou on the podcast and getting
an update on Whataburger and allthe cool things you guys are
doing.
We really appreciate it and welook forward to hearing more
about the continued success ofthe program and your birthday
celebration later in 2025.
And we look forward to hearingmore about the continued success
of the program and yourbirthday celebration later in
2025.
Speaker 2 (20:06):
Awesome.
Looking forward to seeing y'allin Orlando.
Speaker 1 (20:09):
Awesome.
Good afternoon, Good morning everyone.
My name is Ethan Perry fromLoyalty360.
Welcome back to Leaders inCustomer Loyalty Brand Stories
Series.
It's great to have you with usevery Thursday.
In this episode, we will hearfrom Keith McClellan, the Group
Director of Digital CustomerExperience at Whataburger.
Keith, thank you so much fortaking the time to join us today
.
How are you?
Speaker 2 (00:24):
My pleasure Doing great.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
Awesome.
Well, for those of us who maynot have gotten down to Texas to
try it or aren't familiar withthe brand, can you give us a
short introduction toWhataburger, how the company was
started and what's led to someof its successes?
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Sure.
Whataburger was founded in 1950by Harmon Dobson in Corpus
Christi, texas.
Founded in 1950 by HarmonDobson in Corpus Christi, texas,
with a pretty simple goal toserve a burger so big it takes
two hands to hold it and so goodthat customers would exclaim
what a burger.
And so quality ingredients madeto order meals, hospitality,
(01:02):
and then, even today, combiningtech and tradition.
We're a customer-centric brandthat is growing fast and having
our coming-of-age story wherewe're trying to bring
extraordinary hospitality acrossthe United States.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
Amazing.
Well, can you tell us a littlebit more about your role with
the company and how you gotwhere you are today?
You know some of the positionsthat you've had in the past that
led you to this role.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
Yeah, so my, you know digital is such a broad word to
define, but as the digitalcustomer experience role, I'm
really focused on leaning intothat convenience culture and
helping our brand understand thefuture state of our consumers
and the changing behaviors ofour existing customers today, so
(01:54):
that we can personalize theirexperience and make it very
convenient and valuable acrossall the different touch points.
So mobile app, com, third-partydelivery, first-party delivery
and really trying to drive theoutcome of loyalty through just
great food and great service.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
Awesome.
Well, you kind of touched onthis a little bit, but we keep
hearing from other members ofLoyalty360 how the quick service
restaurant industry is changing.
How is Whataburger respondingto those changes and what are
you guys seeing?
Speaker 2 (02:29):
Well, we make sure that we're insight led, so we
have voice of customer programsset up and evolving and we make
sure that we include thatfeedback in our roadmap and in
our investments back into thebusiness, because we really
believe that our role in thislifestyle is about making
(02:56):
people's lives a little bitbetter through goodness, 24-7.
So 24-7 means being reliable,because your tech has to be
practical and work andfunctional before you can get
them into the hook.
Modeling, which a lot of theloyalty program and
personalization and thegamification that we're running
(03:20):
do.
Speaker 1 (03:22):
Awesome.
Well, you mentioned there, Ty,you know, the listening to the
voice of the customer and howwould you describe Whataburger's
core customer base and how hasthat evolved in the recent years
with the brand's growth beyondTexas?
Speaker 2 (03:35):
You know, we're so multi-generational we hear great
stories about how you know mylove for Whataburger passed down
through my mom and dad andtheir mom and dad, and so we
serve every generation and so,yes, we're trying to make the
(03:58):
experience very convenient forour digital customer, but we're
also trying to make thenon-digital customer be welcomed
and at home and have a greatexperience too.
So we span multiple generationsacross multiple states, and we
try to bridge nostalgia withnewness and we're seeing being
(04:18):
both a legacy brand but alwayswilling to react to what
customers and our cult-like fansare telling us, to stay true to
ourselves and true to whatmakes them love us.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
Well, that's awesome, because one challenge we
continue to hear about fromdifferent brands is how
sometimes younger customersdon't always act the way that
surveys say they will always actthe way that surveys say they
will.
For example, they might saythey want healthy options or
cool digital features, but thenthey still order their usual
favorites or they skip the appaltogether.
