For many, Applebee’s is more than just your neighborhood bar and grill, it’s a place where lifelong memories are made. Whether it’s a first date, a post-game meal with teammates, or a family gathering, the brand has fostered deep emotional connections with its guests for generations. By focusing on personalization, relevance, and employee engagement, Applebee’s is redefining customer loyalty beyond traditional discounts and rewards.
We sat down with Vicki Hormann, the Executive Director of Off-Premise and CRM at Applebee’s, who gave us insight into the return of their Date Night Pass, their loyalty program, and how they’re planning to keep customers engaged in the years to come.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
The search for value, the ability to drive emotional
loyalty, engagement and a focuson the customer.
These qualities are quite rarein the market today.
Add in a passion for theemployee and a commitment to
listening to the guests,especially within the fast
casual restaurant industry, andyou may ask what is this unicorn
that you speak of?
Well, the date night passedpassed now in its second year
(00:26):
and the Club Applebee's program.
You guessed it it's Applebee's.
I remember what Applebee's usedfrom way back when, when I
bartended during my time inMiami of Ohio, and I can tell
you things sure have changed.
Joining us today on the Leadersin Customer Loyalty podcast,
the Brand Stories edition, isVicki Horman.
She is the Executive Directorof Off-Premise and CRM at
(00:48):
Applebee's.
Thank you very much, vicki, fortaking the time to talk with us
today.
How are you?
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Doing well.
How about yourself?
Speaker 1 (00:55):
Doing well.
Thank you, Looking forward tothis discussion.
First off, for those who maynot be familiar, can you give us
a short introduction toApplebee's and how the company
was started?
Speaker 2 (01:12):
What's the backstory?
Sure, applebee's is a Americanafavorite, if you will, we've
been around for, I believe, over45 years.
We are the neighborhood grilland bar.
I think that Applebee's is justa permanent establishment.
In so many neighborhoods,applebee's is an amazing place
to get together with friends andfamily and just enjoy a great
(01:33):
meal, whether that's at anApplebee's or at home on your
couch, we definitely love tobring people together over good
food at a great value.
Speaker 1 (01:43):
That's awesome.
What about you?
Can you tell us a little moreabout your role at the company?
How did you get where you aretoday?
Any fun positions you had kindof leading up to this role?
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Sure.
So currently I am, like yousaid, the executive director of
off-premise and CRM atApplebee's, which means that I
lead a team that drives allaspects of marketing technology
and operations for our $1billion off-premise business,
and a large portion of that isour CRM program.
I've been at Applebee's for 13years actually 13 years here in
(02:16):
a couple of weeks Started out inthe field marketing position
and I guess before that I'vealways just been in restaurants.
My grandfather actually owned abar and grill in Pittsburgh and
came all the way up throughhigh school and college working
in restaurants and really justfound a passion for the
restaurant industry.
Speaker 1 (02:37):
You're not a Steelers fan, are you?
Speaker 2 (02:40):
No, I'm a Vikings fan because I'm in Minnesota, but
the Steelers would probably bemy second choice.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
Oh, we might have to terminate this interview I know
you're a Bengals guy, then right.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
No, no, no, no, no, I'm a Broncos fan.
Speaker 1 (02:50):
But yeah, Okay, yes, no, Bengals, All right.
So Adley's just launched sorry,just announced how do I get
that word right the return ofthe date night pass for the
second consecutive year.
I think you have 3,000 passes.
They were distributed onValentine's Day.
If you let people knowValentine's Day, they can
purchase them for $100 each andthrough a random and exclusive
(03:13):
drawing for people who are partof Applebee's loyalty program.
Can you tell us a little bitmore about the program, how it
works and why you?
Speaker 2 (03:22):
brought it back for year two.
Yeah, so, as you mentioned,last year, in 2024, was our
first year offering a date nightpass, and we like to joke that
there were two things in 2024that broke the internet.
It was the Taylor Swift concerttickets, if you remember that,
and then the Applebee's datenight pass.
So in 2024, whenever we offeredthe date night pass, we sold
out within minutes and reallyshowing this need and this want
(03:48):
for our guests to have aset-aside time for date night.
And so we took some learningsfrom 2024 and brought back date
night pass this year, withoffering 3,000 date night passes
to our Club, applebee's membersexclusively, the opportunity to
be entered into a drawing to beable to purchase one of these
passes, like you mentioned, for$100,.
(04:10):
Our guests could purchase thecard, which is valid for one
date night per month, worth $50every month for all of 2025.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
Okay, excellent.
So when you looked at theprogram last year, what did you
see?
Obviously, it was verysuccessful being able to get a
$50 discount on food every monthfor a hundred bucks, especially
in this environment whereeveryone's looking for value.
What did you see in the programlast year?
Speaker 2 (04:42):
So last year the date night pass was valid for a once
a week date night.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
One of the things that we found was that our
guests just live incredibly busylifestyles and finding the time
to set aside a weekly datenight was just a little bit
overwhelming.
So we're consistently listeningto our guests feedback and we
took that feedback and decidedthat let's make the pass worth a
little bit more for the monthlydate night, but let's move it
(05:08):
to monthly so that our guestscan truly take that time to have
a moment that matters in ourrestaurants once a month, where
it's a little bit moredigestible to be able to
schedule that monthly date nightas opposed to a weekly date
night.
Speaker 1 (05:22):
Okay, as mentioned many brands right now, the
customers are asking for morevalue.
Right Kind of economicuncertainty in some situations.
Many people again who aremembers of the 360, we meet and
talk about different topics andthis search for value value in
the program is a prettycompelling topic right now.
Is this something that you areseeing and, if so, does the Date
(05:46):
Night Pass and Club Applebee'shelp address some of this search
for value?
Speaker 2 (05:52):
Absolutely.
