Arby’s is working to increase its loyalty program membership, and to get its customers to try different menu items, by offering free sandwiches to members this month.
Declaring April “Free Sandwich Month,” the quick service chain of more than 3,500 restaurants will be offering Arby’s Rewards members a deal each week to get a free sandwich with any purchase via the chain’s website or app.
Arby’s, a subsidiary of Atlanta-based Inspire Brands, said the promotion was part of an effort to get skeptics to try its food.
“During Free Sandwich Month, we’re putting our money where our mouth is with our biggest rewards promotion to-date,” chief marketing officer Ellen Rose said in a release announcing the deal. “Arby’s sandwiches are so delicious, which is why Free Sandwich Month is the perfect opportunity for any skeptics out there to try any of the sandwiches they’ve been eyeing. We’re so confident that our sandwiches will turn even the biggest Arby’s disbeliever into a fan that we’re willing to give them four free trials throughout the month of April.”
To promote the offer, Arby’s said it would put four skeptics about the quality of its food to the test via its social media channels. In the “Arby’s Try Detector” promotion four participants will be strapped to biometric scanners as they try an Arby’s sandwich to see how they truly feel about what they’re eating.
Many restaurant chains have reported that loyalty program members tend to spend more money per transaction, and that digital orders also tend to result in higher checks.
Collecting data from loyalty program members also allows chains to customize their offers, for example by giving discounts to customers who respond to that while offering early access to menu items or merchandise to those who are more interested in those types of deals.
Carl’s Jr. recently gave away hamburgers on the day after the Super Bowl to attract new loyalty program members, and got nearly 200,000 people to sign up, boosting its membership by some 20%.
Potbelly recently modified its rewards program to allow members to accrue points and redeem them more quickly.
Contact Bret Thorn at [email protected]