Has Whataburger seen some ofthese challenges with the
(04:53):
younger guests and how are youtrying to engage them Like
what's working for you guys?
Speaker 2 (04:59):
You know, yes, of course we're trying to engage
with that guest.
We've seen great success withsome Twitch streamer
partnerships.
We've seen some great guests orwe've seen some great movement
when we've done some eSportswith our Fortnite collaboration,
(05:19):
um.
But at the end of the day, youknow people, we're trying to
have craveable food, like thehoney butter chicken biscuit at
late night.
Uh is just a lot of times arite of passage and a part of
these young people's lives, andso we want to be there when they
need us and consistentlydeliver on on quality food and
(05:41):
and uh, hospitality.
So, you know, we, our socialteam, is great too, because they
lean into the meme culture andhave great engagement and
two-way dialogue, so it's reallyan integrated approach.
We also spend a lot of time onour customer resolution and
recovery.
So when we do forget the cheese, you know we quickly respond.
(06:04):
Don't just make it right, makeit better.
And sticking to that has kindof made us successful for the
past 75 years and hopefully forthe next 75.
Speaker 1 (06:17):
Definitely.
And you know, I mean everyonehas heard, I'm sure, that
Whataburger has a really loyalfan base.
They often engage in thingslike regional pride and love for
the brand.
So how do you lean into thatsentiment through, like your
personalized offers or yourcommunity activations?
Speaker 2 (06:33):
Yeah, for us, you know, loyalty goes far beyond
just the repeat visit andearning points and redeeming
points and getting personalizedoffers.
It's really about combining thedata but also the emotion.
Right, when we can combine dataand emotion, you know, that's
(06:53):
where we really find thesememorable moments.
You know, it's decorating thecollege students' dorm room
orange and white, orange andwhite.
It's getting married atWhataburger and coming back to
anniversary dates in later years.
You know, we just really try tobuild it around trust and
(07:15):
relevance and our job is just tohonor that in every interaction
, whether it's digital ornon-digital.
And it's everybody's job, notjust the marketing team, to make
sure that we're driving loyaltyand our operators and hiring
great people is so important tothat model.
Speaker 1 (07:35):
Yeah and that kind of actually leads me to my next
question how does Whataburgerbalance digital innovation with
the warmth and familiarity ofits in-store experience?
Speaker 2 (07:44):
digital innovation with the warmth and familiarity
of its in-store experience.
Well, we try to build aroundour so that you know that, we
(08:10):
know you and you know sometimeswe feel like we don't have
customers.
We have neighbors, and thatmeans a warm welcoming and
relevant items when you open ourapp, but it also means smiling
faces and hellos when you comeinto the store.
So that's really you know inperson and digitally.
(08:34):
We're trying to orchestratethat across.
Speaker 1 (08:37):
Awesome.
So can you give us maybe someexamples of things that are
working well for you guys inthat personalization realm?
Speaker 2 (08:44):
We did some.
We combined gamificationstreaks with some historical
data so customers got some.
Customers, based upon theirbehavior, had a different
criteria for streaks and we sawsome great engagement of that.
I guess you know leaning intocompetition, we've seen some
(09:05):
fantastic engagement when we'vedone sweepstakes for online
order, for a chance to win SECchampionship tickets, because we
know football so big in theSouth and Southeast and so
really, things that are alreadyimportant to your customers and
(09:25):
we're just adding the element ofWhataburger into it.
We've seen some great success.
And then we're super excitedabout our 75th birthday coming
up in August, where we've gotbig surprises planned for our
customers.
Speaker 1 (09:41):
That's awesome, and so are you seeing any particular
metrics being affected by theability to personalize?
You know the experiences forfolks.
Speaker 2 (09:50):
Oh yeah, and the big metrics, the important ones like
CLV, or annual spend andmonthly frequency, and check
average and overall satisfaction.
We found that the more we canpersonalize and deliver on our
promise, the higher the scoresand the more customers reward us
with their wallet and choices.
Speaker 1 (10:14):
Yeah, I mean, it sounds like it's working well
for you guys too, but so isthere a way?