Our guests are always searchingfor value and at Applebee's I
think value and bringing peopletogether over a great meal has
always been part of our core,and so Date Night Pass and
providing that value to our ClubApplebee's members is just
baked into what we do.
The value of the date nightpass with $100 for $600 of value
(06:15):
, is extraordinary.
So we definitely saw folksreally coveting these passes and
kind of clamoring for theiropportunity to purchase one.
Speaker 1 (06:26):
That's awesome.
Speaker 2 (06:27):
And I think too, mark , if we take that even a step
further, you had asked how thatkind of relates to overall Club
Applebee's.
Club Applebee's is reallypositioned as a exclusive club.
It is free to join, anyone canjoin, but that offers our guests
the opportunity for exclusiveperks and additional value
outside of our value drivenpromotions and our menu value.
(06:50):
That's already there.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
That's awesome.
The big push for exclusivity issomething that we see a lot as
well.
We're actually just talkingwith a large retailer in the
Pittsburgh area makes jeans, andyou know they see they put more
and more focus on the program.
They have a great organization,they do some very neat things
with the program.
But making that big push anddriving exclusivity being able
to get the discounts, the offers, the special and unique offers
(07:16):
is really kind of where themarket is going and those that
can enable that in a way thatthe customer understands.
They're seeing some prettypowerful results and it sounds
like you are as well.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
Absolutely, and we find that our guests view value
in a number of different ways.
So I think value goes wellbeyond just discounts and it's
the opportunity to createinteractions with our guests
that are meaningful to ourguests on that one-to-one level.
So even we offered our ClubApplebee's members an exclusive
(07:49):
sneak peek at a new menu itemthat we launched earlier this
year, and we saw quite a few ofour Club Applebee's members take
advantage of that and be thefirst to try our new Big
Cluckin' Chicken Sandwich.
We've recently wrapped up aSuper Bowl sweepstakes and we
sent one lucky guest out of NewYork on an all-expense-paid trip
(08:10):
to the Super Bowl this year.
So we're finding that valuegoes beyond just discounts with
our Club Applebee's members.
Speaker 1 (08:19):
Absolutely.
When you look at your customerloyalty strategy at Applebee's,
how has it evolved during yourtime at Applebee's, you know?
Are you looking at differentmethods or different ways to
engage the customer, and how doyou see that going forward?
Speaker 2 (08:32):
Absolutely.
You know, traditionally ClubApplebee's has been a very
linear email marketing program.
We established Club Applebee'sover 15 years ago, believe it or
not, as pretty much just anemail marketing program, and
where we've evolved this to is amuch more personalized and
meaningful vehicle for ourguests, like I said, with these
(08:54):
exclusive perks and value thatthey're not able to receive
outside of that club.
I think that personalization iskey and being very relevant to
the guest.
Yeah, whenever you think aboutjust everybody's individual
likes and wants and needs, thereare things that just aren't
(09:14):
relevant, right?
So, mark, if you like steak,then if I tell you about a brand
new steak skillet that we haveon the menu, it's going to be
very appetizing to you, but if Idon't eat red meat, it's
completely irrelevant to me.
So at Club Applebee's and withour program, it's really about
being relevant to our guests inways that's meaningful and then
(09:37):
turning that interaction intotransactions.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
Yeah, and you mentioned earlier being able to
listen to and understand yourcustomers.
That's a big challenge for manybrands and they have more data
than they ever had before.
Right, they have the CDP, theyhave their customer loyalty
platforms, their post-visit say,post-transaction scores, CSAT
scores, NPS scores.
So being able to really listento understand what the customers
(10:02):
truly want is a big challenge.
But you mentioned that how youdevelop the program from kind of
a linear email program to amore robust program by listening
to and understanding but thendeveloping the program in a
manner that's conducive to thecustomer, is great to hear.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
Absolutely, and I think that that, to your point,
there is so much data that iscoming in around guest behavior
and digital body language anddigital footprints, and the
challenge is how do you consumeall of that data and turn it
into meaningful interactionswith the guest?
And that is, I think, somethingthat the industry is going to
(10:42):
continue to be challenged withas we continue to receive all of
this robust data on our guests.
Speaker 1 (10:49):
Absolutely.
You talked a little bit aboutpersonalization.
That's another topic that'svery relevant, obviously for
those who run customer loyaltyprograms.
You actually have aquote-unquote working group on
it within Loathe360.
It's very relevant.
But being able to do it as youmentioned, listening to having
the right technology, being ableto truly action on it can be a
big challenge for many brandsright and make sure the
(11:12):
technology works, making surethat they have the organization
that's behind it and bought in.
So when you look at an athleteobviously you talked about your
personalization approach what'snext for personalization in
athletes and are therechallenges that you see with
regard to personalization eithertechnology or organizational
alignment, or how do you manageit?
Speaker 2 (11:33):
So personalization is something that will continue to
evolve.
So our guests' needs and whatthey feel is personal preference
will continue to morph and theconsumer expectations in general
will continue to evolve.
I think for us, from apersonalization standpoint,
(11:56):
there's opportunity to take thatpersonalization outside of the
digital space.
And how do we pull it into allof our touch points with our
guests?
The airlines know if you like awindow or an aisle.
We should know in therestaurant industry if our guest
likes a table or a booth, andwe should be able to anticipate
that and have that table readyfor them whenever they walk into
(12:18):
our restaurants.
So I think it's about personalpreference and really having
that 360 view of our guest andbeing able to anticipate their
needs and create that perfectexperience for them, whether
it's in our restaurant or ontheir couch.
Speaker 1 (12:33):
Now, again, this is a very interesting discussion
because they're being able toaccess on that data, making sure
you have the right zero partydata, the gamification pieces in
place to get that, but thenbeing able to action on it right
, not only from a corporateperspective but from a
clienteling perspective.
Right that individual.
How do you disseminate thatinformation?
Pack it up, take up Mark likessteak, mark, you know, likes
(12:57):
margaritas, whatever it may be,and they can use it in a way
that quote unquote is is youknow germane to the customer,
but also you know real, whenit's not like oh, I know you
like margaritas.
It says right here.
So doing it in a way that youknow can create engagement and
also it's surprised the guestright, if you do it in a certain
way, it's very powerful.
(13:18):
How does that emotiveengagement right?
And it sounds like that'ssomething you're focused on.
Speaker 2 (13:23):
Absolutely.
I think we have to gain thetrust of our guests.
Data is something very personalto each individual, and having
our guests trust us with theirdata and the amount of
personalization and preferencesthat they would like to see
within their experience issomething that we have to build
(13:45):
over time, and that comes withbeing reliable.
That comes with using that datain ways that is meaningful to
them and being able to action onit.
So I think that our guests'willingness to trust us with
their preferences is somethingthat is kind of that first step
(14:07):
to getting to that 360 view.
Speaker 1 (14:10):
Okay, there's a big discussion, as you're probably
aware, about how customers arechanging, talking about what
their expectations are.
How do you meet them?
I think the step one isobviously understanding what the
technology sorry what theirpreferences are, what they're
telling you.
But when you look at yourcustomers, how do you feel your
customers are changing?
The athletes or maybe in theyou know, the fast casual dining
(14:30):
industry as a whole?
Speaker 2 (14:34):
So we find that preferences are fairly
generational and there is a techadoption curve that we see
within each of those generationsand for us, it's really about
meeting our guests where theyare, within that tech adoption
and within that tech tolerance,if you will.
So we find that our youngerguests are very much more tech
(14:59):
savvy and they actually enjoyplacing their orders through
different digital channels,whether that's through an AI
system, whether it's on our appor our website, whereas we find
a lot of our older guests preferspeaking with a human, or that
they want that one-on-oneinteraction and less
(15:20):
transactional.
So we want to make sure thatwe're meeting our guests where
they are and with the experienceagain, that's personalized to
them in a way that is notoverwhelming to them
personalized to them in a waythat is not overwhelming to them
.
Speaker 1 (15:33):
You mentioned kind of preferences, being able to
action on it.
How does the you know ClubApple Leafs and the Date Night
Pass you know address?
Speaker 2 (15:43):
some of those personal preferences.
Well, the Date Night Passspecifically is.
It definitely, definitely goesinto and leans into our guests'
busy schedule and setting asidethat time for a date night,
whether it's a date night withyour spouse, with your
significant other, maybe it's adate night with your child.
(16:03):
It's really about bringingfolks together and, in those
moments that matter to them, andcelebrating the occasion.
Whether that occasion is abirthday, a date night, maybe
it's a Tuesday, whateveroccasion that our guest wants to
celebrate, the date night passis able to help them do that and
give them a reason to do that.
Speaker 1 (16:23):
That's awesome.
Employee engagement another bigtopic.
You can do all the things youwant from a marketing
perspective the right message,right audience, right time but a
person comes in and has a badexperience.
That can be bad, or they don'tknow about the program.
Getting people, getting thatfrontline individual the server,
the waiter, the bartender tounderstand the program is a big
(16:44):
challenge and it seems like youguys are doing a great job with
that.
How are your employees trainedor engaged with regarding the
date night program, the clubathletes or even personalization
and empathy in general?
Speaker 2 (16:59):
Our team members are absolutely amazing.
They interact with our guests ona daily basis and they really
provide us with insight and withthe overall ability to create
those moments with our guests.
We believe that our guestexperience will never supersede
our team member experience.
(17:20):
So for our team members to beengaged, to be happy to be, have
an ease of their job and theirordering, and just general
knowledge of our guests and ourprograms is absolutely critical
in the execution of whether it'sdate night pass, whether it's
(17:40):
any of our other promotions ourAmerica's Favorite Boneless
Wings promotion, or anythingthat we put in our restaurants.
Our team members are that frontline to our guests.
So we make sure that our teammembers are knowledgeable, that
they have appropriate trainingin place, again, in ways that
speak to them and in ways thatare appropriate for them to
(18:04):
consume and, at the end of theday, our team members know our
guests better than anyone andthey have that freedom, within a
framework, to be able toprovide a unparalleled level of
hospitality to our guests,whether they're coming in for a
date night or coming in for anyother promotion.
Speaker 1 (18:21):
You mentioned preferences.
Interests are generational.
One of the things that we see agood deal as well.
On, another really hot topic inthe industry is engaging the
younger audience.
How do you engage them right?
Brands find that it may be alittle more difficult to get
them into the loyalty program.
Once you do get them into theloyalty program, they can be
(18:43):
some of your best guests.
They can be pretty significantadvocates for you.
Is that something that you'reseeing?
With regard to engaging theyounger generation, you know how
are you navigating.
Speaker 2 (18:55):
The younger generation is much more tech
savvy, so there's a little bitmore of an inclination to
download an app or to join somesort of a loyalty program
through that digital spacehurdle to get them into the club
.
Once they're in Club Applebee's, we provide that value in ways
(19:26):
that are not necessarily justthe discount, like I spoke about
.
So it's finding those momentswithin their lifestyle and
within their digital ecosystemthat matter to them, where
Applebee's can play alongsidewhat they're already doing and
their lifestyle.
And how do we fit into that, asopposed to trying to get that
(19:49):
younger generation to fit into acookie cutter loyalty program
for us?
Okay.
Speaker 1 (19:56):
Big discussion point.
Topic emotional loyalty.
What does emotional loyaltymean to Applebee's?
It's something very relevant.