When you're looking at allthese efforts, how do you gauge
the difference between long-termbrand love versus short-term
promotional wins based on someof those things?
Speaker 2 (10:29):
Well, you have to have elements in your campaigns
for both.
We're always looking at havinglike limited time offers to
drive, you know, trial within alimited time and at the same
time we're also trying to leaninto the core burgers and
chicken category and breakfastcategory that we know, based
(10:51):
upon historicals, what highvalue actions are, and so we
orchestrate a lot of campaignsaround that.
Profile building is a goodexample that I think a lot of
people can understand iscontinuing to get them to show
reasons why it makes sense tosign up for SMS and the benefits
(11:11):
you have.
Of course, the benefits ofgetting a free Whataburger when
you download the app, but alsothe chance to win exclusive
experiences are also a great wayto do that that.
We've seen some positiveresults.
Speaker 1 (11:26):
Awesome.
So kind of along with all ofthat personalization stuff comes
, of course, having technologyin the right places and with the
right functionality.
How have you dealt with any ofthe challenges of getting the
right technology mix to allowyou to do that optimal
personalization?
Speaker 2 (11:45):
You know, it's a combination of like keeping your
head in the clouds, dreaming,but your boots on the ground on
what you can practically execute, and so we take a very
pragmatic approach where ourdigital team is very focused in
on providing solutions thattruly draw value for the
customer.
You know, we tend to stay awayfrom some of the flashy, shiny
(12:10):
things until they've proven tobe effective, and so in some
ways, that's where we'reblending tech and tradition.
Ways that's where we'reblending tech and tradition, but
in other ways, when we'vetested and learned and seen
results, we're not afraid to goall in, and personalization was
a great example of that.
So it's so important to getlead with architecture and use
(12:34):
cases when you're putting inyour CDPs and your email
providers, or your mobileautomation tools, or your AI
personalization and generativetools or your machine learning
models.
You do have to have that in amodern day, and leading with use
(12:55):
cases and architecture is goingto help you successfully
implement those things.
Speaker 1 (13:02):
Well, shifting gears a little bit.
Another area that we continueto hear a lot about from our
brand members is partnerships.
We know in the past Whataburgerhas had some really cool,
meaningful partnerships withWrangler and Dr Pepper.
How has your brandtraditionally approached
partnerships?
Speaker 2 (13:21):
Strategically but also with open arms when they
make sense.
You know we've had wonderfulpartnerships like the ones you
mentioned.
Plus, you know, partnershipswith grocery brands where our
spicy ketchup is the number onespicy ketchup in the in the
category.
So we've been focusing ourpartnerships on um, retail and
(13:45):
cpg and and have now been movingmore into um.
Of course, menu has always beena great place, with
partnerships with the uh drpepper shake and uh the a1 Thick
and Hardy from so many yearsago.
And we're definitely looking atit in the loyalty space,
(14:08):
especially from the hotels andthe airlines and the coffee
shops and the ride shares.
We're looking at that andopening to ones that make sense
with our brand and the lifestylethat our customers have.
Speaker 1 (14:24):
That's awesome.
So how do you, when you'reevaluating those, like, how do
you look at making sure thatthey're mutually beneficial for
both of the brands that areinvolved?
Speaker 2 (14:32):
You know you first got to make sure that it feels
authentic to your customers.
So relentless on consumerpaneling and talking to your
customers is a big importantpart because you want it to be
authentic.
And then the other one isaround owning that experience.
You know the dining experiencehas repeatable patterns, and so
(14:55):
we're also looking at ones thathave nice synergies and
complementing where Whataburgeris at and those others.
So we also look at it as termsof a great way to acquire, and
help each other acquire, newcustomers, and so that's also
another big component ofthinking through those
(15:16):
partnerships.
Speaker 1 (15:17):
Awesome.
So you know you kind ofmentioned, like the future of
your partnerships and exploringnew avenues there.
What would you say is the nextbig thing for customer loyalty
or customer experience thatWhataburger is focused on or
investing in right?
Speaker 2 (15:34):
now, and it's going to be around customization.
It's going to be aroundcontinuing to help customers
skip the line and avoid the wait, and we're going to continue to
invest in personalizing andproviding offers and rewards and
(15:54):
maximizing the spend of ourcustomers and giving them
exclusive experiences that youcan only get by being in this
program.