Brands are challenged withregard to how to measure it.
They use kind of proxy scores,often NPS, csat.
When you look at emotionalloyalty especially date night
right, getting out of the house,getting away from the kids not
that I have the opportunity todo that often, but if you do,
(20:17):
that's emotional in and ofitself.
When you look at emotionalloyalty, what's that mean to
athletes in and of itself.
Speaker 2 (20:23):
When you look at emotional loyalty, what's that
mean to Applebee's?
I love emotional loyalty, so Igrew up going to Applebee's with
my grandparents and my parentsand now my kids are doing the
same thing.
They're going to Applebee'swith me, with my parents, with
my husband's parents.
So I feel that Applebee'salready has this emotional
loyalty built in through ourgenerational equity.
I mean, Mark, you mentionedthat you have ties to Applebee's
(20:44):
already has this emotionalloyalty built in through our
generational equity?
I mean, Mark, you mentionedthat you have ties to Applebee's
.
We hear again and again storiesfrom our guests that their first
date night or their first datewas at an Applebee's.
We hear about them going toApplebee's with their parents.
So we have this generationalequity that's already the
foundation of emotional loyaltywith Applebee's.
This generational equity that'salready the foundation of
(21:05):
emotional loyalty withApplebee's and we continue to
lean into that and thatnostalgia and that tradition of
going to Applebee's with yourfamily, with your friends,
whether it's after the bigfootball game, after a baseball
game with your grandparents, andleaning into that has already
gotten us some emotional loyalty.
And I think that that is justthe beginning for Applebee's and
(21:26):
that will sustain for years andyears to come.
Speaker 1 (21:29):
Excellent.
So when you look at the programthe date night program, the
club Applebee's what are two orthree things that you're most
proud of?
Speaker 2 (21:40):
I am most proud of the way that we have been able
to innovate aroundpersonalization and relevancy
with our guests.
The date night pass is a greatexample of that and just the
overwhelming popularity of thedate night pass.
Like I mentioned earlier, werecently concluded a Super Bowl
(22:09):
sweepstakes with our ClubApplebee's members, where we
gave away a trip to the SuperBowl In addition to weekly
prizes to numerous gueststhroughout the country with
autograph swag from the NFL andother things that are relevant
to them.
So I'm really, really proud ofthe way that we have been able
to take a loyalty program andfind ways outside of just
sending emails and pushnotifications and MMS texts that
are relevant, which is veryimportant.
(22:31):
That is a foundation of aloyalty club or an e-club
program, but how we've been ableto expand that into
partnerships and into uniqueopportunities for our guests,
like date night.
Speaker 1 (22:45):
Excellent.
Well, you got through the mainpart.
Now we have our wonderfulquickfire questions.
We like to keep it to one wordor short phrase response.
So the first one is what wordor short phrase do you use to
inspire others?
Speaker 2 (23:00):
So I always tell my team that innovation happens in
the unknown, and if we are not,or if everything we do is very
easy and goes exactly to plan,we're not pushing enough
boundaries.
Speaker 1 (23:10):
Okay, what's the least favorite word that others
use that you're not a big fan of?
Speaker 2 (23:15):
Utilize.
Nobody says use anymore.
Speaker 1 (23:20):
Very good point.
What's your favorite food, orwhat's your favorite entree or
food dish at Applebee's?
Speaker 2 (23:28):
Chicken fajita roll-up.
Has been for decades.
Absolutely love it.
Speaker 1 (23:32):
And what excites you at work?
Speaker 2 (23:34):
My team.
They are absolutely amazing andalways pushing to be better.
Speaker 1 (23:39):
Okay, what do you find tiresome, at home or at
work?
Speaker 2 (23:41):
Okay, what do you find tiresome at home or at work
?
I have a 10 and 11 year old 10and 11 year old girls, so it is
very tiresome running them andkeeping up with their social
lives and sport lives.
Speaker 1 (23:50):
There you go.
Is there a book that you'veread or you'd like to read, that
you recommend your colleagues?
Speaker 2 (23:58):
So I love the area where technology meets
hospitality.
So Marty Kagan's Inspired andUnreasonable Hospitality by Will
Guidara.
Speaker 1 (24:06):
Okay.
Is there a profession otherthan the one you currently in?
If you had to choose that, youmay like to try.
Speaker 2 (24:16):
I absolutely love what I do and could not see
myself doing anything else.
Speaker 1 (24:19):
Very good, good answer.
Same boat, um.
What do you enjoy doing thatyou may not often get the chance
to do?
Going to the movies okay, we'llhave to hook you up.
We've a couple theaters in ourgroup.
Uh, we have marcus theaters,amc.
Uh, cinemark off.
I'll introduce you and you guysget a partnership going and you
(24:39):
get some change off there.
Speaker 2 (24:42):
I love it.
Speaker 1 (24:42):
Okay, who inspired you to become the person you are
today?
Speaker 2 (24:54):
So my grandmother, as you know, being in Midwest, a
gentleman called her Mama, butshe was just an amazing woman,
very steadfast in her resolveand very strong will.
Speaker 1 (24:59):
That's awesome.
And last question how do youwant to be remembered by your
friends and family?
Speaker 2 (25:06):
Loyal.
Speaker 1 (25:07):
There you go.
Well, that's awesome, vicki.
Thank you very much for takingthe time to speak with us today.
It was great getting to knowyou and getting to know more
about Club Appleys and the DateNight program.
You should send me one of thosefree kits.
Just kidding, the passion kindof the sincerity you had, it was
great to hear.
We don't always get that, butit was a very refreshing
(25:27):
interview and wasn't expectingthat, so it brightens up my day
for sure when you find someonewho's as passionate and genuine
as you.
So that's great.
Speaker 2 (25:35):
Awesome.
Thanks, mark, it's been apleasure.
Speaker 1 (25:36):
Absolutely, and thank you, everyone else, for taking
the time to listen.
Make sure you join us backevery Thursday for additional
episodes of our Leaders inCustomer Knowledge series.
Until then, have a wonderfulday.
The search for value, the ability to drive emotional
loyalty, engagement and a focuson the customer.
These qualities are quite rarein the market today.
Add in a passion for theemployee and a commitment to
listening to the guests,especially within the fast
casual restaurant industry, andyou may ask what is this unicorn
that you speak of?
Well, the date night passedpassed now in its second year
(00:26):
and the Club Applebee's program.
You guessed it it's Applebee's.
I remember what Applebee's usedfrom way back when, when I
bartended during my time inMiami of Ohio, and I can tell
you things sure have changed.
Joining us today on the Leadersin Customer Loyalty podcast,
the Brand Stories edition, isVicki Horman.
She is the Executive Directorof Off-Premise and CRM at
(00:48):
Applebee's.
Thank you very much, vicki, fortaking the time to talk with us
today.
How are you?
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Doing well.
How about yourself?
Speaker 1 (00:55):
Doing well.
Thank you, Looking forward tothis discussion.
First off, for those who maynot be familiar, can you give us
a short introduction toApplebee's and how the company
was started?
Speaker 2 (01:12):
What's the backstory?
Sure, applebee's is a Americanafavorite, if you will, we've
been around for, I believe, over45 years.
We are the neighborhood grilland bar.
I think that Applebee's is justa permanent establishment.
In so many neighborhoods,applebee's is an amazing place
to get together with friends andfamily and just enjoy a great
(01:33):
meal, whether that's at anApplebee's or at home on your
couch, we definitely love tobring people together over good
food at a great value.
Speaker 1 (01:43):
That's awesome.
What about you?
Can you tell us a little moreabout your role at the company?
How did you get where you aretoday?
Any fun positions you had kindof leading up to this role?
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Sure.
So currently I am, like yousaid, the executive director of
off-premise and CRM atApplebee's, which means that I
lead a team that drives allaspects of marketing technology
and operations for our $1billion off-premise business,
and a large portion of that isour CRM program.
I've been at Applebee's for 13years actually 13 years here in
(02:16):
a couple of weeks Started out inthe field marketing position
and I guess before that I'vealways just been in restaurants.
My grandfather actually owned abar and grill in Pittsburgh and
came all the way up throughhigh school and college working
in restaurants and really justfound a passion for the
restaurant industry.
Speaker 1 (02:37):
You're not a Steelers fan, are you?
Speaker 2 (02:40):
No, I'm a Vikings fan because I'm in Minnesota, but
the Steelers would probably bemy second choice.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
Oh, we might have to terminate this interview I know
you're a Bengals guy, then right.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
No, no, no, no, no, I'm a Broncos fan.
Speaker 1 (02:50):
But yeah, Okay, yes, no, Bengals, All right.
So Adley's just launched sorry,just announced how do I get
that word right the return ofthe date night pass for the
second consecutive year.
I think you have 3,000 passes.
They were distributed onValentine's Day.
If you let people knowValentine's Day, they can
purchase them for $100 each andthrough a random and exclusive
(03:13):
drawing for people who are partof Applebee's loyalty program.
Can you tell us a little bitmore about the program, how it
works and why you?
Speaker 2 (03:22):
brought it back for year two.
Yeah, so, as you mentioned,last year, in 2024, was our
first year offering a date nightpass, and we like to joke that
there were two things in 2024that broke the internet.
It was the Taylor Swift concerttickets, if you remember that,
and then the Applebee's datenight pass.
So in 2024, whenever we offeredthe date night pass, we sold
out within minutes and reallyshowing this need and this want
(03:48):
for our guests to have aset-aside time for date night.
And so we took some learningsfrom 2024 and brought back date
night pass this year, withoffering 3,000 date night passes
to our Club, applebee's membersexclusively, the opportunity to
be entered into a drawing to beable to purchase one of these
passes, like you mentioned, for$100,.
(04:10):
Our guests could purchase thecard, which is valid for one
date night per month, worth $50every month for all of 2025.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
Okay, excellent.
So when you looked at theprogram last year, what did you
see?
Obviously, it was verysuccessful being able to get a
$50 discount on food every monthfor a hundred bucks, especially
in this environment whereeveryone's looking for value.
What did you see in the programlast year?
Speaker 2 (04:42):
So last year the date night pass was valid for a once
a week date night.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
One of the things that we found was that our
guests just live incredibly busylifestyles and finding the time
to set aside a weekly datenight was just a little bit
overwhelming.
So we're consistently listeningto our guests feedback and we
took that feedback and decidedthat let's make the pass worth a
little bit more for the monthlydate night, but let's move it
(05:08):
to monthly so that our guestscan truly take that time to have
a moment that matters in ourrestaurants once a month, where
it's a little bit moredigestible to be able to
schedule that monthly date nightas opposed to a weekly date
night.
Speaker 1 (05:22):
Okay, as mentioned many brands right now, the
customers are asking for morevalue.
Right Kind of economicuncertainty in some situations.
Many people again who aremembers of the 360, we meet and
talk about different topics andthis search for value value in
the program is a prettycompelling topic right now.
Is this something that you areseeing and, if so, does the Date
(05:46):
Night Pass and Club Applebee'shelp address some of this search
for value?
Speaker 2 (05:52):
Absolutely.
Our guests are always searchingfor value and at Applebee's I
think value and bringing peopletogether over a great meal has
always been part of our core,and so Date Night Pass and
providing that value to our ClubApplebee's members is just
baked into what we do.
The value of the date nightpass with $100 for $600 of value
(06:15):
, is extraordinary.