So you know there's still somuch to uncover in that, and so
those will be kind of our focusin the next 12 months.
Speaker 1 (16:14):
Sounds awesome.
So, along with that, are thereany new technologies that you're
going to look to add to helpfacilitate those things?
Speaker 2 (16:21):
Well, we're looking at AI use cases across the whole
funnel using AI to help usgenerate briefs all the way to
copy.
We've already been usingmachine learning to help power
some of our canvases, and AI forcustomer resolution through the
(16:41):
form of agents taking theresponse and then agent support.
That's helping making ourhumans smarter.
So AI across the customerexperience, too, is a big focus.
That's it's here today.
It's and brands that arecapitalizing it are accelerating
(17:02):
and being a digital leader.
Speaker 1 (17:05):
Yeah, it's definitely something that we're continuing
to see and hear from ourmembers all the time, so I think
you're right on there.
So can you tell me what are twoor three things that you're
most proud of in your customerloyalty program?
Speaker 2 (17:25):
program.
I'm so proud of our entireorganization to adopt the
customer first mindset and howour leadership this year is
talking about this is the yearof the customer and then also so
pleased with the team that'sbeen working on this for several
years recently got rankednumber one in the online
ordering experience, so I knowthe hundreds and thousands of
people that did work to makethis successful across our
(17:46):
business.
So proud of people comingtogether and effectively making
change, and I'm super proud ofwhat our brand has in store for
the rest of this year tocelebrate our 75th birthday.
Speaker 1 (18:06):
Well, that sounds like it's going to be a party.
We'll have to have you back onthe podcast later this year to
hear all about the details.
I'm sure there's going to besome fun surprises in there.
So the last question, kind ofself-servingly what can
Loyalty360 do for you?
How can we help support yourloyalty program efforts?
Speaker 2 (18:26):
I think help get the word out in states that are new
to having Whataburger.
You know we're growing so fastand there's a great coming of
age story to tell.
Speaker 1 (18:44):
And, you know, helping us just spread that word
and that voice is all the helpwe could ever ask for.
Awesome.
Well, we'll help spread theword and look forward to seeing
Whataburger, hopefully, in ourneighborhood one of these days.
Yes, thank you so much, yeah,well, that brings us to our fun
quickfire questions.
We like to keep these responsesto one word or short phrase, so
(19:06):
I'm going to go ahead and jumpright into them.
Speaker 2 (19:09):
What is your favorite word, honey?
Speaker 1 (19:10):
butter.
What excites you?
Speaker 2 (19:12):
Talking to customers.
Speaker 1 (19:14):
And what do you find tiresome?
Speaker 2 (19:16):
Waiting in line.
Speaker 1 (19:17):
What book do you like to recommend to your colleagues
?
Speaker 2 (19:20):
The one right now is the Advantage.
Speaker 1 (19:22):
What profession other than your own would you like to
attempt?
Speaker 2 (19:25):
I'd go back to being a radio DJ.
Speaker 1 (19:28):
What do you enjoy doing that you don't get to do
too often?
Speaker 2 (19:31):
Fish.
Speaker 1 (19:32):
Who inspired you to become the person you are today.
Speaker 2 (19:35):
My dad.
Speaker 1 (19:36):
What do you typically think about at the end of the
day?
Speaker 2 (19:39):
Coming home and playing with my kids.
Speaker 1 (19:41):
And how do you want to be remembered by your friends
and family?
Speaker 2 (19:45):
As a friend and ally.
Speaker 1 (19:47):
Awesome.
Well, Keith, thank you so muchfor taking the time to speak
with us today.
It's always a pleasure havingyou on the podcast and getting
an update on Whataburger and allthe cool things you guys are
doing.
We really appreciate it and welook forward to hearing more
about the continued success ofthe program and your birthday
celebration later in 2025.
And we look forward to hearingmore about the continued success
of the program and yourbirthday celebration later in
2025.
Speaker 2 (20:06):
Awesome.
Looking forward to seeing y'allin Orlando.
Speaker 1 (20:09):
Awesome.
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