So we definitely saw folksreally coveting these passes and
kind of clamoring for theiropportunity to purchase one.
Speaker 1 (06:26):
That's awesome.
Speaker 2 (06:27):
And I think too, mark , if we take that even a step
further, you had asked how thatkind of relates to overall Club
Applebee's.
Club Applebee's is reallypositioned as a exclusive club.
It is free to join, anyone canjoin, but that offers our guests
the opportunity for exclusiveperks and additional value
outside of our value drivenpromotions and our menu value.
(06:50):
That's already there.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
That's awesome.
The big push for exclusivity issomething that we see a lot as
well.
We're actually just talkingwith a large retailer in the
Pittsburgh area makes jeans, andyou know they see they put more
and more focus on the program.
They have a great organization,they do some very neat things
with the program.
But making that big push anddriving exclusivity being able
to get the discounts, the offers, the special and unique offers
(07:16):
is really kind of where themarket is going and those that
can enable that in a way thatthe customer understands.
They're seeing some prettypowerful results and it sounds
like you are as well.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
Absolutely, and we find that our guests view value
in a number of different ways.
So I think value goes wellbeyond just discounts and it's
the opportunity to createinteractions with our guests
that are meaningful to ourguests on that one-to-one level.
So even we offered our ClubApplebee's members an exclusive
(07:49):
sneak peek at a new menu itemthat we launched earlier this
year, and we saw quite a few ofour Club Applebee's members take
advantage of that and be thefirst to try our new Big
Cluckin' Chicken Sandwich.
We've recently wrapped up aSuper Bowl sweepstakes and we
sent one lucky guest out of NewYork on an all-expense-paid trip
(08:10):
to the Super Bowl this year.
So we're finding that valuegoes beyond just discounts with
our Club Applebee's members.
Speaker 1 (08:19):
Absolutely.
When you look at your customerloyalty strategy at Applebee's,
how has it evolved during yourtime at Applebee's, you know?
Are you looking at differentmethods or different ways to
engage the customer, and how doyou see that going forward?
Speaker 2 (08:32):
Absolutely.
You know, traditionally ClubApplebee's has been a very
linear email marketing program.
We established Club Applebee'sover 15 years ago, believe it or
not, as pretty much just anemail marketing program, and
where we've evolved this to is amuch more personalized and
meaningful vehicle for ourguests, like I said, with these
(08:54):
exclusive perks and value thatthey're not able to receive
outside of that club.
I think that personalization iskey and being very relevant to
the guest.
Yeah, whenever you think aboutjust everybody's individual
likes and wants and needs, thereare things that just aren't
(09:14):
relevant, right?
So, mark, if you like steak,then if I tell you about a brand
new steak skillet that we haveon the menu, it's going to be
very appetizing to you, but if Idon't eat red meat, it's
completely irrelevant to me.
So at Club Applebee's and withour program, it's really about
being relevant to our guests inways that's meaningful and then
(09:37):
turning that interaction intotransactions.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
Yeah, and you mentioned earlier being able to
listen to and understand yourcustomers.
That's a big challenge for manybrands and they have more data
than they ever had before.
Right, they have the CDP, theyhave their customer loyalty
platforms, their post-visit say,post-transaction scores, CSAT
scores, NPS scores.
So being able to really listento understand what the customers
(10:02):
truly want is a big challenge.
But you mentioned that how youdevelop the program from kind of
a linear email program to amore robust program by listening
to and understanding but thendeveloping the program in a
manner that's conducive to thecustomer, is great to hear.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
Absolutely, and I think that that, to your point,
there is so much data that iscoming in around guest behavior
and digital body language anddigital footprints, and the
challenge is how do you consumeall of that data and turn it
into meaningful interactionswith the guest?
And that is, I think, somethingthat the industry is going to
(10:42):
continue to be challenged withas we continue to receive all of
this robust data on our guests.
Speaker 1 (10:49):
Absolutely.
You talked a little bit aboutpersonalization.
That's another topic that'svery relevant, obviously for
those who run customer loyaltyprograms.
You actually have aquote-unquote working group on
it within Loathe360.
It's very relevant.
But being able to do it as youmentioned, listening to having
the right technology, being ableto truly action on it can be a
big challenge for many brandsright and make sure the
(11:12):
technology works, making surethat they have the organization
that's behind it and bought in.
So when you look at an athleteobviously you talked about your
personalization approach what'snext for personalization in
athletes and are therechallenges that you see with
regard to personalization eithertechnology or organizational
alignment, or how do you manageit?
Speaker 2 (11:33):
So personalization is something that will continue to
evolve.
So our guests' needs and whatthey feel is personal preference
will continue to morph and theconsumer expectations in general
will continue to evolve.
I think for us, from apersonalization standpoint,
(11:56):
there's opportunity to take thatpersonalization outside of the
digital space.
And how do we pull it into allof our touch points with our
guests?
The airlines know if you like awindow or an aisle.
We should know in therestaurant industry if our guest
likes a table or a booth, andwe should be able to anticipate
that and have that table readyfor them whenever they walk into
(12:18):
our restaurants.
So I think it's about personalpreference and really having
that 360 view of our guest andbeing able to anticipate their
needs and create that perfectexperience for them, whether
it's in our restaurant or ontheir couch.
Speaker 1 (12:33):
Now, again, this is a very interesting discussion
because they're being able toaccess on that data, making sure
you have the right zero partydata, the gamification pieces in
place to get that, but thenbeing able to action on it right
, not only from a corporateperspective but from a
clienteling perspective.
Right that individual.
How do you disseminate thatinformation?
Pack it up, take up Mark likessteak, mark, you know, likes
(12:57):
margaritas, whatever it may be,and they can use it in a way
that quote unquote is is youknow germane to the customer,
but also you know real, whenit's not like oh, I know you
like margaritas.
It says right here.
So doing it in a way that youknow can create engagement and
also it's surprised the guestright, if you do it in a certain
way, it's very powerful.
(13:18):
How does that emotiveengagement right?
And it sounds like that'ssomething you're focused on.
Speaker 2 (13:23):
Absolutely.
I think we have to gain thetrust of our guests.
Data is something very personalto each individual, and having
our guests trust us with theirdata and the amount of
personalization and preferencesthat they would like to see
within their experience issomething that we have to build
(13:45):
over time, and that comes withbeing reliable.
That comes with using that datain ways that is meaningful to
them and being able to action onit.
So I think that our guests'willingness to trust us with
their preferences is somethingthat is kind of that first step
(14:07):
to getting to that 360 view.
Speaker 1 (14:10):
Okay, there's a big discussion, as you're probably
aware, about how customers arechanging, talking about what
their expectations are.
How do you meet them?
I think the step one isobviously understanding what the
technology sorry what theirpreferences are, what they're
telling you.
But when you look at yourcustomers, how do you feel your
customers are changing?
The athletes or maybe in theyou know, the fast casual dining
(14:30):
industry as a whole?
Speaker 2 (14:34):
So we find that preferences are fairly
generational and there is a techadoption curve that we see
within each of those generationsand for us, it's really about
meeting our guests where theyare, within that tech adoption
and within that tech tolerance,if you will.
So we find that our youngerguests are very much more tech
(14:59):
savvy and they actually enjoyplacing their orders through
different digital channels,whether that's through an AI
system, whether it's on our appor our website, whereas we find
a lot of our older guests preferspeaking with a human, or that
they want that one-on-oneinteraction and less
(15:20):
transactional.
So we want to make sure thatwe're meeting our guests where
they are and with the experienceagain, that's personalized to
them in a way that is notoverwhelming to them
personalized to them in a waythat is not overwhelming to them
.
Speaker 1 (15:33):
You mentioned kind of preferences, being able to
action on it.
How does the you know ClubApple Leafs and the Date Night
Pass you know address?
Speaker 2 (15:43):
some of those personal preferences.
Well, the Date Night Passspecifically is.
It definitely, definitely goesinto and leans into our guests'
busy schedule and setting asidethat time for a date night,
whether it's a date night withyour spouse, with your
significant other, maybe it's adate night with your child.
(16:03):
It's really about bringingfolks together and, in those
moments that matter to them, andcelebrating the occasion.
Whether that occasion is abirthday, a date night, maybe
it's a Tuesday, whateveroccasion that our guest wants to
celebrate, the date night passis able to help them do that and
give them a reason to do that.
Speaker 1 (16:23):
That's awesome.
Employee engagement another bigtopic.
You can do all the things youwant from a marketing
perspective the right message,right audience, right time but a
person comes in and has a badexperience.
That can be bad, or they don'tknow about the program.
Getting people, getting thatfrontline individual the server,
the waiter, the bartender tounderstand the program is a big
(16:44):
challenge and it seems like youguys are doing a great job with
that.
How are your employees trainedor engaged with regarding the
date night program, the clubathletes or even personalization
and empathy in general?
Speaker 2 (16:59):
Our team members are absolutely amazing.
They interact with our guests ona daily basis and they really
provide us with insight and withthe overall ability to create
those moments with our guests.
We believe that our guestexperience will never supersede
our team member experience.
(17:20):
So for our team members to beengaged, to be happy to be, have
an ease of their job and theirordering, and just general
knowledge of our guests and ourprograms is absolutely critical
in the execution of whether it'sdate night pass, whether it's
(17:40):
any of our other promotions ourAmerica's Favorite Boneless
Wings promotion, or anythingthat we put in our restaurants.
Our team members are that frontline to our guests.
So we make sure that our teammembers are knowledgeable, that
they have appropriate trainingin place, again, in ways that
speak to them and in ways thatare appropriate for them to
(18:04):
consume and, at the end of theday, our team members know our
guests better than anyone andthey have that freedom, within a
framework, to be able toprovide a unparalleled level of
hospitality to our guests,whether they're coming in for a
date night or coming in for anyother promotion.
Speaker 1 (18:21):
You mentioned preferences.
Interests are generational.
One of the things that we see agood deal as well.
On, another really hot topic inthe industry is engaging the
younger audience.
How do you engage them right?
Brands find that it may be alittle more difficult to get
them into the loyalty program.
Once you do get them into theloyalty program, they can be
(18:43):
some of your best guests.
They can be pretty significantadvocates for you.
Is that something that you'reseeing?
With regard to engaging theyounger generation, you know how
are you navigating.
Speaker 2 (18:55):
The younger generation is much more tech
savvy, so there's a little bitmore of an inclination to
download an app or to join somesort of a loyalty program
through that digital spacehurdle to get them into the club
.
Once they're in Club Applebee's, we provide that value in ways
(19:26):
that are not necessarily justthe discount, like I spoke about
.
So it's finding those momentswithin their lifestyle and
within their digital ecosystemthat matter to them, where
Applebee's can play alongsidewhat they're already doing and
their lifestyle.
And how do we fit into that, asopposed to trying to get that
(19:49):
younger generation to fit into acookie cutter loyalty program
for us?
Okay.
Speaker 1 (19:56):
Big discussion point.
Topic emotional loyalty.
What does emotional loyaltymean to Applebee's?
It's something very relevant.
Brands are challenged withregard to how to measure it.
They use kind of proxy scores,often NPS, csat.
When you look at emotionalloyalty especially date night
right, getting out of the house,getting away from the kids not
that I have the opportunity todo that often, but if you do,
(20:17):
that's emotional in and ofitself.
When you look at emotionalloyalty, what's that mean to
athletes in and of itself.
Speaker 2 (20:23):
When you look at emotional loyalty, what's that
mean to Applebee's?
I love emotional loyalty, so Igrew up going to Applebee's with
my grandparents and my parentsand now my kids are doing the
same thing.
They're going to Applebee'swith me, with my parents, with
my husband's parents.
So I feel that Applebee'salready has this emotional
loyalty built in through ourgenerational equity.
I mean, Mark, you mentionedthat you have ties to Applebee's
(20:44):
already has this emotionalloyalty built in through our
generational equity?
I mean, Mark, you mentionedthat you have ties to Applebee's
.
We hear again and again storiesfrom our guests that their first
date night or their first datewas at an Applebee's.
We hear about them going toApplebee's with their parents.
So we have this generationalequity that's already the
foundation of emotional loyaltywith Applebee's.
This generational equity that'salready the foundation of
(21:05):
emotional loyalty withApplebee's and we continue to
lean into that and thatnostalgia and that tradition of
going to Applebee's with yourfamily, with your friends,
whether it's after the bigfootball game, after a baseball
game with your grandparents, andleaning into that has already
gotten us some emotional loyalty.
And I think that that is justthe beginning for Applebee's and
(21:26):
that will sustain for years andyears to come.
Speaker 1 (21:29):
Excellent.
So when you look at the programthe date night program, the
club Applebee's what are two orthree things that you're most
proud of?
Speaker 2 (21:40):
I am most proud of the way that we have been able
to innovate aroundpersonalization and relevancy
with our guests.
The date night pass is a greatexample of that and just the
overwhelming popularity of thedate night pass.
Like I mentioned earlier, werecently concluded a Super Bowl
(22:09):
sweepstakes with our ClubApplebee's members, where we
gave away a trip to the SuperBowl In addition to weekly
prizes to numerous gueststhroughout the country with
autograph swag from the NFL andother things that are relevant
to them.
So I'm really, really proud ofthe way that we have been able
to take a loyalty program andfind ways outside of just
sending emails and pushnotifications and MMS texts that
are relevant, which is veryimportant.
(22:31):
That is a foundation of aloyalty club or an e-club
program, but how we've been ableto expand that into
partnerships and into uniqueopportunities for our guests,
like date night.
Speaker 1 (22:45):
Excellent.
Well, you got through the mainpart.
Now we have our wonderfulquickfire questions.
We like to keep it to one wordor short phrase response.
So the first one is what wordor short phrase do you use to
inspire others?
Speaker 2 (23:00):
So I always tell my team that innovation happens in
the unknown, and if we are not,or if everything we do is very
easy and goes exactly to plan,we're not pushing enough
boundaries.
Speaker 1 (23:10):
Okay, what's the least favorite word that others
use that you're not a big fan of?
Speaker 2 (23:15):
Utilize.
Nobody says use anymore.
Speaker 1 (23:20):
Very good point.
What's your favorite food, orwhat's your favorite entree or
food dish at Applebee's?
Speaker 2 (23:28):
Chicken fajita roll-up.
Has been for decades.
Absolutely love it.
Speaker 1 (23:32):
And what excites you at work?
Speaker 2 (23:34):
My team.
They are absolutely amazing andalways pushing to be better.
Speaker 1 (23:39):
Okay, what do you find tiresome, at home or at
work?
Speaker 2 (23:41):
Okay, what do you find tiresome at home or at work
?
I have a 10 and 11 year old 10and 11 year old girls, so it is
very tiresome running them andkeeping up with their social
lives and sport lives.
Speaker 1 (23:50):
There you go.
Is there a book that you'veread or you'd like to read, that
you recommend your colleagues?
Speaker 2 (23:58):
So I love the area where technology meets
hospitality.
So Marty Kagan's Inspired andUnreasonable Hospitality by Will
Guidara.
Speaker 1 (24:06):
Okay.
Is there a profession otherthan the one you currently in?
If you had to choose that, youmay like to try.
Speaker 2 (24:16):
I absolutely love what I do and could not see
myself doing anything else.
Speaker 1 (24:19):
Very good, good answer.
Same boat, um.
What do you enjoy doing thatyou may not often get the chance
to do?
Going to the movies okay, we'llhave to hook you up.
We've a couple theaters in ourgroup.
Uh, we have marcus theaters,amc.
Uh, cinemark off.
I'll introduce you and you guysget a partnership going and you
(24:39):
get some change off there.
Speaker 2 (24:42):
I love it.
Speaker 1 (24:42):
Okay, who inspired you to become the person you are
today?
Speaker 2 (24:54):
So my grandmother, as you know, being in Midwest, a
gentleman called her Mama, butshe was just an amazing woman,
very steadfast in her resolveand very strong will.
Speaker 1 (24:59):
That's awesome.
And last question how do youwant to be remembered by your
friends and family?
Speaker 2 (25:06):
Loyal.
Speaker 1 (25:07):
There you go.
Well, that's awesome, vicki.
Thank you very much for takingthe time to speak with us today.
It was great getting to knowyou and getting to know more
about Club Appleys and the DateNight program.
You should send me one of thosefree kits.
Just kidding, the passion kindof the sincerity you had, it was
great to hear.
We don't always get that, butit was a very refreshing
(25:27):
interview and wasn't expectingthat, so it brightens up my day
for sure when you find someonewho's as passionate and genuine
as you.
So that's great.
Speaker 2 (25:35):
Awesome.
Thanks, mark, it's been apleasure.
Speaker 1 (25:36):
Absolutely, and thank you, everyone else, for taking
the time to listen.
Make sure you join us backevery Thursday for additional
episodes of our Leaders inCustomer Knowledge series.
Until then, have a wonderfulday.
Popular Podcasts
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com